Angled Leafwings at National Butterfly Center, 2/11/17

Lorna Graham found an Angled Leafwing yesterday afternoon at the National Butterfly Center and no one else got to see it.  The only ones I have ever seen were back in  Dec. 2012.  But not to worry as the butterfly was refound today.

And for good measure I found another one shortly thereafter.  It's amazing how often rare butterflies show up in multiples.

It's been awhile since I've seen a Common Streaky-Skipper at the NBC.

Prior to last week I had only seen three Chestnut Crescents.  Now I've seen four in four days.  With both sexes being seen, I wonder if they will leave any caterpillars behind.

My afternoon started with this Band-celled Sister.

And yet another Double-dotted Skipper.

Celia's Roadside-Skipper are starting to appear again.

The winter form of South Texas Satyr has really tiny occelli.

NABA Sightings won't allow me to copy and past my list for the day so you have to go there now to see it.

https://sightings.naba.org/

Chestnut Crescent at National Butterfly Center, 2/10/17

Martin Reid has been down in the Valley the past couple of days and I got a call from him about a weird groundstreak that he and Mike Rickard had found the evening before.  Well that was enough to get me out of my planned yard work and over to the National Butterfly Center.  We looked but could not refind the groundstreak however John Rosford showed up and minutes later he had found a male Chestnut Crescent.  I had seen a few females but this was my first male.

  Later Martin and I walked the ditch and found this beat up female Chestnut Crescent.  So I've seen three individuals of this rare species over the past three days.

Texan Crescents have been common lately.

I had no problem finding the reported Double-dotted Skippers.  This used to be a Brownsville specialty but they are often seen at the NBC these days.

This has been the winter of the Mexican Silverspot.

My first Common Sootywing of the year.

Black Swallowtails show up when the mustards and dills start blooming.

I was going to enter a list but NABA Sightings would not let me copy it.  I'll try again later.

Chestnut Crescent at Estero, 2/8/17

Several Chestnut Crescents have been seen lately at the National Butterfly Center including a male yesterday.  So when Rick Snider reported a male this afternoon at Estero Llano Grande State Park, I thought I'd better run over and try to see it.  Well I failed to find it but got a surprise female Chestnut Crescent instead.  I think it's just my fourth sighting of this rare Mexican butterfly.

And then just a few minutes later I saw my second ever Falcate Orangetip but could not manage a photo.  I did get my first Brown-banded Skipper of the year.

There were at least three Julia Heliconians.

A tattered Band-celled Sister.

It had been several years since my last Olive-clouded Skipper so I was happy to find this one.

Female Whirlabouts always make me do a double-take.

As do worn White-patched Skipper.

And then there was this one.  It was about the size of a Julia's Skipper but seemed way too dark to me.  I'm still waiting for some expert commentary on this bug.

90 degree in Feb. sure brings out the butterflies.