There have been a number of people ask me when it’s a good time to see butterflies at Ruthven. My answer would be: just about any time. Right now, with the gardens and meadow in bloom, they seem to be everywhere. Norm and Mary Pomfret have been doing a weekly count at Ruthven for several years now. Yesterday they counted the following:
7 Eurasian Skippers
1 Silver-spotted Skipper
8 Dun Skippers
13 Cabbage Whites
2 Clouded Sulphurs
6 Banded Hairstreaks
14 Great Spangled Fritillaries
2 Northern Crescents
1 Eastern Comma
160 Common Wood-nymphs
2 Northern Broken Dash
13 Little Wood-satyrs
1 Eyed Brown
1 Red Admiral
1 Eastern Tailed Blue
[and I saw and photographed a Monarch – see yesterday’s blog]

The Pomfrets have generated a checklist that usually is available at the front gate office (unless it’s out of print….).

Rick