The unseasonably warm late season weather has resulted in an unusual number of sightings of southern species basking in the warmth of Nebraska’s tropical weather. Several were county records, the first being a Queen from Ponca State Park (Dixon Co.) photographed on September 20 by Brett Anderson.
Then on October 13 Colleen Childers found a Pipevine Swallowtail in Grand Island (Hall Co). This comes as Steve Spomer reported one from Lincoln on the same day.
Gulf Fritillaries have also been reported from Hall (Colleen Childers), Buffalo (Jennifer Dankert) and Hamilton (Chris Helzer) Counties in the past week, with Chris’s Hamilton County finding being a county record.
All of these coming on top of uncommon findings here in central (Buffalo Co.) Nebraska. Monarchs are still common in Elm Creek as well as singles of Gulf Fritillaries, Cloudless Sulphurs and Eufala Skippers – all species seen here infrequently.
So if you still have nectar sources in your area check them out. The season is winding down but amazing things are still being found.