Have we returned to normalcy? April brought us a weather pattern much closer to average than we experienced over the previous seven months — from September to the end of March. September 2015-March 2016 was the 5th warmest fall and 5th warmest winter on record, and March 2016 was the 6th warmest March ever recorded (back to 1895; see chart below). New Jersey State Climatologist David Robinson has not yet released his report for April 2016, but it’s doubtful any records were set. The month felt like a “normal” April with a mix of conditions like those we often experience in early spring in South Jersey. We had rain during several of the opening days and again during the last few, but in between we had mostly sunny, dry days: good for chasing butterflies, except when it was too cold or windy. The variability seemed typical for April.
Thirty-four observers contributed to a total of 290+ reports for the month, including two participants new to our project, listed in bold face below. Welcome to the project, Lynn and Scott!
And thanks to everyone in our group who found time to post observations this month.
- Cynthia Allen
- Dave Amadio
- Dolores Amesbury
- Jesse Amesbury
- Sylvia Armstrong
- Tom Bailey
- Jennifer Bulava
- Claire Campbell
- Jesse Connor
- Jack Connor
- Michael Drake
- Scott Fisher
- Steve Glynn
- Jean Gutsmuth
- Mike Hannisian
- Marilyn Henry
- Chris Herz
- Brian Johnson
- Karen Johnson
- Sandra Keller
- Will Kerling
- Teresa Knipper
- Chip Krilowicz
- Lynn Maun
- Jack Miller
- Michael Pasquarello
- Beth Polvino
- Gibson Reynolds
- Mike Russell
- Pat Sutton
- Clay Sutton
- Harvey Tomlinson
- Chris Tonkinson
- Matt Webster
We recorded forty-one species for the month. Species new for the year (FOY) are in italics.
- eastern tiger swallowtail
- black swallowtail (4-14-16)
- spicebush swallowtail (4-17-16)
- cabbage white
- falcate orange-tip
- orange sulphur
- clouded sulphur
- American copper (4-8-16)
- brown elfin
- frosted elfin
- hoary elfin (4-4-16)
- Henry’s elfin
- eastern pine elfin
- juniper hairstreak (4-13-16)
- Hessel’s hairstreak (4-25-16)
- white-m hairstreak
- gray hairstreak
- red-banded hairstreak (4-21-16)
- eastern tailed-blue
- blueberry azure
- holly azure (4-1-16)
- American snout
- variegated fritillary (4-26-16)
- pearl crescent (4-15-16)
- question mark
- eastern comma
- mourning cloak
- American lady
- red admiral
- common buckeye (4-17-16 our first report since 1-3-16 = our FOY?)
- viceroy (4-21-16)
- monarch (calling this migrant our FOY on 4-24-16, our first report since 1-3-16)
- silver-spotted skipper (4-1-16)
- northern cloudywing (4-17-16)
- southern cloudywing (4-26-16)
- Juvenal’s duskywing
- Horace’s duskywing (4-18-16)
- wild indigo duskywing (4-17-16)
- sleepy duskywing (4-13-16)
- cobweb skipper (4-21-16)
- sachem (4-24-16)
Keep exploring and reporting, everyone!
— Jack Connor