Butterfly Research
Observatory volunteers help manage butterfly
gardens at Kiptopeke State Park and at the Eastern Shore of Virginia
National Wildlife Refuge. The observatory participates in the annual 4th of
July Butterfly Count that is sponsored by the North American Butterfly
Association. In 1998 it established a Monarch Butterfly Migration Program
that conducts fall surveys and tags Monarchs. Several tagged Monarchs have later
been found at their winter roost sites near Mexico City.
The following links are good resources on the ecology of Monarch Butterflies:
Monarch Watch
Monarchs in the Classroom
Journey North
Kiptopeke State Park Butterfly Garden
Eastern Shore National Wildlife Refuge Butterfly Garden The Observatory has documented more than 70 species of butterflies and skippers at the tip of Virginia's Eastern Shore, where little butterfly work has been previously conducted. Pictured below are two rarities, Gulf Fritillary at the Eastern Shore of Virginia National Wildlife Refuge garden and Juniper Hairstreak at the Kiptopeke State Park butterfly garden. Other surprising finds have included White M Hairstreak, Great Purple Hairstreak and first Northampton County records for Zebra Swallowtail, Hayhurst's Scallopwing, Brazilian Skipper, Sleepy Orange, Crossline Skipper, Little Glassywing and Common Roadside Skipper. The Observatory's 15 mile diameter circle count area, for the NABA July count, has recorded national high counts for the year for Spicebush Swallowtail, Cabbage White, Silver-spotted Skipper and Saltmarsh Skipper, despite the fact that a huge percentage of the circle is water!
