5 intrepid counters didn’t expect diversity and got that with just 16 species, we missed one of our targets Hessel’s hairstreak though back in the cedars I did see one suspect hairstreak that circled high into the tree canopy.  There was almost no nectar around the host plant stands, little elsewhere too, really a tough bug to find though as I’ve missed it much more than found it.

Numbers were there, as we broke the one day high count of 900 Palamedes Swallowtail that was set on 9 Sep 2000.  Our total of 1206 was quite accurate, as there was very little else to distract us so I counted them closely.  The massive block of swamp was full of them, border areas or outlying ag fields were devoid of them!

We may consider another count attempt in late July during the second brood of Hessels…

85 Zebra Swallowtail
32 E tiger Swallowtail
7 Spicebush Swallowtail
1206 Palamedes Swallowtail
4 Falcate Orangetip
5 Orange Sulphur
1 Cloudless Sulphur
26 Red-banded Hairstreak
14 E tailed-blue
5 Holly Azure
1 Summer Azure (fresh)
1 Variegated Fritillary
1 Eastern Comma
38 Pearl Crescent
6 American Lady
2 Silver-spotted Skipper

Brian Bockhahn