After weeks of sunny days and stormy nights in Haywood Co., Saturday was of course cloudy with daytime rains. Sunday was sunny and much cooler with some wind. So Mother Nature did not cooperate as well as she could have for our CBS field trip.

On Saturday, Carl Ganser, Gene Schepker, Roger Wellington, Harry LeGrand, Ruth Young, Salman Abdulali, Bob Olthoff, and Gail Lankford started at the beginning of Harmon’s Den off I-40 and made it to the picnic area below the campground before the rain started at 11:00. We had SIX species –

Tiger ST – few
Pipevine ST – few
Red-spotted Purple – 1
Summer Azures – several
Red Admiral – 1
ETB – few

Three folks left at 11:00. Ruth, Salman, and Gail continued on to Max Patch area and back down Max Patch Rd to I-40. Gene and Carl left, but returned after the first rain ended, retracing their route through Harmon Den up to Max Patch area and then back same way. They had most of same species as Ruth’s group, which added TEN more to the day.

Great Spangled Frit – about 2 dozen
Aphrodite Frit – about 2 dozen
Meadow Frit – 1
Cabbage White – 3
Clouded Sulphur – 1
Orange Sulphur – 1
Pearl Crescent – 1
NORTHERN CRESCENT – 1 (Salman’s photo to Harry and Jeff confirmed)
SSS – 4
Little Glassywing – 1
Also many more ETBs, Summer Azures, Tiger STs, few more Pipevine STs

On Sunday at Purchase Knob (GSMNP) sunny, cool, windy weather for the group above, minus Bob O, and adding Sue and Bill Perry, Janie Owens, and Nancy Cowal. Harry did the compilation below. Added TWO species to the above 16.

Pipevine Swallowtail 2 — on Hwy 276 where we met
E. Tiger Swallowtail 2
Cabbage White 10
Clouded Sulphur 2
Orange Sulphur 30
BANDED HAIRSTREAK 9 probably all males; fresh
E. Tailed-Blue 4
Summer Azure 6
Great Spangled Fritillary 30
Aphrodite Fritillary 40
Meadow Fritillary 7
Pearl Crescent 6
American Lady 3
RED ADMIRAL 3
Silver-spotted Skipper 5

After the trip ended at 2:30, Janie, Nancy, Gail, and Salman went to Cataloochee Valley (GSMNP) for 1.5 hours of butterflying. Added NINE more:

Diana Frit – 4 males
Variegated Frit – 1
Monarch – 1
E. Comma – 1
Cloudless Sulphur – 1
Sleepy Orange – 1
Common Wood Nymph – 1
Dun – 1
Sachem – 1
Also 2 Aphrodite, 3 Pipevine ST, 4 Tiger St, 1 PC, 15 SSS, 1 Little Glassywing, and 1 Clouded Sulphur.

If anyone has corrections to make, please send to c-leps.
Gail Lankford

From Salman Abdulali: Here are the photos of what we have identified as a Northern Crescent:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/hx0j8h9wtqy9cxa/PhyciodesHaywood20150627a.jpg?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/7k8mgpicd97llgi/PhyciodesHaywood20150627b.jpg?dl=0