Kitty Todd

Visited Kitty Todd Nature Preserve up near Toledo yesterday.  Had never been there before.  It was a little troubling in that there was zero signage to orient visitors.  I was later told that the preserve is actually closed on Sundays, but of course there was nothing there to tell me that.  Access was very easy, around fences, through openings in fences, etc.  FIgured if they didn't want me there they would've made greater effort to keep me out.
Well anyways, went there in search of Acadian Hairstreak and some new skippers.  Struck out on the hairstreak.  Bummer.  I do enjoy hairstreaks.  Did get some new skippers, although I am having to rely on others to help with the ID's.  I'm not real good with some of the skippers.  Troy Shively looked at pics and confirmed Black Dash and Northern Broken Dash.  Have another skipper that Troy and I originally thought might be Dion Skipper, but I did some google image searching and am now leaning towards Duke's SKipper.  Most of the pics of Dions that I found showed a white spot in the upper corner of the forewing which my bug doesn't have.  I have sent the pic on to BAMONA and will let them settle which it is.  For now, I am going to call it Duke's Skipper.
Also saw a butterfly that looked and behaved like Common Wood Nymph, but it was missing the characteristic big yellow forewing blotch.  When I got home last night I did some research to find that what I saw was the 'Northeastern' form of Common Wood Nymph.  Kinda disappointing, but interesting.
Yesterday was a good warm-up for the trip to AZ in September.  Round trip to Toledo was 389.9 miles.  Seven hours riding, three and a half hours butterflying and a half hour for lunch.  I am hoping to average 400 miles per day going to AZ.  Last time I rode out I average 500 miles a day and it was too much.  Too hard on the body, and I want to spend more time this time butterflying and visiting friends.  But wow, was my butt sore when I got home yesterday.  Am going to look into getting a beaded seat cover for the bike.  I hear that helps tremendously.

Northern Broken Dash

Duke's Skipper (or is it Dion Skipper)

Pretty flowers (Michigan Lily)