southeast Ohio

  Made a follow-up trip to Trimble Community Forest, a couple miles west of Glouster, Ohio.  Had a great day there back in June, when I found 25 species, which still stands as the best day of the BBY.  Not as good of a day today, but still a good day for this time of year with 12 species.  Today's bugs include: Pearl Crescent, Eastern Comma, Common Buckeye, Red-spotted Purple, Eastern-tailed Blue, Orange Sulphur, Gray Hairstreak, Great Spangled Fritillary, Monarch, Clouded Sulphur, Spicebush Swallowtail, and Gemmed Satyr.  I was kind of surprised to see Gemmed Satyr this time of year.  I guess I always considered Gemmed Satyr to be more an early season bug.
  Also made a quick trip to Hope Furnace, in hopes of finding Little Yellow, which I found in that neighborhood last year late in the summer.  By the time I pulled into the trailhead parking lot, the clouds had moved in and skies were overcast, limiting butterfly activity to nearly nothing, but did pick up an extra species for the day, Silver-spotted Skipper.  Also found a couple wildflower species that you don't see everyday, Gentian and Turtlehead.  The Turtlehead was a good find, from a butterfly perspective, as it is the host plant of Baltimore Checkerspot, which means that corner of the property would be a good spot to check next summer for the adult checkerspot.
  Hope not, but this could be the final butterfly hunt of the season, depending on the weather.  Butterfly activity really slows down when the leaves start to turn color.  Last year, my final butterfly was an Eastern Comma observed on November first.  Probably only a week or two left in the butterfly season.

Gray Hairstreak

Gemmed Satyr

New bridge over the creek.  This wasn't here in my June visit to the site.  Not only is the site the Trimble Community Forest, it also serves as the environmental land lab for the Trimble schools.

Gentian

Turtlehead, the host plant for the Baltimore Checkerspot.