Cape May odes

Migration is not restricted to birds and Cape May has the same effect is has on birds on butterflies and dragonflies. The former are very well represented by hundreds or even thousands on Monarchs which glide south in a fluent stream, pausing only to feed up on the flowering plants. Secondary to this movement are the very many Common Buckeyes.

Dragonflies are known to be fairly long distant migrants, Green Darners have crossed the Atlantic many times and so its not surprising that they are super common at Cape May in fall. Also abundant are Carolina Saddlebags and Black Saddlebags, you can sit at the end and watch all three species setting off from the point to their winter quarters. To our surprise a few other species still flew and I managed to take my year and life list up a few places.

Below some shots, Carolina Saddlebags was a new species, as was Blue-faced Meadowhawk and Rambur’s Forktail. Black Saddlebags, Wandering Glider, Eastern Pondhawk (female), Blue Dasher (male and female) and Green Darner complete the photo set.