Construction Staging Site Attracting Butterflies

This area of disturbed ground south of Lake Kittamaqundi in Columbia, Maryland, has been productive for butterfly-watching this year. I have been visiting it regularly during walks around the lake for our county butterfly survey*, and it continues to attract butterflies as a warm weather trend continues in November. Yesterday, November 4, felt like butterfly lisiting I had been doing in September and early October. Meanwhile, other areas nearby where I could expect to find butterflies might have only the odd orange sulphur or cabbage white, though bees and pollinating flies were active in them. The abundance of butterflies persists at this particular area thanks to abundance of white or heath aster, the main nectar supply now. Goldenrod continues to bloom here, but it does not seem to have the same attraction. (Boneset was another nectar source earlier.) Additionally, the wide expanse of disturbed ground created by the human activity provides plenty of puddling opportunity.

The staging site apparently supports ongoing development in the nearby Merriweather District. Various heaps of soil, gravel, rubble and other material appear and disappear. Some construction vehicles and equipment are left parked in the section closer to the road. In fact, when I'm visiting I must take care to watch out if operators are moving the vehicles and stay at the end of the site away from the road. I usually enter and leave through the narrow verge of mowed grass and wildflowers separating the site from the paved path along it, a branch of the lake circuit path.

Species of note: I list at other locations, but the only Common Checkered-Skippers I have found this year have been at this one. Two yesterday; one a month or two ago. I recall finding one here a few years ago before the construction activity began, and it was the only one I saw that year, too.

*Howard County butterfly survey, managed by members of the Howard County Bird Club.

Posted on 05 November, 2022 13:10 by cgkoonce