Tag: butterflies of Eliza Howell Park
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Purple Coneflower: A Powerful Butterfly Magnet
Leonard Weber August 5, 2023 A perennial wildflower that blooms several weeks each summer in Eliza Howell Park is Purple Coneflower. I regularly visit these patches in July and August, often pausing for extended periods of time near them. There are other flowers that attract butterflies in the park, but nothing compares with Purple Coneflower.…
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Seven Butterflies and a Moth
Leonard Weber July 11, 2023 This is the time that Eliza Howell Park butterfly enthusiasts have been waiting for! The wildflower field is now ablaze with blooms and the butterflies are coming for the nectar. Hete is a photo report of some of my favorite observations from yesterday and today. 1. American Lady 2. Black…
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Cabbage White: # 20 of “23 Butterflies in 2023”
Leonard Weber June 23, 2023 One of the most common butterflies in Detroit’s Eliza Howell Park is a medium-sized white butterfly (with a wingspan of 1 and a half to 2 inches). It can be seen many, many times from spring to fall. Cabbage White is white, except for a dark patch at the wingtips…
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Giant Swallowtail: # 17 of “23 Butterflies in 2023”
Leonard Weber May 15, 2023 It is always a pleasure to watch a Giant Swallowtail in Eliza Howell Park. It is the largest butterfly here, with a 6-inch wingspan. Most years, it can be seen from time to time in the park, especially in late July and early August. It is not common or numerous…
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Tawny Emperor: # 16 of “23 Butterflies in 2023”
Leonard Weber April 26, 2023 Tawny Emperor, a butterfly with a 2-inch wingspan, is not one of the most common butterflies of Eliza Howell Park. In a typical year, however, it can be seen occasionally from late June to August. It is quite irresistible, especially when it is positioned with the wings open. Tawny Emperors…
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Eastern Tailed-Blue: # 15 of “23 Butterflies in 2023”
Leonard Weber April 22, 2023 It is a tiny blue butterfly, but the blue disappears when it alights and closes its wings. This description fits a couple of different butterfly species that are present in Eliza Howell Park, but the one featured here is Eastern Tailed-Blue. It is the little blue butterfly seen most often…
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Common Wood-Nymph: # 14 of “23 Butterflies in 2023”
Leonard Weber April 11, 2023 Common Wood-Nymph is in the same family as Little Wood-Satyr, # 6 in this series. They are present sequentially in Eliza Howell Park. Little Wood-Satyr is seen in May and June; Common Wood-Nymph is present from late June until late August. Common Wood-Nymph has a wingspan of about 2 and…
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Pearl Crescent: # 13 of “23 Butterflies in 2023”
Leonard Weber March 31, 2023 The Pearl Crescent is a small orange and black butterfly that flies in Eliza Howell Park from the middle of May into September. Perhaps because of its size (wingspan of 1 1/2 inches), it does not seem to get the attention some other common butterflies get. There are sometimes differences…
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Black Swallowtail: # 12 of “23 Butterflies in 2023”
Leonard Weber March 22, 2023 Black Swallowtail is one butterfly that I can usually count on seeing frequently in Eliza Howell Park from mid-May to mid-September. Over the last 10 years, the average date of my first sighting of the year here has been May 18. It is a large butterfly, with a wingspan of…
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Common Buckeye: # 11 of “23 Butterflies in 2023”
The Common Buckeye is not “common” in Michigan in the sense of numerous, but I usually see one or more each year in Eliza Howell Park in Detroit And it is definitely not “common” in the sense of uninteresting or ordinary. Seeing one is always a special occasion. The Common Buckeye is called “common” as…
Eliza Howell Nature Walk 