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Annual Butterfly Count
In 2025 our 27th Annual Count will be held on Saturday, July 19.
Each year we survey butterflies in the Rochester area to document their populations. (Scroll down to see photos and the trip report from our 2024 count.) Our goal is to locate as many butterflies as possible during our official one day count. If you're an adult interested in butterflies you can help with this Citizen Science project. All participants need to be prepared for the weather and able to walk a mile or more on and off trails. Having close-focusing binoculars and/or a digital camera is also very helpful for identifying the butterflies.
We have several territories to check out, with Chester Woods being the biggest as it has excellent habitat. Novice volunteers are paired with an experienced team leader. If you're interested in participating, email editor@ZumbroValleyAudubon.org. Be sure to include your name & phone number so we can contact you to discuss participation options.
See stats from 2024 and previous year's (.ods file)
Download our Official Tally Sheet: Butterfly Count Tally Sheet (pdf)
Learn more about butterflies:
North American Butterfly Association
Wisconsin Butterflies
Butterflies of North America
Common Butterflies of Southeast Minnesota (PDF download)
Our 2024 Annual Butterfly Count:
On July 13, 2024 Zumbro Valley Audubon conducted our 26th Annual Butterfly Count in the Rochester, MN area. Teams of volunteers surveyed Chester Woods, Quarry Hill, Willow Creek, Essex Park and several other areas where we've had success in the past. Last year we were in the middle of a severe drought and numbers were low. This year has been very wet and our survey was a week earlier then usual. Did that effect our numbers? Maybe.
Here are some 2024 highlights:
Here's the list of what we found:
Black Swallowtail 9
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail 1
Cabbage White 26
Clouded Sulfur 97
Orange Sulfur 62
American Copper 16
Bronze Copper 1
Coral Hairstreak 3
Banded Hairstreak 2
Edward’s Hairstreak 2
Acadian Hairstreak 1
Eastern Tailed Blue 14
Spring/Summer Azure 40
Great Spangled Fritillary 30
Aphrodite Fritillary 1
Meadow Fritillary 1
Northern Crescent 2
Question Mark 6
Eastern Comma 3
Red Admiral 16
Common Buckeye 1
Red Spotted Purple 2
Viceroy 3
Northern Pearly-Eye 7
Eyed Brown 1
Common Wood Nymph 26
Monarch 31
Silver-spotted Skipper 2
European Skipper 1
Unidentified Sulphurs 2
Unidentified Speyeria Fritillary 1
Unidentified small Fritillary 3
Unidentified Anglewing 1
Unidentified Grass Skippers 10
We couldn't do this without our volunteers and they went above and beyond this year. The weather on count day was extremely hot and humid (plus the gnats were everywhere). Many thanks to Sandy Hokanson, Joel Dunnette, Ruthann Yaeger, Jerry Pruett, Jim Peterson, John Weiss, Greg Munsen, Joyce Grier, Terry Grier, Rosemary Braus, Roberta Bumann, Larry Boutelle, Ross Roenigk, Anna Lovrien, Sue Hayes, Terri Dugan, Greta Gosewisch, Toby Weingarten, Tracy Harrison, Kara Ledbetter and Sara Locher
If you want to help butterflies, please consider creating a native plant garden in your backyard and refrain from using pesticides which kill all insects.
Photos contributed by: Sandy Hokanson, Terry Grier, Jerry Pruett, Joel Dunnette and Roberta Bumann
On July 13, 2024 Zumbro Valley Audubon conducted our 26th Annual Butterfly Count in the Rochester, MN area. Teams of volunteers surveyed Chester Woods, Quarry Hill, Willow Creek, Essex Park and several other areas where we've had success in the past. Last year we were in the middle of a severe drought and numbers were low. This year has been very wet and our survey was a week earlier then usual. Did that effect our numbers? Maybe.
Here are some 2024 highlights:
- 34 species. This is a more than last year (26) and more than our average of 30. Our highest species count (42) was found in 2007.
- 421 individual butterflies. This is a very low number - the 4th lowest in our 26 years. Our highest count was 1,249 in 2007. A "typical" year averages in the 600s.
- Only 31 Monarchs were seen - again the 4th lowest overall and the 3rd year in a row that we found fewer than 50. We typically find more than 100 Monarchs each year.
- Only one Eastern Tiger Swallowtail was found this year, but several Black Swallowtails were located.
- The top five species in 2024 by number were:
- Clouded Sulphur 97
- Orange Sulphur 62
- Spring/Summer Azure 40
- Great Spangled Fritillary 30
- Monarch 31
- Good news - Several American Coppers and a good variety of Hairstreaks (Banded, Edwards, Coral & Acadian) were located in Chester Woods Park. Last year we didn't find a single Hairstreak.
Here's the list of what we found:
Black Swallowtail 9
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail 1
Cabbage White 26
Clouded Sulfur 97
Orange Sulfur 62
American Copper 16
Bronze Copper 1
Coral Hairstreak 3
Banded Hairstreak 2
Edward’s Hairstreak 2
Acadian Hairstreak 1
Eastern Tailed Blue 14
Spring/Summer Azure 40
Great Spangled Fritillary 30
Aphrodite Fritillary 1
Meadow Fritillary 1
Northern Crescent 2
Question Mark 6
Eastern Comma 3
Red Admiral 16
Common Buckeye 1
Red Spotted Purple 2
Viceroy 3
Northern Pearly-Eye 7
Eyed Brown 1
Common Wood Nymph 26
Monarch 31
Silver-spotted Skipper 2
European Skipper 1
Unidentified Sulphurs 2
Unidentified Speyeria Fritillary 1
Unidentified small Fritillary 3
Unidentified Anglewing 1
Unidentified Grass Skippers 10
We couldn't do this without our volunteers and they went above and beyond this year. The weather on count day was extremely hot and humid (plus the gnats were everywhere). Many thanks to Sandy Hokanson, Joel Dunnette, Ruthann Yaeger, Jerry Pruett, Jim Peterson, John Weiss, Greg Munsen, Joyce Grier, Terry Grier, Rosemary Braus, Roberta Bumann, Larry Boutelle, Ross Roenigk, Anna Lovrien, Sue Hayes, Terri Dugan, Greta Gosewisch, Toby Weingarten, Tracy Harrison, Kara Ledbetter and Sara Locher
If you want to help butterflies, please consider creating a native plant garden in your backyard and refrain from using pesticides which kill all insects.
Photos contributed by: Sandy Hokanson, Terry Grier, Jerry Pruett, Joel Dunnette and Roberta Bumann