With Don Fraser and Clint & Day Gibson; an unsuccessful search for Cofaqui Giant-Skippers, but we found several other nice items. This was our final stop, from the western parking lot, where FDEP had already mowed down all the Oakleaf Fleabane that this time last year supported >70 Juniper Hairstreaks. While the others started walking west, I walked to the southern platform and spent maybe 10 minutes there. Eventually I rejoined the others and we walked to the western observation platform, then slowly walked back.
I have misplaced my field notebook, but it was overcast and breezy when we left around 1245, with little chance of the weather improving. Don and I stopped at the Crystal River Applebee's for a delicious lunch before heading back to Spring Hill.
With Don Fraser and Clint & Day Gibson; an unsuccessful search for Cofaqui Giant-Skippers, but we found several other nice items. This was our first stop, walking the trails for giant-skippers. There were far fewer Common Yuccas along the trails than last year, for reasons unknown. We found only two adjacent yuccas with giant-skipper eggs, but we saw no adults. Because both species of giant-skippers are flying now, we cannot determine the species of the eggs, even though no adult Yucca Giant-Skipper has ever been found here (but there are single records of caterpillars and "chimneys"). We walked the main trail to its western end, then turned around and retraced our steps hoping for encounters with Cofaquis. We left her3 at 1038 and drove west. I have misplaced my field notebook, but it was sunny and low 70s, with a light breeze.