This past weekend, I brought my family to a lepidopteran wonderland: the Flat River Waterfowl Impoundment in northern Durham County, North Carolina.
Butterflies (order Lepidoptera) abound at this small wetland rimmed with goldenrod. The impoundment was originally created to help mitigate the loss of bird habitat after the Neuse River was dammed to form Falls Lake. Recent sightings reported by Rougemont resident Randy Emmitt include scores of Variegated Fritillaries, Pearl Crescents, Common Buckeyes, and Common Checkered Skippers. Our own visit also turned up migrating Monarchs, Cloudless Sulphurs, and a Variegated Fritillary caterpillar feeding contentedly on a passionflower vine.
Our favorite spot at the impoundment was what we call “the butterfly tree”—a large willow that was, on this visit, loaded with Buckeyes and Viceroys, along with a few Question Marks, Red Admirals, and Red-spotted Purples. Willows can be magnets for butterflies for two reasons: some species use them as host plants for egg-laying (for example, Viceroys and Red-spotted Purples), and others gather there to glean sap (including Question Marks and Red Admirals).
Beyond the butterflies, we were also treated to several Great Egrets and a low-flying Northern Harrier (also known as a Marsh Hawk), its white rump flashing as it coursed over the wetland.
A quick note: If you visit, plan for a Sunday—hunting is off-limits then at this popular fowling site.
Sense of Place 