These counts are patterned on the famous Christmas Bird Counts. We had old and new faces. Everyone was eager, but I wondered what in the world we would be able to find on the heels of one of the driest Junes ever in Austin.

Sally Breed had scouted the garden the day before and she spent the entire morning at the butterfly garden. The rest of us visited Zilker Botanical Garden; the Barton Creek Greenbelt at Barton Springs and 360; St. Edward's Park; Lower Bull Creek; and Wild Basin. We met for lunch at Schlotzsky’s, and then a few of us continued until the afternoon.

We outdid ourselves by finding 52 species in Austin and 320 individuals. This is a record number of species for the count. Buttonbushes were the main nectar source at all of the sites. Polydamas Swallowtails were at the butterfly garden, undoubtedly releases from the batch that Marvin raises in the greenhouse. There were three adults and one caterpillar of the Laviana White-Skipper, a butterfly that was formerly rare. Zebra Longwings were common along the creeks. Two California Sisters were found on the greenbelt. A gorgeous male Zabulon Skipper was right beside the path at St. Edward’s Park.

Sites visited: Zilker Botanical Garden; Barton Creek Greenbelt at Barton Springs and 360; St. Edward's Park; Lower Bull Creek; Wild Basin.

• Pipevine Swallowtail 14 adults; 16 caterpillars; 20 eggs on Aristolochia fimbriata and erecta
• *Polydamas Swallowtail 2 adults in Zilker Garden; Marvin Lewis raises these in his greenhouse and periodically releases them.
• Black Swallowtail 2 adults; 9 caterpillars on Fennel
• Giant Sw. 8
• Eastern Tiger Sw 4
• Spicebush Sw 1 adult; 4 cat on Spicebush
• Cloudless Sulphur 7
• Little Yellow 2
• Sleepy Orange 9
• Rawson's Metalmark 2
• Fatal Metalmark 2 (dissected)
• Great Purple Hairstreak 1
• Juniper Hairstreak 1
• Gray Hairstreak 2
• Dusky-Blue Groundstreak 17
• Reakirt's Blue 2
• Common Buckeye 6
• Gulf Fritillary 7
• Zebra Longwing 30 adults; 1 cat on Passiflora caerulae
• Bordered Patch 1
• Texas Crescent 55
• Vesta Crescent 4
• Phaon Crescent 11
• Pearl Crescent 4
• Question Mark 1
• American Lady 1
• Painted Lady 1
• Red Admiral 1
• * California Sister 2 (quite a year for these)
• Goatweed Leafwing 1 cat, identified with Jim Brock's new book
• Tropical Leafwing 1
• Carolina Satyr 3
• Gemmed Satyr 1
• Monarch 1
• * Laviana White-Skipper 3 adults; 1 caterpillar on Velvet-leaf
• Mallow
• White-striped Longtail 1
• Silver-spotted Skipper 36
• Cloudywing species 2 (probably Northern)
• Horace's Duskywing 5
• Funereal Duskywing 1
• Common/White Checkered Skipper 1
• Tropical Checkered Skipper 1
• Scallopwing 2 (1 unidentified type; 1 Mazan's)
• Julia Skipper 1
• Clouded Skipper 12
• Least Skipper 1
• Southern Skipperling 3
• * Zabulon Skipper 1 at St. Edward's Park; new site; previous records were at Zilker Garden and Barton Creek Greenbelt
• Fiery Skipper 16
• Sachem 2
• Southern Broken-Dash 9 (Chris Durden's recent observation put these in doubt)
• Dun Skipper 11
• Celia's Roadside-Skipper 4
• * Dotted Roadside-Skipper 1 (St. Edward's Park; Sally Breed)

Total species: 52
Individuals: 320 adults

Participants: Lauren Bauer, Sally Breed, Jackie Davis, Dan Hardy, Shelia Hargis, Cheryl Hazeltine, Mary Holland, John Kelly, Kay Kitzmiller, Marvin Lewis, Joe Lapp, Mike Quinn, and Bill Riener.