Lower Chippewa River Butterflies and a New Crop of Tiny Toads

I went out this morning to see how the birds and butterflies along the Lower Chippewa weathered last night's storm.  I expected to see birds bathing in the temporary puddles along the bike trail and in the potholes on the dirt roads.

I spotted a few birds, but the big surprise was the hundreds of butterflies. 

Hackberry Emperor
caterpillars feed on hackberry

adults feed on wet spots along roads, sap rotting fruit, carrion, dung

overwinter as caterpillars in dead rolled leaves

I spotted hundreds of orange and black butterflies along the road...

Red Admiral

caterpillar feeds on nettles

adult feeds on nectar and rotting fruit

Northern Crescent

caterpillars live and feed communally on asters

adults feed on nectar of dogbane, fleabane and white clover

overwinter as hibernating caterpillars

Eastern Comma

caterpillars feed on elms and nettles

adults feed on rotting fruit and tree sap

over winter as adults

Northern Crescent and Great Spangled Fritillary

Great Spangled Fritillary caterpillars feed on violets

Adults feed on nectar

overwinter as newly hatched caterpillars

Silvery Checkerspot

caterpillars feed communally on Rudbeckia and sunflowers

adults feed on nectar - milkweed, dogbane and clover

overwinter as caterpillars

Mourning Cloak

caterpillars are communal feeders on willows, cottonwood, aspen, birch and hackberry

adults feed on tree sap and rotting fruit, occasionally nectar

overwinter as adults

Spring Azure

caterpillars are "tended" by ants and feed on dogwood, spirea, cherry and viburnum

adults feed on nectar (dogbane, milweed, blackberry)

overwinters as a chrysalis

But the biggest surprise of all were the dozens of tiny (no bigger than a fly) Eastern American Toads on the road.   It's amazing that any survive the crossing.