Common Buckeyes in Cape May

I was in Cape May for a few days this week. There were a few potential life birds that I was hoping to see; of those I saw one, a King Eider that has been hanging around the Concrete Ship. The weather conditions were less favorable for migration than I had hoped, so there was not a lot of warbler activity. What were active in big numbers were butterflies. I expected a lot Monarchs, since I have experienced Monarch migration there in the past and people have been talking about them. What came as a surprise was the number of Common Buckeyes. I have never seen so many at once, even in Cape May. Here are a few photos of them.

Bonset was especially popular as a nectar plant. A few times I saw about a dozen Common Buckeyes clustered on the same plant.

A few had chunks missing from their wings. The missing pieces tended to be around the eye spots, which could be a result of birds being confused about where the butterfly's head is.