Author: Michael Cerbone

Events: NABA Central Arizona at the AZ/Highline trail

Michael Cerbone

On Saturday June 10th, we will hike a part of the AZ/Highline trail in pursuit of colorful butterflies.

As the temperature rises, the flowers start to bloom higher and higher in elevation. Butterflies follow this nectar flow “up the trail” and June is a great time to check it out. Nectar plants like Penstemon (Moon-marked Skipper shown), Kaibab Pussytoes, Canada Violets, Fleabane and Dandelion are blooming. Other species of butterflies like to mud puddle at one of the three seeps we will visit. Yet others, like Arizona Sister and Satyr Comma, are mostly found perched on trees.

Please wear sturdy shoes and a hat, bring water, snacks and a sack lunch. A pair of close focusing binoculars will be handy too. The trail is moderately steep in places, but we will take our time.

Trip leader: Marceline VandeWater

Meeting place is Denny’s on Shea Blvd in Fountain Hills at 6:30am or at the trailhead at 8:15am. Details to get to the trailhead: Drive to Payson, go straight at the hwy 260 intersection. After 3/4 mile turn right onto Houston Mesa Road. Cross all 3 “water crossings”, and after about 8 miles turn left at the stop sign. The road now turns into a dirt road. After about 1 miles turn right towards Shadow Rim Camp and Washington Park Trailhead. Follow this road up for about 5.5 miles until the right turn-off to the Washington Park Trailhead (marked). Turn right here, and instantly turn left (signs again) and you will find the trailhead well marked.

Please contact Marceline to let her know where you will meet: marceline@ermaroni.net We ask for a $5 donation per person

Events: NABA Oregon chapter at the West Eugene Wetlands Saturday, June 10th

Michael Cerbone

West Eugene Wetlands

Join NABA officers for a casual, educational exploration of Eugene’s nearby wetland areas where butterflies are abundant in the early season. With these experts as guides, beginners and experienced butterfliers alike are sure to have an enriching natural-history experience – one that extends beyond butterfly identification. Free. Meet at 12:00 noon in the parking area by the Red House, West Eugene’s Wetlands office, located on the NE corner of W 11th and Danebo (751 S. Danebo Ave., behind the Hertz car sales lot).
Preregister with David & Lois Hagen (NABA-ES) by email NABA.ES.trips@gmail.com.
Driving mileage: low/Physical effort: low

Check out more about the location: https://www.eugene-or.gov/647/West-Eugene-Wetlands

Events: Southeast Texas NABA chapter at the Houston Museum of Natural Science Tues, June 6th

Michael Cerbone

The North American Butterfly Association’s Butterfly Enthusiasts of Southeast Texas chapter invites all ages of the public to a free program about butterflies on Tuesday, June 6th, 2017, at 7:00pm. The meeting will be held at The Houston Museum of Natural Science in the lower floor of the Cockrell Butterfly Center.

BEST member Don DuBois will present “NABA – Photo Documentation of Butterfly Host Plants – You Are What You Eat.” The 3 butterflies life cycles that Don will talk about is the Monarch, Spicebush Swallowtail, and the Goatweed Leafwing. Don has been published many times in NABA’s Magazine – American Butterflies.

The program is free and open to the public.

For more information about NABA-Butterfly Enthusiasts of Southeast Texas, please visit http://www.naba.org/chapters/nababest/

Events: Page Creek Marsh SNA Tour with SWBA Sunday June 4th

Michael Cerbone

PAGE CREEK MARSH SNA TOUR AND BUTTERFLY WALK NEW!
(and optional hike up OBSERVATORY HILL SNA)
Sunday, June 4, 2017
10:00 a.m. to Noon

The Prairie Sands chapter of The Prairie Enthusiasts (TPE), in Marquette County, will hold two field trips. In the morning we will tour Page Creek Marsh State Natural Area, which is a large wetland surrounded by diverse uplands that provide habitat for a wide variety of plants, birds and insects. The creek winds through farmland enhanced by remnants of native prairie and oak savanna. Oak uplands and prairies have been restored. Page Creek, because of its 652-acre size and habitat diversity, has been a reliable butterfly site.

Co-leader Dan Sonnenberg (SWBA) will help identify the first summer fliers. Hiking is on old logging roads and intermittent, unmarked trails, and through tall-grass fields. Ticks are abundant, so wear long pants that can be tucked into socks. Wear sturdy hiking shoes; a hat is recommended. Bring water and binoculars (the closer they can focus the better). We have a couple of extra binoculars. No facilities on site. TPE co-leaders are Laurel Bennett (Page Creek stewardship coordinator), and David Hamel. You are invited to bring a lunch to eat with the group at nearby John Muir Memorial Park where there are tables and restrooms. (From intersection of K and D take 10th Road south, then go south on Cty F for 1 mile.)

Email or Call Dan (mailto:dsonnenberg60@gmail.com or (608) 225-0451) to PRE-REGISTER or if you have a question about the trip or if weather forecast is questionable. (The trip is canceled if it rains.)

DIRECTIONS FROM MADISON: take Interstate Highway I-39 north, past Portage, into Marquette County. Take Exit# 104 and follow County D east for 3.45 miles (going through Packwaukee, where D turns right and goes across the lake). Turn left (north) onto County K and go 0.86 mile to a gated entrance on the right (east) side of K. Park here.

OPTIONAL: If you can, join the hike up 300 foot high Observatory Hill State Natural Area in the afternoon (1:30 p.m.). It is in the process of extensive DNR oak savanna restoration. Charlie Church (TPE) will lead this moderately challenging trip up Observatory Hill, so be prepared for some steep portions and rock outcroppings. (Meet at the DNR parking lot on the south side of the hill along Gillette Ave.) Map: http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/Lands/naturalareas/index.asp?SNA=223

Counts: Tennessee River Gorge Friday, June 2nd

Michael Cerbone

Fri., June 2, Tennessee River Gorge, TN

Meet: 9:30 at Signal Mountain Food City parking lot

Leader: Bill Haley, call (423) 326-9248, or wgh@tnaqua.org.

Plan to join us for the second count of the year in the Tennessee River Gorge circle. By conducting spring, summer and fall counts we get a better idea of the seasonal distribution of species in our area. Some springtime species are gone and early summer species have now come to the forefront. You may stay the entire day (usually till around 4:00 or 4:30), or break away early if you choose

Counts: Florida Caverns State Park Saturday, June 3rd

Michael Cerbone

The 14th annual Florida Caverns State Park butterfly count is scheduled for Saturday, June 3th. This will be an all-day count of the butterflies found in a 15-mile diameter circle centered around the park. You do not have to be an expert butterfly watcher in order to participate. There is no charge unless you wish to pay $7 for the NABA Butterfly Count publication that summarizes results for all the butterfly counts nationwide. We usually compile the count results over a relaxing dinner in Marianna.

If you are interested in participating, please let Dean and Sally Jue know, either by e-mail at dsjue@embarqmail.com or by calling them at 850-386-1393. We will meet at 7:45 am EDT at the Village Square Shopping Center (Thomasville Road at Village Square Blvd.) near Newk’s to arrange carpooling. Be sure to bring close-focusing binoculars, insect repellent, water and a lunch.

Check out https://www.floridastateparks.org/park/Florida-Caverns for more info about the location!

NABA Memorial Day Counts

Michael Cerbone

The NABA Memorial Day Count (in the United States) will be held May 27-29, 2017.

These counts will give butterfly enthusiasts throughout the continent an opportunity to get out and enjoy butterflies while contributing to our growing knowledge of butterfly distributions, flight times, and abundance.

In contrast to the highly organized NABA 4th of July and 1st of July Butterfly Counts, the Memorial Day Counts are free-form. All you need to do is to observe butterflies at one or more of your favorite butterflying localities (such as your own backyard) this coming Memorial Day weekend and note what butterflies you’ve seen. There are no requirements regarding how much time or area you cover. Then go to the NABA Recent Sightings web site, sightings.naba.org, sign up for a free account and enter your sightings, filling in the location, date, and butterflies seen.

Because these counts will be taking place during a very different time of year than do the 4th of July and 1st of July counts, we can expect to see different populations of butterflies than those present for the July counts. Because the approach is different, maybe we’ll also see different populations of counters!

We hope that literally thousands of enthusiasts will have a great time outside and contribute to our knowledge of butterfly populations across the continent.

Events: Butterflies of Bauer-Brockway Barrens with Mike Reese

Michael Cerbone

Come join the NABA-Wisconsin chapter for BUTTERFLIES OF BAUER-BROCKWAY BARRENS in Jackson County this Saturday, May 20 from 10:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

The best place in the state to look for early butterflies in May is Jackson County. Butterfly expert Mike Reese will lead us in finding and observing many scarce and unusual species, many that only fly in May! We expect to find all 5 of the state’s Elfins, including the very rare (and State Threatened) Frosted Elfin. We should find Olympia Marble, Gorgone Checkerspot, Cobweb Skipper, Dreamy and Sleepy Duskywings, etc. Over the past 9 years we have averaged 21 species. Bring binoculars if you have them, close-focusing ones work best. (A few extra pairs of binoculars are available.) Also, bring a bag lunch and water. A hat, long pants and long sleeves are recommended.

Meet in Jackson Co. at 10:30 a.m. at the corner of West Bauer Road and Brockway Road. We will butterfly until 3:00 p.m. DIRECTIONS: From the intersection of I-94 and Hwy 54 in Black River Falls, go east on Hwy 54 approximately 3.8 miles to Brockway Road. Turn right on West Bauer Road and drive 3.8 miles to the intersection with North Brockway Road. (This area is about 2 1/4 hours northwest of Madison via I-94.)

Participants must PRE-REGISTER for this trip by either calling Mike at (920) 647-0196, or include your phone number in an email to mailto:mikereese@wisconsinbutterflies.org (so we can contact you in case of postponement or cancellation due to weather).

NABA with Ontario Woodlot Association

Michael Cerbone

I wrote an essay “An Opportunity for Butterflies” for https://www.ontariowoodlot.com/ at the end of the last year all about butterflies you may encounter as you move from deep forest to woodland edge to open meadow in Ontario. You can check out a preview below (or on their website):

 

While some species are suitably adapted for living off of the resources available in the forest, woodlands lack the nectaring resources the majority of butterflies need. Many species lay eggs on woodland trees that will then require flowers as adults. Where the woods break into open spaces, you will more commonly find these species. Thanks to the Ontario Woodlot Association for giving me the opportunity to write for their members!