Field Trip: Twin Rivers WMA – Sunday, July 9, 2017
On Sunday July 9 we will go to the Twin River WMA located about 60 miles east of Tallahassee. The Blue Springs Unit, in Hamilton County, is a 2,086-acre upland pine community mostly surrounded by agricultural land. The WMA’s other units are along the Suwannee and Withlacoochee rivers. They have mixed hardwood forests. Butterflies seen in previous July visits include Zebra Swallowtail, Southern Dogface, Great Purple Hairstreak, Ceraunus Blue, American Snout, Southern and Confused Cloudywing, Southern Skipperling and Dusky Roadside-Skipper.
Directions for drivers: To carpool from Tallahassee meet in front of Newk’s in the Village Square shopping center off Thomasville Road at 8:00 AM. Or you can meet us at the Chevron station on the south side of I-10 at Exit 262 (CR 255) at 9:00 AM. This will be an all-day trip, so bring lunch, water, insect protection, sun protection and binoculars. We will do substantial walking on mostly flat terrain.
For more information contact David Harder at (850) 566-8368. Submitted by David Harder
Tallahassee NABA Butterfly Count – Saturday, July 29, 2017
NOTE: You must sign-up ahead of time to participate in this event.
Participants are needed for the 14th annual Tallahassee NABA Butterfly Count to be held on Saturday, July 29th. David Harder will again be our Count Leader for this effort. The Count is conducted in a 15-mile diameter circle centered in western Tallahassee near Florida State University. We find and identify as many butterflies as we can within the circle.
We plan to have four parties (North, South, East and West). North mainly covers Phipps Park and Miller Landing; South does Munson Hills and Black Swamp; East does Miccosukee Greenway, Lafayette Park, and the IFAS Gardens; and West does Fred George Greenway and portions of Lake Talquin State Forest.
We see between 40 and 50 species of butterflies on the count day, and each team usually finds a few species that are not duplicated by the other teams. You can come for part or all of the day. We will compile our results at a local restaurant in the late afternoon or early evening (celebrating the great finds, bemoaning the misses and comparing results to previous years). You do not need to be an expert at identifying all the butterfly species in order to participate.
Please contact Dave McElveen at d.mcelveen@comcast.net or (850) 841-0899 if you wish to join us for the Count. If you have a Team preference, please let Dave know and we’ll try to accommodate you. Our Count Leader, David Harder will make final assignments based on preference and need. You will be contacted by your party leader about where and when to meet on the Count Day. Submitted by Dave McElveen
North American Butterfly Association News – Free Trial Memberships
If you know someone who may be interested in the goals of the North American Butterfly Association but are on the fence relative to joining, NABA is now offering a free one-year trial membership! This is a great way for people to see what NABA is all about and increase those supporting our programs and working to save butterflies. You can have them find out more this offer by going to the URL
https://butterflies.naba.org/register/free-trial-membership/
Field Trip Report to South Florida – May 5-8, 2017
The extended weekend trip to North Carolina drew a total of two participants: Eric Shaw and Brian Lloyd. The North Carolina lep expert, Harry Legrand, noted that we would be late for some of our targets and that mid-April would have been much better. Buoyed by this positive news, we were then taken aback by the weather forecast: rain, cold, and wind for the entire weekend. Time for Plan B.
We opted instead for South Florida, where the weather would be more promising. We decided to also try for a number of rare birds recently reported, including Western Spindalis, Bananaquit, Thick-billed Vireo, and Cuban Pewee.
On the drive down, we stopped in at Treetops Park in Broward County and were treated to views of Dainty Sulphur, Dorantes Longtail, Ruddy Daggerwing, Zebra Heliconian, Tropical Checkered-Skipper, Fiery Skipper, Monarch, Gulf Fritillary, Mallow Scrub-Hairstreak, White Peacock, Giant Swallowtail, Cassius Blue, and finally as the weather worsened, Three-spotted Skipper. Although we searched long and hard, nary an Atala was found nor was any Zamia, its host plant.
Day Two dawned with optimistic hopes for Cuban Pewee in a small urban park on Miami Beach. Reported just the day prior, there were at least 15 birders staking out various viewpoints. The pewee turned out to be a one-day wonder and we left disappointed. We did see a nice (exotic) Knight’s Anole in a tree. On to more destinations! Crandon Park (Key Biscayne) had been reliable for a number of days (if not weeks) for Western Spindalis, Thick-billed Vireo, and Bananaquit. Nope, not today. We consoled ourselves with nice views of Mangrove Skipper. We grabbed some fast food and headed for Navy Wells Nature Preserve, but not before stopping at the biggest disappointment of the trip: Modello Wayside Park, a small urban park along U.S. Highway 1 that was previously reliable for Pink-spot Sulphur. First, all of the entry points into the park had been blocked by large concrete posts. Second, the park was now inhabited by a number of homeless people. Third, the butterfly garden that was THE magnet for the sulphurs had been completely chopped down and mowed. There was nothing left. We watched various sulphurs flit about in the trees overhead, but none perched for a view. We headed for Navy Wells Nature Preserve, dreading that the bad luck would continue.
At Navy Wells, we pulled into an area used for parking inside the Preserve. We were immediately confronted with a sign that stated (in no uncertain terms): No Trespassing! As we stood there wondering what to do, a group of off-road ATVs passed by. Stopping one, we asked about the no trespassing policy. News to them! And off they went, cackling wildly. We decided to walk the dirt road in the preserve that had been good several years ago. Several Baracoa Skippers gave nice views. On our way back to the car, we finally saw our main target: Bartram’s Scrub-Hairstreak. We had two on the walk back and this site remains reliable for this disappearing species. As there was still some daylight remaining, we headed to Everglades National Park to try for Soldier and Florida Leafwing. Nobody can accuse us of being pessimists. We walked some excellent habitat but there were no leafwings to be found. We did find an abundance of hungry mosquitoes and a worn Julia.
The next day we headed to North Key Largo, where several Western Spindalis had been reported. Finally, we got lucky. A nice male Western Spindalis was seen (all too briefly) in a yard in a neighborhood across from the Crocodile Lake National Wildlife Refuge Visitors Center. We were also treated to nice views of a pair of Rose-breasted Grosbeaks. The small butterfly garden at the NWR Visitors Center looked better than the last time I was there, but there were no butterflies.
After obtaining our back-country permit at John Pennekamp State Park, we headed to Dagny Johnson Key Largo Hammock State Botanical Site. The mosquitoes were out in force, but did not seem to tolerate our insect repellent. We walked the trails slowly and found: Black Racer crossing the path, Blackpoll Warbler, Northern Waterthrush, Large Orange Sulphur, and three Mangrove Cuckoos(!) that posed well for us. On our way back to our motel, we stopped at Castellow Hammock County Park and found an obliging Fulvous Hairstreak in the same bush that produced one several years ago. We celebrated that evening with a Jameson whiskey or three. The memory is somewhat foggy.
On our final day, we decided to try Crandon Park again for the Bananaquit. Upon arrival, we saw a number of Egyptian Geese (now countable). We never did find the Bananaquit, but we did see Palm Warbler, Magnificent Frigatebird, American Redstart, Blackpoll Warbler, and Monk Skipper (nice views). Visiting Bill Baggs State Park further down the road, we saw several Green Iguanas. It was still morning, so we decided to try Fairchild Tropical Gardens. Although it was hot, we found Giant Swallowtail, Zebra Heliconian, Polydamas Swallowtail, Mangrove Skipper, and finally, Brian’s last lifer, a stunning Atala that posed nicely for photographs. Back to Tallahassee. Submitted by Eric Shaw
Field Trip Report to Wakulla County – Sunday, May 28, 2017
Eight Chapter members enjoyed the environs of Wakulla County on May 28. First off we went searching for Coral Hairstreaks. After almost giving up we found a very fresh, male hanging out in the vegetation. He was very cooperative and we got good looks. Next we hit Rock Road and the SW portion of Wakulla Springs State Park. Nectar was scare but we picked up some fun butterflies, most notably Byssus Skipper, a Tawny Emperor, and several Red-Spotted Purples. Submitted by Dave McElveen
Field Trip Report to Wyoming – June 7-14, 2017
On June 7, 2017, seven members of the Hairstreak Chapter (Travis & Karen MacClendon, Brian & Sheena Lloyd, Amy Sang, and Eric & Cynthia Shaw) met in Salt Lake City to begin a week-long tour of the great parks in Wyoming with some visits to sites in northern Utah as well. Since this day was a travel day, we all met early in the evening at our hotel (Crystal Suites, highly recommended). Our trip would begin with an evening’s owling in the Wasatch Mountains, guided ably by Tim Avery. We met Tim at our rendezvous point and set off for our destination: mid to high altitude forest in the Uinta National Forest. We had excellent looks at our target bird: Flammulated Owl, which was new for all participants.
Although the next day was technically a travel day to get up to the Wyoming parks area, I decided that we should go via Highway 150 east of Salt Lake City, through the mountains. We made several stops along this highway, which were very productive: Western Tailed-Blue, Mourning Cloak, Hoary Comma, Northern Crescent, Field Crescent, Pale Swallowtail, Margined White, Boisduval’s Blue, and a duskywing that awaits further analysis via photos (it is either Persius or Afranius). Further along, we found Sara Orangetips, Western Pine-Elfin, and a nice male Afranius Duskywing. However, it became quite clear that this route would take many hours, so we wisely decided to reverse course and take a more traditional route north. The fact that it looked as if it could snow at higher elevations did indeed influence our thinking. We made another stop to stretch our legs and look around at the Salt River Public Access Area in Wyoming, which produced an attractive Purplish Copper. We spent the night at the Best Western in Driggs, ID.
The next day would be a full day in Grand Teton National Park (GTNP). Initially, I had planned for the group to take the aerial tram up to the alpine zone. Maybe in another month or two! This area of the country was experiencing a very late spring (more on that later). Our first stop was just outside Jackson, Wyoming, at a wetland/pond system in the National Elk Refuge. Numerous Yellow-headed Blackbirds entertained us as well as Tree Swallows, landing within 15 feet of us. Our main target, Trumpeter Swan, was soon seen - a pair of them to be exact, including one on a nest.
We stopped at Lupine Meadows in GTNP. The weather was turning just warm enough to have butterflies actively flying. In the meadows and along a wooded trail, we found Sara Orangetip, Milbert’s Tortoiseshell, Western Pine-Elfin, Margined White, Satyr Comma, Pale Swallowtail, Mourning Cloak, and a very obliging Lustrous Copper. A Red Squirrel, Yellow-Pine Chipmunk, and Yellow-bellied Marmot also put in an appearance. We are still checking photos of various commas. There is at least one individual that is either Oreas or Green Comma.
Traveling further, we stopped at Potholes Turn-Out in the park. Although windy and cool, we managed to find Boisduval’s Blue, Bramble Hairstreak, Painted Lady, and Edith’s Checkerspot. We returned to our lodgings in Driggs. As a brief aside, I would like to point out that there is an excellent micro-brewery in Victor (near Driggs). Try the Grand Teton 208!
The next day was a travel day with stops along the way. Along the Death Canyon Trailhead road in GTNP we found a very nice male Western Tanager, but not much else. Traveling further north, we stopped at an overlook along the Moose-Wilson Road and were treated to views of a pair of Barrow’s Goldeneye, a local specialty. We continued our drive north toward Yellowstone National Park and came upon our first wildlife “jam”. Cars pulled over everywhere with throngs of people. What could be the cause of all the excitement, we wondered? A huge blonde-phase mama grizzly with her two cubs was the draw. (Another aside: this was my primary target of the trip!) The bears were within reasonable viewing distance, but far enough away so that the rangers weren’t too nervous. I felt that our group could outrun at least some of the observers, so we were safe if the mama became angry.
We stopped by Old Faithful (I think it’s a requirement) and watch the geyser erupt. We then moved on to our lodgings at the Sawtelle Mountain Resort in Island Park, ID, just outside of West Yellowstone, but not before encountering another wildlife jam with a herd of American bison.
We made our way into Yellowstone the next day, stopping for breakfast at Ernie’s in West Yellowstone. Ernie’s was our go-to breakfast spot every day here. Once again, we saw a bison herd in the same area as the previous afternoon. It was still very cool, which is not good for butterflies. We decided to try for Bighorn Sheep at Dunraven Pass and Chittenden Road, but only saw Mule Deer, Yellow-Pine Chipmunk, and Mountain Bluebird. We drove over to the Lamar Valley to look for wolves, but none were seen. We did see a herd of elk and more bison along the way. As we drove near Tower Junction, two of us (Cynthia and I) had a brief glimpse of a female Moose in the woods. Sadly, there was no place to pull over. Further along, we encountered another “jam”. This time it was Bighorn Sheep, a small group of females that didn’t appear very concerned with the nearby humans.
Driving further, we encountered yet another “jam”, this time for a huge, cinnamon-phase Black Bear. The two vehicles got separated at this point. The Lloyd/Sang group went on to photograph a number of geysers. Our group continued on, stopping at a small meadow. It was just warm enough to have a number of Common Alpines flying about. South of Mammoth Hot Springs, we saw a young (maybe two years old?) Black Bear as it ate a recently killed fawn. Later in the afternoon, we watched a Coyote hunting in a meadow.
The next day we decided we would try for American Three-toed Woodpecker in some recently-burned parts of Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. We had no luck, but not for lack of effort. We stopped at a large pull-over along the road and ate our lunch. While there, we managed to find a Bramble Hairstreak as it fought the wind. Moving to Flagg Ranch (GTNP), we wandered a trail and the flowering area adjacent to the parking lot. We found a Juba Skipper as well as a white that we initially put down as Western White. Having looked at the photos, we may need to change this to Spring White. We had a very nice dinner that evening near our lodgings in Island Park and several of us went to West Yellowstone to see the (newly released) Mummy at the IMAX.
The next day dawned and, looking out at the parking lot, we were greeted with an inch of snow covering everything and it was continuing to snow. This would not be good for butterflying. In fact, I was worried that Yellowstone itself might be closed. There was no need to worry however, as the park itself had less snow than Island Park. This was a day for mammals. Near Tower Junction we found our first “jam”, this time a Black Bear. Further on, we watched a Red Fox along the road. We then encountered yet another “jam” (there is a theme here: if you see a jam, pull over). This time it was a small herd of Bighorn Sheep that were literally in the parking lot. Mostly females, but with a young ram in tow. Nearby a Pronghorn Antelope grazed. And another Red Fox was spotted nearby.
We drove once again toward the Lamar Valley, this time taking a side road. There were people with scopes. What were they watching? A group of Gray Wolves (5 pups) were playing at a great distance up a rocky hill. Amy was able to get a distant view through one of the scopes, but then the pack disappeared. Discouraged, we drove further along toward the Lamar Valley and encountered another “jam.” We asked what was being seen. Gray Wolves! We pulled over immediately and watched three young wolves (last year’s pups?) playing about 50 yards from us across a small river. Superb views! Nearby, a Black-billed Magpie scolded the wolves as they raced to and fro.
As we drove back toward Island Park, we encountered two more “jams”: cinnamon-phase mama Black Bear with cub and black-phase mama Grizzly Bear with two cubs. Outstanding views of each. An excellent day, despite the lack of butterflies.
On our last day together, we headed south and had breakfast in Driggs before we each separated and went our own ways. The Lloyds stayed another couple of days and spent them in GTNP, where they found Hayden’s Ringlet and some other gems. It was a satisfying trip, although a bit cooler than expected for June. Submitted by Eric Shaw
On Sunday July 9 we will go to the Twin River WMA located about 60 miles east of Tallahassee. The Blue Springs Unit, in Hamilton County, is a 2,086-acre upland pine community mostly surrounded by agricultural land. The WMA’s other units are along the Suwannee and Withlacoochee rivers. They have mixed hardwood forests. Butterflies seen in previous July visits include Zebra Swallowtail, Southern Dogface, Great Purple Hairstreak, Ceraunus Blue, American Snout, Southern and Confused Cloudywing, Southern Skipperling and Dusky Roadside-Skipper.
Directions for drivers: To carpool from Tallahassee meet in front of Newk’s in the Village Square shopping center off Thomasville Road at 8:00 AM. Or you can meet us at the Chevron station on the south side of I-10 at Exit 262 (CR 255) at 9:00 AM. This will be an all-day trip, so bring lunch, water, insect protection, sun protection and binoculars. We will do substantial walking on mostly flat terrain.
For more information contact David Harder at (850) 566-8368. Submitted by David Harder
Tallahassee NABA Butterfly Count – Saturday, July 29, 2017
NOTE: You must sign-up ahead of time to participate in this event.
Participants are needed for the 14th annual Tallahassee NABA Butterfly Count to be held on Saturday, July 29th. David Harder will again be our Count Leader for this effort. The Count is conducted in a 15-mile diameter circle centered in western Tallahassee near Florida State University. We find and identify as many butterflies as we can within the circle.
We plan to have four parties (North, South, East and West). North mainly covers Phipps Park and Miller Landing; South does Munson Hills and Black Swamp; East does Miccosukee Greenway, Lafayette Park, and the IFAS Gardens; and West does Fred George Greenway and portions of Lake Talquin State Forest.
We see between 40 and 50 species of butterflies on the count day, and each team usually finds a few species that are not duplicated by the other teams. You can come for part or all of the day. We will compile our results at a local restaurant in the late afternoon or early evening (celebrating the great finds, bemoaning the misses and comparing results to previous years). You do not need to be an expert at identifying all the butterfly species in order to participate.
Please contact Dave McElveen at d.mcelveen@comcast.net or (850) 841-0899 if you wish to join us for the Count. If you have a Team preference, please let Dave know and we’ll try to accommodate you. Our Count Leader, David Harder will make final assignments based on preference and need. You will be contacted by your party leader about where and when to meet on the Count Day. Submitted by Dave McElveen
North American Butterfly Association News – Free Trial Memberships
If you know someone who may be interested in the goals of the North American Butterfly Association but are on the fence relative to joining, NABA is now offering a free one-year trial membership! This is a great way for people to see what NABA is all about and increase those supporting our programs and working to save butterflies. You can have them find out more this offer by going to the URL
https://butterflies.naba.org/register/free-trial-membership/
Field Trip Report to South Florida – May 5-8, 2017
The extended weekend trip to North Carolina drew a total of two participants: Eric Shaw and Brian Lloyd. The North Carolina lep expert, Harry Legrand, noted that we would be late for some of our targets and that mid-April would have been much better. Buoyed by this positive news, we were then taken aback by the weather forecast: rain, cold, and wind for the entire weekend. Time for Plan B.
We opted instead for South Florida, where the weather would be more promising. We decided to also try for a number of rare birds recently reported, including Western Spindalis, Bananaquit, Thick-billed Vireo, and Cuban Pewee.
On the drive down, we stopped in at Treetops Park in Broward County and were treated to views of Dainty Sulphur, Dorantes Longtail, Ruddy Daggerwing, Zebra Heliconian, Tropical Checkered-Skipper, Fiery Skipper, Monarch, Gulf Fritillary, Mallow Scrub-Hairstreak, White Peacock, Giant Swallowtail, Cassius Blue, and finally as the weather worsened, Three-spotted Skipper. Although we searched long and hard, nary an Atala was found nor was any Zamia, its host plant.
Day Two dawned with optimistic hopes for Cuban Pewee in a small urban park on Miami Beach. Reported just the day prior, there were at least 15 birders staking out various viewpoints. The pewee turned out to be a one-day wonder and we left disappointed. We did see a nice (exotic) Knight’s Anole in a tree. On to more destinations! Crandon Park (Key Biscayne) had been reliable for a number of days (if not weeks) for Western Spindalis, Thick-billed Vireo, and Bananaquit. Nope, not today. We consoled ourselves with nice views of Mangrove Skipper. We grabbed some fast food and headed for Navy Wells Nature Preserve, but not before stopping at the biggest disappointment of the trip: Modello Wayside Park, a small urban park along U.S. Highway 1 that was previously reliable for Pink-spot Sulphur. First, all of the entry points into the park had been blocked by large concrete posts. Second, the park was now inhabited by a number of homeless people. Third, the butterfly garden that was THE magnet for the sulphurs had been completely chopped down and mowed. There was nothing left. We watched various sulphurs flit about in the trees overhead, but none perched for a view. We headed for Navy Wells Nature Preserve, dreading that the bad luck would continue.
At Navy Wells, we pulled into an area used for parking inside the Preserve. We were immediately confronted with a sign that stated (in no uncertain terms): No Trespassing! As we stood there wondering what to do, a group of off-road ATVs passed by. Stopping one, we asked about the no trespassing policy. News to them! And off they went, cackling wildly. We decided to walk the dirt road in the preserve that had been good several years ago. Several Baracoa Skippers gave nice views. On our way back to the car, we finally saw our main target: Bartram’s Scrub-Hairstreak. We had two on the walk back and this site remains reliable for this disappearing species. As there was still some daylight remaining, we headed to Everglades National Park to try for Soldier and Florida Leafwing. Nobody can accuse us of being pessimists. We walked some excellent habitat but there were no leafwings to be found. We did find an abundance of hungry mosquitoes and a worn Julia.
The next day we headed to North Key Largo, where several Western Spindalis had been reported. Finally, we got lucky. A nice male Western Spindalis was seen (all too briefly) in a yard in a neighborhood across from the Crocodile Lake National Wildlife Refuge Visitors Center. We were also treated to nice views of a pair of Rose-breasted Grosbeaks. The small butterfly garden at the NWR Visitors Center looked better than the last time I was there, but there were no butterflies.
After obtaining our back-country permit at John Pennekamp State Park, we headed to Dagny Johnson Key Largo Hammock State Botanical Site. The mosquitoes were out in force, but did not seem to tolerate our insect repellent. We walked the trails slowly and found: Black Racer crossing the path, Blackpoll Warbler, Northern Waterthrush, Large Orange Sulphur, and three Mangrove Cuckoos(!) that posed well for us. On our way back to our motel, we stopped at Castellow Hammock County Park and found an obliging Fulvous Hairstreak in the same bush that produced one several years ago. We celebrated that evening with a Jameson whiskey or three. The memory is somewhat foggy.
On our final day, we decided to try Crandon Park again for the Bananaquit. Upon arrival, we saw a number of Egyptian Geese (now countable). We never did find the Bananaquit, but we did see Palm Warbler, Magnificent Frigatebird, American Redstart, Blackpoll Warbler, and Monk Skipper (nice views). Visiting Bill Baggs State Park further down the road, we saw several Green Iguanas. It was still morning, so we decided to try Fairchild Tropical Gardens. Although it was hot, we found Giant Swallowtail, Zebra Heliconian, Polydamas Swallowtail, Mangrove Skipper, and finally, Brian’s last lifer, a stunning Atala that posed nicely for photographs. Back to Tallahassee. Submitted by Eric Shaw
Field Trip Report to Wakulla County – Sunday, May 28, 2017
Eight Chapter members enjoyed the environs of Wakulla County on May 28. First off we went searching for Coral Hairstreaks. After almost giving up we found a very fresh, male hanging out in the vegetation. He was very cooperative and we got good looks. Next we hit Rock Road and the SW portion of Wakulla Springs State Park. Nectar was scare but we picked up some fun butterflies, most notably Byssus Skipper, a Tawny Emperor, and several Red-Spotted Purples. Submitted by Dave McElveen
Field Trip Report to Wyoming – June 7-14, 2017
On June 7, 2017, seven members of the Hairstreak Chapter (Travis & Karen MacClendon, Brian & Sheena Lloyd, Amy Sang, and Eric & Cynthia Shaw) met in Salt Lake City to begin a week-long tour of the great parks in Wyoming with some visits to sites in northern Utah as well. Since this day was a travel day, we all met early in the evening at our hotel (Crystal Suites, highly recommended). Our trip would begin with an evening’s owling in the Wasatch Mountains, guided ably by Tim Avery. We met Tim at our rendezvous point and set off for our destination: mid to high altitude forest in the Uinta National Forest. We had excellent looks at our target bird: Flammulated Owl, which was new for all participants.
Although the next day was technically a travel day to get up to the Wyoming parks area, I decided that we should go via Highway 150 east of Salt Lake City, through the mountains. We made several stops along this highway, which were very productive: Western Tailed-Blue, Mourning Cloak, Hoary Comma, Northern Crescent, Field Crescent, Pale Swallowtail, Margined White, Boisduval’s Blue, and a duskywing that awaits further analysis via photos (it is either Persius or Afranius). Further along, we found Sara Orangetips, Western Pine-Elfin, and a nice male Afranius Duskywing. However, it became quite clear that this route would take many hours, so we wisely decided to reverse course and take a more traditional route north. The fact that it looked as if it could snow at higher elevations did indeed influence our thinking. We made another stop to stretch our legs and look around at the Salt River Public Access Area in Wyoming, which produced an attractive Purplish Copper. We spent the night at the Best Western in Driggs, ID.
The next day would be a full day in Grand Teton National Park (GTNP). Initially, I had planned for the group to take the aerial tram up to the alpine zone. Maybe in another month or two! This area of the country was experiencing a very late spring (more on that later). Our first stop was just outside Jackson, Wyoming, at a wetland/pond system in the National Elk Refuge. Numerous Yellow-headed Blackbirds entertained us as well as Tree Swallows, landing within 15 feet of us. Our main target, Trumpeter Swan, was soon seen - a pair of them to be exact, including one on a nest.
We stopped at Lupine Meadows in GTNP. The weather was turning just warm enough to have butterflies actively flying. In the meadows and along a wooded trail, we found Sara Orangetip, Milbert’s Tortoiseshell, Western Pine-Elfin, Margined White, Satyr Comma, Pale Swallowtail, Mourning Cloak, and a very obliging Lustrous Copper. A Red Squirrel, Yellow-Pine Chipmunk, and Yellow-bellied Marmot also put in an appearance. We are still checking photos of various commas. There is at least one individual that is either Oreas or Green Comma.
Traveling further, we stopped at Potholes Turn-Out in the park. Although windy and cool, we managed to find Boisduval’s Blue, Bramble Hairstreak, Painted Lady, and Edith’s Checkerspot. We returned to our lodgings in Driggs. As a brief aside, I would like to point out that there is an excellent micro-brewery in Victor (near Driggs). Try the Grand Teton 208!
The next day was a travel day with stops along the way. Along the Death Canyon Trailhead road in GTNP we found a very nice male Western Tanager, but not much else. Traveling further north, we stopped at an overlook along the Moose-Wilson Road and were treated to views of a pair of Barrow’s Goldeneye, a local specialty. We continued our drive north toward Yellowstone National Park and came upon our first wildlife “jam”. Cars pulled over everywhere with throngs of people. What could be the cause of all the excitement, we wondered? A huge blonde-phase mama grizzly with her two cubs was the draw. (Another aside: this was my primary target of the trip!) The bears were within reasonable viewing distance, but far enough away so that the rangers weren’t too nervous. I felt that our group could outrun at least some of the observers, so we were safe if the mama became angry.
We stopped by Old Faithful (I think it’s a requirement) and watch the geyser erupt. We then moved on to our lodgings at the Sawtelle Mountain Resort in Island Park, ID, just outside of West Yellowstone, but not before encountering another wildlife jam with a herd of American bison.
We made our way into Yellowstone the next day, stopping for breakfast at Ernie’s in West Yellowstone. Ernie’s was our go-to breakfast spot every day here. Once again, we saw a bison herd in the same area as the previous afternoon. It was still very cool, which is not good for butterflies. We decided to try for Bighorn Sheep at Dunraven Pass and Chittenden Road, but only saw Mule Deer, Yellow-Pine Chipmunk, and Mountain Bluebird. We drove over to the Lamar Valley to look for wolves, but none were seen. We did see a herd of elk and more bison along the way. As we drove near Tower Junction, two of us (Cynthia and I) had a brief glimpse of a female Moose in the woods. Sadly, there was no place to pull over. Further along, we encountered another “jam”. This time it was Bighorn Sheep, a small group of females that didn’t appear very concerned with the nearby humans.
Driving further, we encountered yet another “jam”, this time for a huge, cinnamon-phase Black Bear. The two vehicles got separated at this point. The Lloyd/Sang group went on to photograph a number of geysers. Our group continued on, stopping at a small meadow. It was just warm enough to have a number of Common Alpines flying about. South of Mammoth Hot Springs, we saw a young (maybe two years old?) Black Bear as it ate a recently killed fawn. Later in the afternoon, we watched a Coyote hunting in a meadow.
The next day we decided we would try for American Three-toed Woodpecker in some recently-burned parts of Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. We had no luck, but not for lack of effort. We stopped at a large pull-over along the road and ate our lunch. While there, we managed to find a Bramble Hairstreak as it fought the wind. Moving to Flagg Ranch (GTNP), we wandered a trail and the flowering area adjacent to the parking lot. We found a Juba Skipper as well as a white that we initially put down as Western White. Having looked at the photos, we may need to change this to Spring White. We had a very nice dinner that evening near our lodgings in Island Park and several of us went to West Yellowstone to see the (newly released) Mummy at the IMAX.
The next day dawned and, looking out at the parking lot, we were greeted with an inch of snow covering everything and it was continuing to snow. This would not be good for butterflying. In fact, I was worried that Yellowstone itself might be closed. There was no need to worry however, as the park itself had less snow than Island Park. This was a day for mammals. Near Tower Junction we found our first “jam”, this time a Black Bear. Further on, we watched a Red Fox along the road. We then encountered yet another “jam” (there is a theme here: if you see a jam, pull over). This time it was a small herd of Bighorn Sheep that were literally in the parking lot. Mostly females, but with a young ram in tow. Nearby a Pronghorn Antelope grazed. And another Red Fox was spotted nearby.
We drove once again toward the Lamar Valley, this time taking a side road. There were people with scopes. What were they watching? A group of Gray Wolves (5 pups) were playing at a great distance up a rocky hill. Amy was able to get a distant view through one of the scopes, but then the pack disappeared. Discouraged, we drove further along toward the Lamar Valley and encountered another “jam.” We asked what was being seen. Gray Wolves! We pulled over immediately and watched three young wolves (last year’s pups?) playing about 50 yards from us across a small river. Superb views! Nearby, a Black-billed Magpie scolded the wolves as they raced to and fro.
As we drove back toward Island Park, we encountered two more “jams”: cinnamon-phase mama Black Bear with cub and black-phase mama Grizzly Bear with two cubs. Outstanding views of each. An excellent day, despite the lack of butterflies.
On our last day together, we headed south and had breakfast in Driggs before we each separated and went our own ways. The Lloyds stayed another couple of days and spent them in GTNP, where they found Hayden’s Ringlet and some other gems. It was a satisfying trip, although a bit cooler than expected for June. Submitted by Eric Shaw