Butterflies are still pretty sparse around here right now. I went to a couple of local areas and conducted a survey for the Iowa Butterfly Survey Network. I was able to add an American Snout, which I found at the Big Creek Canoe access. That gets my list up to 17 species.
American Snouts are usually not common in Iowa, and normally don’t show up this soon. Will we see a large population of them later in the year?
When I decided on the rules for the big year, I decided only to count butterflies that I get an identifiable photo of. The photo does not have to be all that good, but it does have to be good enough that the butterfly can be identified. I had a couple of strikeouts today.
This is a tawny-edge skipper. I know because I got a good look at it as I was attempting to take the photo. But it is not really identifiable in the photo. This skipper is common enough I should be able to get a good photo later.
This is a viceroy. The photo is also unidentifiable, although you could argue that the white abdomen separates it from the monarch. This one I should be able to add with a better photo later as well.
I have another trip coming up…
The roused bear 
Hi Harlan, I’m taking the lazy way and just asking, to which Big Creek Canoe access are you referring? I’ve only seen a Snout one time, and it was in my daughter’s Ankeny flower garden. You remind me that I want to do my UBR survey now that the weather is so nice. Chuck Hall Ankeny