Butterfly Church–Butterfly Big Year Update #8

I went to my Butterfly Church yesterday. It is a special place where I usually can find that feeling of peace that I don’t often have in my life. I chase butterflies there, but I also take a folding chair and sit in the shade for a while. And that makes things right.

My Butterfly Church is the minimum maintenance road on the east side of Medora Prairie in Warren County, Iowa. It is a dirt/clay road that often has deep ruts and should not be driven on in wet weather. Most times I have been there I have had absolute solitude. Occasionally I have run across other people there but it is never crowded.

I have been adding butterflies a few at a time to my list. I got an acceptable photo of a tawny-edged skipper at Swede Point Park last week. I drove across the state last Sunday in a largely unsuccessful butterfly chase, getting only a couple of common butterflies, the hackberry emperor and the summer azure. Both could be easily obtained without all the driving. My list was at a paltry 32 species prior to the Medora visit.

At Medora I was hoping to get gray coppers. There is sometimes a good population there, and I had some photos of that butterfly on butterfly milkweed dated June 18, 2010. But the butterfly milkweed is not quite blooming yet, and I saw no gray coppers. In a few days there should be many.

I saw good numbers of hackberry emperors, little wood-satyr, cabbage whites, orange sulfurs, and meadow fritillaries. They are already on my list. There were lots of great-spangled fritillaries flying around, but they did not settle down where I could get a good photo. I shot some photos of what I thought were tawny-edged skippers, not taking too much time on them because I already have a good photo of them.

Finally, I was able to find and photograph a new butterfly for the list, this battered and beaten red-spotted purple (or red-spotted admiral as it is officially known now).

I walked in the prairie for a little while but was not really able to get anything. The few flowers that were blooming did not seem to be attracting butterflies.

The roadsides have a lot of bird’s foot trefoil on the edges. I checked it carefully and while I did I saw a whitish butterfly flutter in to it. I took a couple of photos when it first landed, but it flew off before I could get closer to it. I tried to follow it but I lost track of it.

Turns out it was a marine blue. This butterfly is occasionally seen in Iowa, but is pretty rare here. It is common in the states to the south of us, though.

When I got home and downloaded my photos, I decided that what I had identified in the field as a tawny-edged skipper was in fact a European skipper. I wished I had spent more time and attention while photographing it.

My list now has 35 species. Should I have allowed myself to count butterflies that I identified without an identifiable photo? I watched cloudless sulfurs flying around in Illinois, and saw great-spangled fritillaries, a single giant swallowtail, and a silvery checkerspot yesterday at Medora, all without a good photo. But no, what is the point of having rules if you can change them midway through? I wonder if I am only chasing mediocracy sometimes. Are my photography skills slipping as I get older and less able to crawl around on the ground?

But my Butterfly Church (nobody else calls it that, by the way) came to the rescue. My head is in the right place for now. It is not about the destination, it is about the journey. There is the old saying about a bad day fishing…

So I Took a Little Trip–Butterfly Big Year Update #7

I probably should plan the big year stuff better than I do, but I am also learning to make and execute plans on a fairly short notice. I sorted the iNaturalist butterfly data for Illinois from the first of the year, then picked out some butterflies I don’t have yet. There were three species (Appalachian brown, lace-winged roadside skipper, and hoary edge) that had been seen in the last part of May at one location, and one species (silver-bordered fritillary) seen at a different location. That is how I planned my trip. Almost like throwing a dart at a dart board.

The first area is called the Barkhausen-Cache River Wetlands Center, and the second was called the Hooper Branch Savanna Nature Preserve. I planned to stay at the first site, which is located in the southern tip of Illinois for a day (two overnight stays), then stop at the other, which is located south of Chicago near the Indiana border, on the drive home.

I expected something kind of neat at the wetlands center, but I did not anticipate what was there. That is not ground or short vegetation that you are seeing. That is a swamp, with water about six inches to a few feet deep, and covered with duckweed.

Another location had a handicap-accessible boardwalk into a swamp area. It was quite dark due to the forest canopy, with bright shafts of light beaming down from above

There were lots of wetlands around, with mowed and paved paths so they could be visited, plus an interpretive nature center.

The weather cooperated and there were butterflies everywhere. As you might imagine, there were also dragonflies and other insects. I spent a very pleasant day roaming around the area. I did not find my target butterflies. All of the butterflies I saw are also present in some numbers in Iowa or will be later in the year. I only added five new species to my list for the year. I saw a couple of cloudless sulfurs flying around but never settling down within chasing distance so I could not add them to the list. I already had zebra swallowtails on my list, but really loved watching and photographing them.

I added common buckeye to my list.

I already had pearl crescent–in fact I have tons of photos of them. But I still enjoyed taking this picture.

On Sunday I had about a four hour drive to the savanna area. It was also nice, with extensive mowed paths. There does not seem to be a visitor center though. While I was there I came across a woman doing volunteer habitat/weed control. Later I came across a couple of other people who were talking about butterflies. I asked about the silver-bordered fritillary, and one of people, Nathan, let me tag along while he was doing his own butterfly photography.

This is it. After spending a couple of hours at the site and having some luck with skippers that were hanging along the access trail, I started to leave. Nathan called me back, and thought he had an Indian skipper. That butterfly was new to me, so I got some pictures. Sure, enough, it was. (Turns out it is a female fiery skipper.)

The Indian skipper and the silver-bordered fritillary were “lifers” for me. I added three other butterflies, and saw a couple that I still haven’t photographed yet.

My list is up to 28 27 species. One thing that has surprised me, however, is that I have yet to see a red admiral this year. I fully expected to see them all over the place. Some have been reported so they will show up.

P.S.: The two-star hotel I stayed in had shampoo in little packets like you might get ketchup in, rather than little bottles. It works better to open those packets before you start the shower so your hands are still dry. FYI.

Butterfly Big Year, Update #6

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…

Butterfly Big Year, Update #5

We have had about a week of cool, rainy weather that is not particularly good for butterflies. I have not gone on any out-of-state trips since the Wisconsin trip I took a couple of weeks ago. That is because of a combination of obligations here and a feeling that the trips would likely be unproductive given the season and the weather.

I did get a better photo of the silver-spotted skipper last week.

Today I got a photo of a common sootywing in my back yard.

I chased what I thought was a single individual around my flower garden and my yard. Even though I only saw one at a time, I am pretty sure there was more than one individual.

They are very black and the white spots really glow.

I am up to sixteen species now. I keep thinking I am way behind schedule compared to where I should be. But I make the rules and I alone enforce them. So I’m good.

Given the forecast, Iowa butterflies should start picking up pretty well over the next few days.

I have seen a few monarchs, but I am only counting the butterflies I have photographed. I should be able to add that to the list fairly soon.

Butterfly Big Year Update #4

I have not taken any long trips this week but I have added a couple of species.

On Monday I conducted my first butterfly survey of the season for the Iowa Butterfly Survey Network. I found this gorgone checkerspot at Swede Point Park near Madrid, Iowa.

This morning as I was getting ready to leave, I saw a silver-spotted skipper out on my deck. I did not have my camera, so I snapped a photo with my cell phone. The photograph was shot through the sliding glass door and screen door.

Neither photo is up to the standards of quality that I am trying to achieve. However, in both cases I can identify the butterfly to species. That puts the butterfly big year list at 15 species.

I have seen orange sulfurs and monarchs, but have not photographed either one yet this year.

I have not planned my next out-of-state trip yet. Maybe it will be Illinois. The project seems to be going slower than I had hoped, but the in-state butterflies should really pick up within a couple of weeks. We shall see…

Butterfly Big Year Update #3

I went on a trip to Sauk City Wisconsin, chasing butterflies. The point of the trips is that they are a little bit spontaneous, depending on the weather and what other butterflies have been seen. However, I always feel a little bit unprepared. I thought I had forgotten my reading glasses so when I looked at my photos at the hotel I could not be sure what I had. Even though I dug through my suitcase several times at the hotel, when I got home I found them–at the bottom of the suitcase.

At Spring Green State Preserve I found this Olympia marble. This was the butterfly I had hoped to find with this trip. The colors on the undersurface of the wings are spectacular.

I also found this spring azure, which was a first of the year for me.

Duskywing skippers are always difficult to identify. After sweating through the IDs in the guidebooks and some online resources, I think this is a Juvenal’s duskywing, which is the same species I found in Missouri a few weeks ago.

So I have thirteen species so far. Progress, but a little slower than I had hoped. Still, the Olympia marble was a “lifer” for me.

I also found this nice tiger beetle. I will work on the ID later.

I am finding some challenges with the big year. Most of the places I have been going I have never been to before. I don’t know where the trails go or how difficult they are. Information online does not always give the full picture. Then, after driving for a day and finally finding the site maybe the weather does not cooperate–it rains, or is too windy or cloudy for the butterflies to get out. Still, I have had some enjoyable times so far.

Butterfly Big Year Update #2

Yesterday was my birthday. I was feeling all of my 66 years. I went to the funeral for my last surviving aunt in the morning. I have been blessed in my life to have 9 aunts and 8 uncles. They were all wonderful people in their own ways, and I miss them all.

On the way home I drove down to Elk Rock State Park, which is on the south shore of Red Rock Reservoir, a little north of Knoxville, Iowa. It was cool in the early afternoon–it frosted overnight, and by the time I got there my car thermometer read 53 degrees F. Too cold for butterflies, one would assume. But there was no wind and it was sunny. I was surprised to see eastern commas on the access road and on a small tree next to it. The micro habitats were warm enough to allow the butterflies to fly.

There seemed to be some kind of damage to the tree–possibly from wood boring insects. The eastern commas were getting some nutrients from the sap.

A few yards down the road I saw some movement–a small dark butterfly.

It was a Henry’s elfin. I took a few photos, then went on down the road and into the equestrian paths, fairly sure I would see more.

But it was not to be. I did not find any more elfins, and when I went back I could no longer find the original.

I wondered around for about three hours and only saw a few additional butterflies. I added cabbage white and meadow fritillary to my list, and saw a couple of mourning cloaks as well.

I have eleven species for the year, although they have not all been verified.

I did enjoy my day. Thanks to all of you who wished me a happy birthday.

Butterfly Big Year Update #1

Ever seen the comic strip Calvin and Hobbs? If you have, you probably remember Calvin ball. My big year is a little like that. I make the rules and I enforce them. I can make new rules at any time.

Well, I have to make a new rule. I submitted a fairly poor photo that I identified as an eastern comma to iNaturalist. Several people corrected me and identified it as a question mark butterfly. So in this case, and if a similar case happens again, I do not count it. Hopefully I will be able to photograph both eastern commas and question marks later in the year. For now I do not have either.

If I identify a butterfly to species before I submit it, by default I will consider it valid unless there is enough disagreement to throw it out. Once enough people agree with the ID the photo is market “research grade” by iNaturalist, and I will consider it valid and verified.

I found a mourning cloak yesterday and submitted the photo. As of now, only the Juvenal’s duskywing has no comments. I currently have seven “valid” species, with six of them also verified.

The Butterfly Big Year has Started

Birders sometimes do something called a “big year.” During a calendar year, they try to see and identify as many of the bird species in a particular area as they can. A few butterfliers have done something similar, most famously Robert Michael Pyle, as he wrote about in Mariposa Road.

I am planning to do one this year. Doing it right takes a lot of planning. I have downloaded lists from the Butterflies and Moths of North America web site, and have spent a lot of time sorting through the lists on a spreadsheet. I have tried to figure out different locations to go by checking various citizen science websites as well. But time got away from me and the season has already started. I saw some eastern commas flying in a campground nearby so I decided I had better get moving.

I booked a hotel in Cassville, Missouri for a couple of nights. Butterflying is very dependent on the weather. There was snow on the ground in Iowa when I drove down, and even first interstate rest stop in Missouri had a little snow, but I could hear chorus frogs singing so I was encouraged.

In general most locations will be a day’s drive away. The plan is to drive to the location and make a few stops along the way to chase butterflies. If I stay two nights in a hotel, I will have a full day to butterfly and hopefully on the drive home I can make some more stops. Unfortunately, on this trip the weather only cooperated for one afternoon. All photos here were taken at the Roaring River State Park.

I will only count butterflies when I have an identifiable photograph of the adult. I am not done with the spreadsheet yet, so I don’t really know how many species there are in the area–I know it is more than 225. If I am able to get identifiable photos of 100 or more species I will be happy. I also hope to get ten or twenty good photos of species I have not photographed yet. I have no one refereeing my count, but I will post to iNaturalist and hopefully get the photos verified.

Here is an “identifiable” photograph of a pearl crescent.

I also saw eastern tailed-blue.

I think this is Juvenal’s duskywing. There are similar species. It will be interesting to see if and how soon this is verified.

There were three different swallowtails flying around. This is the spicebush swallowtail.

This is an eastern tiger swallowtail.

Zebra swallowtails were flying around all over the place.

These guys were sipping from the wet mud along the trout stream.

I got seven species in all–the eastern comma I saw is not pictured here. But in the Mexican restaurant I visited I saw some more that I haven’t found in the books yet.

I didn’t get any pie, but I did have the fried ice cream.

How to find Henry’s Elfin In Iowa

Spring is here, and with it are all the wonderful things like spring wildflowers, birds and frogs calling, and early butterflies. Many of Iowa’s butterflies are pretty common, and you will run across them even if you are not looking for them. There are some, however, that you have to go looking for if you want a chance to see them.

Such is the case with Henry’s elfin. With a little effort and a little luck you should be able to find them.

Chase them with a camera or binoculars. Please don’t use a net, especially when in a public area where other people are trying to enjoy nature as well.

Here’s what you need to know:

1. Henry’s elfin has one generation in Iowa, and they fly from about the middle of April through about the first week of May. If you miss that window, you will miss seeing the butterfly for a year.
2. The caterpillar host plant of Henry’s elfin in Iowa is redbud. The adult butterflies can sometimes be found on redbud. Unfortunately, the butterfly seems to only be found in woodlands where redbud grows naturally. Redbud is widely planted as an ornamental but I have not seen the butterfly on any yard trees, even though I have looked for it.
3. Henry’s elfin seems to only be found in the southern third of the state. The distribution map follows river valleys south of Interstate 80. Natural areas where it has been found include Waubonsie State Park, Slip Bluff County Park, Red Haw State Park, Cordova Park, and Elk Rock State Park.
4. Best results will be on a sunny day without a heavy wind. Redbuds are very showy and you should be able to see them easily. Watch the trees closely and you may be able to see the small, dark colored butterflies flitting around.
5. I have had pretty good luck finding them along walking trails–either on the ground or in the vegetation along the path, even in areas with no direct line of sight to redbuds. They are small and appear black. You might mistake them for a large fly or a skipper initially. You might not see them until they move.

Be patient and keep your eyes open.

If you are close to Red Rock Reservoir you might try either Cordova Park or Elk Rock Park. Elk Rock Park has an equestrian area that I would recommend.

This is the equestrian campground, off of 146th street. The red area is a parking area. Yellow areas, along the access road and the equestrian trails are general locations where I have seen this butterfly. There are usually horseback riders on the trails so give them a wide berth and don’t spook the horses. You will not see redbuds along the trails but they are present in several areas of the park.

Good luck and act fast.

You might also see spring azure, eastern comma, red admiral, and cabbage white in flight.