July 2002 Issue:
In This Edition:
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Coming Events |
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4th of July Counts |
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June Butterfly Report |
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Media News |
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Dragons |
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... and more |
NABA's MISSION STATEMENT: *********************************************************** COMING EVENTS: July 1, Monday, Shawnee National Forest 4th of July Count, near Harrisburg, Illinois. For directions or more information, e-mail Yvonne Homeyer (homeyer@earthlink.net). July 7, Sunday, 9:45 a.m., 4th of July Butterfly Count, Busch Conservation Area. A Gardening Experience (helping hands needed) will be held at 8:00 a.m. at the Jim Ziebol Butterfly Garden before the count starting at 9:45 a.m. There is a $3.00 fee charged to each participant by NABA for publication of the Count results. Groups are usually finished with their Count area around noon. Afterwards, we will have a picnic lunch behind the headquarters building (bring your own lunch; drinks and bottled water can be purchased at the Concession stand.) The Count is open to members of the public and beginners are welcome, so feel free to invite a friend. July 14, Sunday, 9:30 a.m., 4th of July Butterfly Count near Alma, Illinois, sponsored by Richard & Susan Day. This count is brand new. For directions or more information, e-mail Yvonne Homeyer (homeyer@earthlink.net). Aug. 4, Sunday, 10:00 a.m., Butterfly Garden Visit at Tom Krauska's house. For directions or more information, e-mail Yvonne Homeyer (homeyer@earthlink.net) or Tom Krauska (tom@tomterrific.com) Aug. 18, Sunday, 8:00 a.m., Gardening Experience (helping hands needed) and 9:30 a.m. Butterfly Walk at Jim Ziebol Butterfly Garden, Busch Conservation Area. Questions? Please call Dennis Bozzay. Aug. 24, Saturday, 9:30 a.m. - 4th of July Butterfly Count, Horseshoe Lake State Park, Illinois. *********************************************************** 4th OF JULY COUNTS IN MISSOURI and ILLINOIS: Want to enjoy the butterflies and make an important contribution at the same time? Then join us on one of our chapter's "Fourth of July" Counts this summer. (See "Coming Events" for details and contact information for each Count). Count participants collect meaningful data on butterfly populations and range. By gathering data at the same site around the same date year after year, we can tell whether butterflies as a whole are increasing or decreasing, how well a particular species is faring in that location, and whether a species' population and range are changing. No experience is needed. Binoculars are helpful for personal enjoyment but not required. There is a nominal fee of $3 per participant. The Shawnee National Forest Count near Harrisburg, IL, will be held on Monday, July 1. Kathy Phelps leads that count. Then, on Sunday, July 7, the Busch Wildlife Count in St. Charles County, MO will take place. Jim Ziebol is count coordinator. The following Sunday, July 14, is a count near Alma, IL (about an hour and a half from St. Louis). Richard & Susan Day started this Count last year. Finally, on Saturday, August 24, we will have a Count at Horseshoe Lake State Park in Madison County, IL. Jim Ziebol started this Count last year. Please try to join us for at least one Count this summer! Call the count leader or Jim Ziebol if you have any questions. *********************************************************** JUNE 2002 BUTTERFLY REPORT: Late May: Ron Goetz's trip to Washington State Park on 5/26 provided sightings of 6 Pipevine, 4 Zebra, 10 Giant, 4 Tiger and 12 Spicebush Swallowtails, 1 worn Juniper Hairstreak*, 1 Variegated Fritillary, 9 Goatweeds, 1 Hoary Edge, 1 Swarthy Skipper*, 1 Crossline Skipper, and other species, for a total of 21 species. Ron also found a Striped Hairstreak at Powder Valley on 5/30. A Hoary Edge and a Common Roadside Skipper were seen at Tyson Research Center on 5/31 (JZ). By early June, Dave Berry's garden was attracting many Sachems. The June 1st Butterfly Walk at Mark Peters' prairie produced 23 species, including large numbers of Hackberry and Great Spangled Fritillary, 1 Gray Comma, 1 Hayhurst's Scallopwing, 2 Tawny-edged, 1 Delaware, and 2 Hobomok Skippers (D Bry, D Bz, YH, KP, MP, S&AM, FrS, JZ). Dave Berry also pointed out to the group a Monarch caterpillar on Swamp Milkweed getting ready to form a chrysalis. A Banded Hairstreak was observed at Powder Valley on 6/1 (YH, JZ). Jim Ziebol found a Gray Copper at Horseshoe Lake on 6/7. Also on 6/7, Jeannie Moe saw the first Little Yellow, Silvery Checkerspot, 9 Orange Sulphurs, 4 Clouded Sulphurs, Hackberry and Least Skipper at the Watershed Nature Center in Edwardsville. Highlights at Busch C.A. on 6/9 included Gray Comma, Red-spotted Purple, Northern Broken Dash, and Hayhurst's Scallopwing (YH, JZ). One Hickory Hairstreak, 3 fresh Silvery Checkerspots and 2 Byssus Skippers were seen at Tyson Research Center on the same day (YH, JZ). On 6/10 at Busch C.A., Jeannie Moe observed Northern Pearly Eye, Great Spangled Fritillary, Cloudless Sulphur, Summer Azure, Spicebush, Giant Swallowtail, Red Admiral, Eastern-tailed Blue and other species. A Buckeye and Red-spotted Purple were found on 6/11 at the Watershed Nature Center (JM). On 6/12, Torrey Berger found a Duke's Skipper at Horseshoe Lake; this is a locally rare butterfly. Banded Hairstreaks were being found in greater numbers by mid-June. Torrey Berger made two trips to Busch C.A. on 6/7 and 6/14 and found Little Yellow, Zebra, Giant, Spicebush and Tiger Swallowtails, 2 Question Marks, 2 E. Commas, over 100 Hackberries, 1 Tawny Emperor, 1 Gray Hairstreak, 6 Red Admirals, 1 Little Wood Satyr, 1 Mourning Cloak, 14 Red spotted Purples, and 9 Dun Skippers (3 at the garden). On a visit to Victoria Glade on 6/13, Jack Harris and the WGNSS Botany Group found Tawny Emperor, Mourning Cloak, Gorgone Checkerspot and Horace's Duskywing. Southern Dogface, Sleepy Orange and Gray Copper were highlights on an otherwise slow day at Horseshoe Lake on 6/15 (JZ, YH). Crossline Skipper*, Little Glassywing and Wood Nymph were seen at Tyson on 6/16 (JZ, YH). Jeannie Moe observed 2 Silver-spotted Skippers, Pearl Crescent, Question Mark, and Wild Indigo Duskywing on 6/20 at the Watershed Nature Center. On 6/26, Torrey Berger found many Snouts, Pearl Crescents and 2 Summer Azures at Horseshoe Lake. Clouded, Cloudless and Orange Sulphurs plus Goatweed, Black, Tiger, and Pipevine Swallowtails were seen at Olin Natural Area near Alton on 6/29 (JM). Anne McCormack's garden attracted Red Admiral, Zebra Swallowtail, Great Spangled Fritillary, Giant Swallowtail, Eastern Tailed-Blue and other species in June. Belle Warden saw the following butterfly visitors in her garden in Madison, IL: Least Skipper & Summer Azure (5/28), Red-spotted Purple and E. Comma (6/8), the white form of the Cloudless Sulphur (6/10), Tawny Emperor (6/15), Great Spangled Fritillary (6/21), Monarch (6/22); Cabbage Whites in good numbers throughout the month. By the end of the month, many plants in our Butterfly Garden at Busch C.A. were in bloom. Overall, hairstreak species do not seem to be as numerous as they were last year. Few skipper species were reported this month. Hackberries were numerous by early June (m. ob.), as were Orange Sulphurs and Cabbage Whites. Giant, Tiger, Spicebush, Pipevine and Black Swallowtails continued to be seen, but no Zebras were reported. CONTRIBUTORS: Torrey Berger, Dave Berry, Dennis Bozzay, Ron Goetz, Jack Harris, Yvonne Homeyer, Scott & Annie Marshall, Anne McCormack, Jeannie Moe, Kraig Paradise, Mark Peters, Fr. Jim Sullivan, Belle Warden, Jim Ziebol, many observers (m. ob.). An asterisk * denotes photographic or video documentation of an unusual or hard-to-find species. *********************************************************** MEDIA NEWS: Our own Tom Krauska, aka Tom Terrific, was on KRTS (550AM) radio's gardening program Saturday, June 29. Tom emphasized ways to attract butterflies to flower gardens. Nice job, Tom! *********************************************************** MAY & JUNE 2002 DRAGONFLY REPORT: On 5/18, during a Statewide Butterfly Count at Busch C.A., Anne McCormack,and Yvonne Homeyer found a Common Baskettail*. The group also saw a Plains Clubtail* (JZ, KP, AM, YH). A Carolina Saddlebags and Lancet Clubtail were seen at Valley View Glades on 5/21 (RG). On 5/22, Ron Goetz found Pronghorn Clubtail*, Stream Cruiser*, and Common Baskettail* at Hilda Young C.A. Yvonne Homeyer observed an Arrowhead Spiketail* at Hilda Young C.A. on 5/27. By late May/early June, dragonfly species such as Common Whitetail, Common Green Darner, Blue Dasher, Widow Skimmer, Black Saddlebags, Eastern Pondhawk, and Spangled Skimmer were being seen area-wide, including such places as Busch C.A., Hilda Young C.A., Tyson Research Center, and Horseshoe Lake. On 6/2, Scott Marshall reported Calico Pennants at Busch C.A. Torrey Berger observed 8 species of dragonflies at Marais Temps Clair on 6/4, including Banded Pennant. On 6/6, a Cyrano Darner was reported at Shaw Nature Reserve (RG). Jim Ziebol found an E. Amberwing at Busch C.A. on 6/9. An unusual Swamp Darner* was observed at Tyson Research Center on 6/9, as well as Twelve-spotted Skimmer and other species (JZ, YH). Torrey Berger found 9 species at Busch C.A. on 6/7 and 6/14: Calico Pennant, Common Green Darner, E. Pondhawk, Widow Skimmer, Black Saddlebag, Common Whitetail, Twelve spotted Skimmer, Spangled Skimmer and Eastern Amberwing. Scott Marshall saw Widow Skimmer, Spangled Skimmer, E. Pondhawk, and Common Whitetail in Gasconade County on June 15-16. CONTRIBUTORS: Torrey Berger, Ron Goetz, Yvonne Homeyer, Scott Marshall, Anne McCormack, Kraig Paradise, Jim Ziebol. An asterisk * denotes photographic or video documentation of an unusual or hard-to-find species. *********************************************************** BUTTERFLY GARDENING CLASSES: Dennis Bozzay will be teaching two butterfly gardening classes this fall. The first will be on Thursday, September 26, 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. at Pattonville West High School (offered through UMSL). The second will be Thursday, October 3, 6:30 - 9:00 p.m. at Fox High School in Arnold (offered through Jefferson College). Please call Dennis if you have any questions ((314) 968-2714). SCHOOL OUTREACH PROGRAM REACHES MANY STUDENTS: This past semester, our chapter's School Outreach Program took our volunteers to six schools in four school districts: Rockwood, Kirkwood, Webster Groves and University City. Bob Noe, Jim Foley, Audrey Foley and Betty Manlin presented programs about butterflies to over 500 students. If you would like to join this enthusiastic group of dedicated volunteers, please let Yvonne Homeyer know. We have a package of curriculum materials already prepared, and we will pair new volunteers with an experienced outreach team member. VISIT OUR WEB SITE at www.naba.org/chapters/nabasl/stlouis.htm. Dave Larson is our Webmaster. YOUR OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS: If you have questions or suggestions, e-mail Yvonne Homeyer NEWSLETTER ITEMS WELCOME MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION If you or someone you know would like to become a member of the St. Louis Chapter of NABA, please fill out this application: Name _____________________________________________ *********************************************************** *********************************************************** |
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