May 2004 Issue:
In This Edition:
| 1) Coming Events for May and June 2) Butterfly Classes 3) March 2004 Butterfly Sightings 4) First Butterfly Sightings of the Year 5) NABA-Chat 6) Garden Improvements - Arbor and Bench Donations Sought 7) Election of Officers May 16 8) Display at St Charles Event 9) Spring Wildflower Sale at Shaw 10) And more NABA's MISSION STATEMENT: 1. COMING EVENTS FOR MAY and JUNE: Beginners are welcome on every butterfly walk and count. Directions to each location are found at the end of the Coming Events Calendar (below). Water, hat, and sunscreen are recommended for every outing. Tick prevention methods include wearing long pants and using insect repellent. Sun. May 2. Butterfly Walk at Busch Wildlife connected with our NABA class offered through Meramec Community College. All NABA members are welcome. Meet at 12:00 noon at the Butterfly Garden (bottom of parking lot at Visitor’s Center). Leaders: Yvonne Homeyer and Jim Ziebol. [Note later start time]. Sun. May 16. Annual Meeting and Election of Officers, followed by Butterfly Count (Mo. Dept. of Conservation) at Busch Wildlife in St. Charles County. Annual Meeting at 9:30 a.m. at the Visitor's Center, Room C. The butterfly count begins at 10:00 at the Butterfly Garden (bottom of parking lot at Visitor’s Center). More species will be flying by mid-May, including Pipevine, Spicebush and Black Swallowtails, American Lady, Silvery Checkerspot, Viceroy, Pearl Crescent and skippers. Easy walking. Leader: Jim Ziebol. Sat. May 22. Ozark Butterfly Walk on Dave Berry’s property (NEW). On this field trip in Dent County, we might see the stunning Baltimore Checkerspot, an Ozark specialty that is rarely seen in the St. Louis area. Bring lunch and water. The terrain is hilly and somewhat rough in places, but we will walk at a slow pace. Driving time from I-270 and I-44 is approximately 2 hours and 15 minutes. Directions can be found at the end of the Calendar. We plan to meet at the entrance gate to Dave’s property around 10:15 a.m. For those who want to carpool or caravan, call Yvonne. On the way home, there will be an optional stop for a late lunch or early dinner at The Feed Lot in Cuba. For those of us who would like to spend part of the day trout fishing, or have a friend who would come along just for the fishing, there is a public trout fishing area 1 mile from Dave’s property. Fishing license needed, and a trout stamp is required; Dave can provide more details. Leader: Dave Berry. Sunday May 23, 12:00 noon. Butterfly Walk at Tyson Research Center. Meet at the Tyson Gatehouse, located at I-44 and Antire Rd. This is a joint NABA/FOT (Friends of Tyson) outing, and FOT will provide drinks and snacks. Restrooms are available at the Gatehouse. Lunch & snacks at 12:00 noon, walk will start between 12:30 and 12:45 p.m. Tyson walks at this time of May in the past have yielded all 5 species of Swallowtails, Great Spangled Fritillary, Bell’s Roadside Skipper, and many more species. Leaders: Dave Larson and Jim Ziebol. [Note later start time]. Mon. May 31 (Memorial Day). Butterfly Walk at Hilda Young C.A. in Jefferson County near Eureka. Meet at 10:00 at the parking lot. We will be walking for several hours and there are no public facilities. The group will return to the parking lot around 2:30, but people can leave earlier if they wish. Bring lunch and water. On last year’s Memorial Day walk, we saw Pine Elfin, Harvester, and Pepper & Salt Skipper - 24 species in all. Leader: Dennis Bozzay. Sat. June 5. Butterfly Walk at Mark Peters’ Prairie in Jefferson County, only 15-20 minutes from I-270 and Tesson Ferry. (Directions below). Meet at the prairie at 10:00. Butterflies can easily be seen as they nectar on the flowers alongside the flat gravel road that runs on one side of the prairie. Little walking involved. Mark’s prairie offers a great opportunity to photograph a wide variety of butterflies up close. There are usually several species of skippers to practice identification. Hoary Edge is also a possibility. Mark has spent several years restoring this 6-acre prairie with native flowers and grasses. Excellent walk for anyone interested in photography and prairie plants as well as butterflies. Leader: Mark Peters. Sun. June 6. Garden and Butterfly Walk at The Green Center, starts at 12:00 Noon. The Green Center demonstrates several types of habitats that can be created in urban and suburban yards – herbs, native flowers, prairie and wetlands. Moderate and easy walking between sites. Leader: Jane Schaefer. Sun. June 13. Butterfly Walk at Gail Cross’s Prairie in Franklin County (NEW). Meet at the parking area at 11:00 a.m. (directions below). This outing will take us to a 6-acre prairie meadow surrounded by woods. Over 400 species of plants have been identified on the entire site. Moderate walking. An excellent opportunity for anyone interested in photography and prairie plants as well as butterflies. Leader: Gail Cross. Sat. June 19. 4th of July Count near Springfield, IL, coordinated by Susan Dees (217-529-1826). Meet at 10:00 a.m. at Revis Hill Prairie Nature Preserve. The group will visit 3 Illinois nature preserves. Ottoe Skipper and Regal Fritillary are expected on this Count. The hiking at Revis is moderate to rigorous. People should wear boots and clothing to avoid prickly pear, which should be in bloom. At the end the group will go to a restaurant to relax and tally results. Call Susan for directions. Sat. June 26. 4th of July Count at Shaw Nature Reserve; meet at Visitor's Center at 10:00 a.m. There is a $3.00 fee collected for NABA. The SNR non-member entrance fee is waived. Participants will be divided in small groups, with each group having a leader. Groups identify species, count individual butterflies, and record data. The count coordinator compiles the total count results. Beginners are welcome, as each group will have one or more experienced butterfliers assigned to it. Extensive walking involved. Groups finish at different times but come together at the Pavilion to turn in data and have lunch. Most groups finish by 12:30 or 1:00. Count Coordinator: Ron Goetz. Sun. June 27. Butterfly Count (Mo. Dept. of Conservation) at Busch Wildlife in St. Charles County. Easy walking. Meet at 10:00 at the Butterfly Garden (bottom of parking lot at Visitor’s Center). Leader: Jim Ziebol. DIRECTIONS: Busch Wildlife: From St. Louis County, take I-64 (Hwy 40) across the Missouri River bridge and exit at Hwy. 94. Go left (south) on Hwy 94 approximately 1 mile to Hwy D. Turn right onto Hwy D and go about 1.5 miles to the entrance on your right. Turn right and at the T intersection, turn right again and proceed to the parking lot at the Visitor's Center. Meet at the Jim Ziebol Butterfly Garden at the bottom of the parking lot. Dave Berry’s Property: Please Email Yvonne Homeyer for directions: homeyerATearthlink.net Tyson Research Center: From the junction of I-44 and I-270, go west on I-44 about 7 miles to the Antire Rd/Beaumont exit (exit #269). The entrance gate to Tyson is about 100 ft. past the exit ramp stop sign on the right. Meet at the Gatehouse which is just inside the entry gate. Hilda Young Conservation Area: Take I-44 west to Hwy 109 & W exit. Turn left onto W. Go south on Hwy W for 2 miles. At the T intersection, turn right onto Hwy FF and go for 2.7 miles to a well-marked parking lot on the left. There is Mo. Dept. of Conservation sign at the parking lot. There are gasoline stations on Hwy W to stop for restrooms; these are the last public facilities. Mark Peters’ Prairie: Please Email Yvonne Homeyer for directions: homeyerATearthlink.net The Green Center in University City: From I-170 (Innerbelt), exit at Delmar Boulevard and travel east 3 stoplights to North & South Road. Turn left and go north on North & South for about 3 blocks. At the first stoplight (cemetery on right), turn left onto Blackberry Ave. Travel west about 3 blocks. On the right side of Blackberry, you will see the Kaufman Park tennis courts. Go past the tennis courts until you see the driveway leading to the Green Center house, also on the right side of Blackberry Ave. You can park in the driveway or on the street. If you are on Hwy. 40, you can exit at Hanley Road and go north. Go through the intersection at Delmar. In about 3 or 4 blocks, you will see a sign for Blackberry Ave. (no light). Turn left and proceed west. You will come to North & South Road. Go through that intersection and keep going west on Blackberry Ave. until you see the Kaufman Park tennis courts, then follow directions above. Gail Cross’s Property: Please Email Yvonne Homeyer for directions: homeyerATearthlink.net Shaw Nature Reserve: Starting at the junction of I-270 and I-44, travel west on I-44 for approximately 23 miles to Hwy. 100/Gray Summit Exit (Exit #253). Upon exiting, turn left (cross over I-44) on Hwy. 100. Turn right (west) immediately after crossing I-44 and travel 0.1 mile and turn left into the Shaw Nature Reserve entrance. The Visitors’ Center is just inside the gate. Note: there is a modest entrance fee for no-Missouri Botanical Garden members. 2. SPRING 2004 BUTTERFLY CLASSES: Shaw Nature Reserve: "The Terrific Butterfly Garden" taught by Tom "Terrific" Krauska Tesson Ferry Library: "Butterfly Gardening" taught by Tom "Terrific" Krauska 3. MARCH 2004 BUTTERFLY REPORT by Yvonne Homeyer Despite warm temperatures at the beginning of March, few butterflies were seen flying, even the species that overwintered like Mourning Cloak, E. Comma and Question Mark. The latter part of March was cool and rainy and butterfly activity increased, although not significantly. A Question Mark in late February was the first butterfly reported this year; it was seen on Mark Peters’ prairie by his daughter Emily on 2/29. Jim Ziebol reported an Orange Sulphur at Tyson on 3/2. On 3/8, a Cabbage White was seen by Dianne Benjamin at the Green Center, Torrey Berger saw an E. Comma at Horseshoe Lake, and Tom O’Gorman saw 2 Mourning Cloaks at Powder Valley. Jeannie Moe saw a Clouded Sulphur on 3/18 at Robertsville S.P. On 3/19, Anne McCormack reported a Mourning Cloak at Emmenegger Park, Jim Ziebol reported 1 Goatweed and 1 E. Comma at Tyson, and Dave Berry reported 7 species - the most seen on any day so far - at his Ozark property in Dent County: 4 Goatweed, 2 Question Mark, 1 Gray Comma, 8 E. Comma, 3 Mourning Cloak, 4 Spring Azure, and 1 Juvenal’s Duskywing. Ann Earley reported 1 Mourning Cloak and 2 E. Commas in Warren County on 3/20. A warm day on 3/24 (70 degrees) produced 1 Spring Azure and 1 Comma species at Tyson (JZ). Two Checkered Whites were a good find at Busch on 3/27 (JZ, YH). Marjorie Warden observed a Clouded Sulphur near Edwardsville on 3/28. At Horseshoe Lake on 3/29, Torrey Berger counted 10 Sulphurs and 2 Cabbage Whites. Dennis Bozzay found 5 Spring Azures and 1 Sulphur at Hilda Young CA on 3/30. Please submit sightings by the last day of the month to Yvonne Homeyer (homeyer@earthlink.net). An asterisk denotes video or photo of unusual or hard-to-find species. Bold means first report of the season. CONTRIBUTORS: Dianne Benjamin, Torrey Berger, Dave Berry, Dennis Bozzay, Ann Earley, Anne McCormack, Jeannie Moe, Tom O’Gorman, Emily Peters, Marjorie Warden, Jim Ziebol. 4. FIRST BUTTERFLY SIGHTINGS OF THE SPRING by Yvonne Homeyer As of April 21, there have been 27 species of butterflies reported in the immediate St. Louis area. Here is a recap of what’s been seen so far, with the first St. Louis date (Ozark sightings are generally earlier). For details, see the March Report in this newsletter; the April Report will appear in the June newsletter. No one has yet reported seeing a Monarch. They are on their way north from Mexico, but many died this winter so the population has been hit hard. Question Mark 2/29 Many butterflies have not yet started their flight period. Still to come: Giant and Black Swallowtails, Sleepy Orange, Bronze Copper, Banded Hairstreak, Red-banded Hairstreak, Snout, Great Spangled Fritillary, Silvery Checkerspot, Gray Comma, American Lady, Painted Lady, Buckeye, Red-spotted Purple, Viceroy, Hackberry, Northern Pearly-eye, Little Wood Satyr, Monarch, and more of the skippers. Please continue to report your sightings! (Send to Yvonne at: homeyer@earthlink.net ) 5. NABA-CHAT by Yvonne Homeyer Are you interested in finding out what your NABA colleagues are doing and what butterflies they are seeing? Want to share a question or comment with other NABA members? Now you can, on NABA-Chat, a list-serve just for NABA members. To subscribe, go the NABA home page, www.naba.org, and click on NABA-Chat. I read about NABA-Chat in the latest issue of American Butterflies (Spring 2004 – inside front cover) and signed on right away. The directions were quick and easy to follow. 6. GARDEN IMPROVEMENTS - Arbor and Bench Donations Sought by Dennis Bozzay The Jim Ziebol Butterfly Garden at Busch Wildlife Area has come a long way since its beginning 5 years ago. With the help of many NABA volunteers the garden has become lush and full of native nectar and host plants. Maintenance is an ongoing task. Weeds have become less of a problem as the plants have matured, but watering is needed in the hot, dry summer months. Path maintenance, seasonal cleanup and plant labeling are always needed. Public awareness is a situation we would like to improve. Although there is a sign "Jim Ziebol Butterfly Garden" few people seem to visit this haven for butterflies. We would like to encourage the public to visit and learn about the butterfly garden. An attractive enhancement would be an arbor with a bench. This inviting arbor could be planted with pipevine, a host plant of the pipevine swallowtail and would provide a welcome shady spot. Visitors could linger and observe. Perhaps one or two other benches would be nice as well. A rustic design for the bench and arbor would be appropriate for the surroundings. If you would like to make a contribution toward the purchase of lumber and/or hardware for the arbor and benches please send your contribution to Tom Krauska, NABA Treasurer, 9016 Robyn Rd, St. Louis, MO 63126. Any questions, comments or suggestions please contact Dennis Bozzay at dbozzay9@msn.com 7. CHAPTER Annual Meeting/Election of Officers And Directors To Be Held On May 16 by Ann Earley On Sunday, May 16 at 9:30 a.m., we will hold our annual meeting of members, when we elect our officers and directors for the coming year, at the Visitors' Center at Busch Wildlife Conservation Area in Room C. The meeting will be immediately followed by a butterfly count, beginning at 10:00 a.m. Jane Schaefer, Nominating Committee Chair, reports the following slate of officers and directors that will be presented at the May 16 meeting. Each person will serve for one year as a director and as the designated officer if elected. POSITION: President Ann Earley Thank you to these individuals who have volunteered to serve NABA if elected. Chapter board meetings are held throughout the year, and chapter members are always welcome to attend. Minutes of past meetings, along with the Treasurer's report, are available upon request. Please contact Ann Earley at aee623@prodigy.net with questions or for additional information about chapter board meetings 8. Chapter Display Table at St. Charles County Event Our chapter had a display and information table at the St. Charles County "Earth Day Extravaganza" event on Friday, April 16. Our display featured many colorful photos of local butterflies and we find this is a great way to spread the word about our chapter and our various activities. Many thanks to Jeannie and Jim Moe for staffing the display table on April 16. 9. Attention Butterfly Gardeners - Spring Wildflower Sale Shaw Nature Reserve will hold a spring wildflower sale on Saturday, May 8, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The sale will include approximately 15 vendors from throughout Missouri. The Shaw Nature Reserve booth will offer a free plant with every purchase. The Reserve is located 35 miles west of St. Louis on Interstate 44 (take the Gray Summit exit # 253). For additional information, call the Reserve at 636-451-3512. 10. AND MORE... NEW MEMBERS: NEWSLETTER ARTICLES WELCOME: YOUR (CURRENT) OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS: If you have questions or suggestions, e-mail Ann Earley (aee623ATprodigy.net). Our webpage is: www.naba.org/chapters/nabasl/stlouis.htm MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION: If you would like to join NABA, please fill out this application. You will become a member of both NABA and the local St. Louis Chapter, if you live within the St. Louis metropolitan area or nearby Illinois area: Name ____________________________________________ Dues are $30 (regular) and $40 (family) per year. Please make check payable to NORTH AMERICAN BUTTERFLY ASSOCIATION. Please mail this form with your check to: Scott Marshall, Membership, 609 West Lockwood, St. Louis, MO 63119. |
Editor: Dave Larson
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