June 2004 Issue:
In This Edition:
| 1) Upcoming Events for June and July 2) April 2004 Butterfly Sightings 3) First Butterfly Sightings of the Year 4) Butterfly Class a Success 5) Officers and Board Members Elected 6) And more NABA's MISSION STATEMENT: 1. COMING EVENTS FOR JUNE and JULY: 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. 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 217-529-1826. Leader: Susan Dees. 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. Sun. July 4. 4th of July Count on the 4th of July at Busch Wildlife. Meet at 10:00 a.m. at the Butterfly Garden. There is a $3.00 fee collected for NABA. 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. Easy walking. Lunch (optional) at Pavilion behind Visitor’s Center. Coordinator: Jim Ziebol. Sat. July 24. 4th of July Count at Richard and Susan Day’s farm in Alma, IL. Meet at their house at 10:00 a.m.; driving time is approximately 1.5 hours from Poplar Street Bridge. There is a $3.00 fee collected for NABA. In March, Susan showed slides of the wildlife habitat they have created, including a restored wetlands and extensive butterfly and hummingbird gardens. Butterflies gather at the numerous nectaring sites for outstanding close-up views. Excellent opportunity for photographers and gardeners. Little walking; lunch optional. Coordinators: Richard and Susan Day. DIRECTIONS: Mark Peters’ Prairie: Please contact Yvonne Homeyer for directions. 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 contact Yvonne Homeyer for directions. Revis Hill Prairie Nature Preserve: call Susan Dees for directions. 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. 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. 2. APRIL 2004 BUTTERFLY REPORT by Yvonne Homeyer The first weekend in April - sunny but cool, with temperatures staying in the 50s - had almost no butterfly activity but warmer days immediately following produced a trickle of spring butterflies - at last! While we were struggling to see 7 or 8 species in a day in early April, Dave Berry and Dianne Benjamin, on separate trips to the Ozarks, saw an outpouring of spring butterflies, both in number of species and number of individuals. Dianne had considerably warmer weather on the first weekend of April in Shannon County in the Ozarks. She reported a lot of butterfly activity ln 4/3 and 4/4, including Falcate Orangetip, Zebra Swallowtail, Spring Azure, Henry’s Elfin, and a Duskywing species. In Washington County on 4/4, Scott & Annie Marshall saw many Falcate Orangetips. On 4/5 at Tyson, with temperatures in the high 60s, Jim Ziebol saw 1 Henry’s Elfin, 1 Juniper Hairstreak, 20 Falcate Orangetips, 50 Juvenal’s Duskywings, 1 Goatweed, 2 Orange and 1 Clouded Sulphur. Kraig Paradise also found Falcate Orangetip and Henry’s Elfin on 4/5, at Emmenegger Park. On 4/6, again in the Ozarks, Dave Berry counted 11 species - another record this spring - including 3 Pipevine Swallowtails, 8 Zebra Swallowtails, 1 Black Swallowtail, 2 Cabbage White, 2 Clouded Sulphur, 12 Spring Azure, 1 Pearl Crescent, 2 E. Commas, 2 Goatweeds, hundreds of Juvenal’s Duskywings and 12 Henry’s Elfins. [Note: Field Trip planned for Dave Berry’s property on 5/22 - check Calendar for details and directions]. Dave remarked that the Henry’s Elfins appeared to be very territorial, were "battling" with one another, and kept returning to the same branches. [This species is usually found on or near Redbuds, the caterpillar food plant, and Red Cedars.] Dennis Bozzay saw a Question Mark on 4/4 and a Cabbage White on 4/6 in his garden. A Horace’s Duskywing was spotted by Torrey Berger in Tower Grove Park on 4/7 and over 100 were seen on 4/9 at Lost Valley Trail, along with 3 Zebra Swallowtails, 1 Giant Swallowtail, and 1 Tiger Swallowtail. On 4/8, Kraig Paradise saw an Eastern Tailed-Blue at Champ Park and Jim Ziebol saw 1 Gray Hairstreak, 1 Eastern Tailed-Blue and 2 Tiger Swallowtails at Tyson. Dave Berry’s Black Swallowtails, which overwintered in their chrysalis stage in his garage, began emerging as adults in the second week of April. Dave Larson saw a Common Sootywing at Tyson on 4/9. Easter Sunday, 4/11, was a busy butterfly day. The skies were clear and sunny but temperatures in the 50s kept the butterflies inactive until later in the morning. Several NABA members participated in the Dept. of Conservation Butterfly Count at Busch that day, including Jim Ziebol (leader), Kraig Paradise, Dave Berry, Jeannie Moe, Terry Kelley, Mick Richardson, and Yvonne Homeyer. Six species were seen: 1 Tiger Swallowtail, 1 Zebra Swallowtail, 1 Clouded Sulphur, 2 Orange Sulphurs, 8 Falcate Orangetips, 1 Pearl Crescent, and 8 Juvenal Duskywings. A trip to Emmenegger Park afterwards produced several Henry’s Elfins, Juvenal Duskywings, and Wild Indigo Duskywings. (JZ, YH). Scott & Annie Marshall found a Juniper Hairstreak in Gasconade County on 4/11 and Sherry McCowan observed a Falcate Orangetip and Zebra Swallowtail at West Tyson Park. Six Zebra Swallowtails were seen by Dave Larson on 4/12 at Tyson. Jeannie Moe found Red-spotted Purple at Shaw Nature Reserve on 4/13. A fresh Red Admiral was basking in the late afternoon sun at Tower Grove Park on 4/14 (YH). Also on 4/14, Jim found a Zebra, Tiger and Spicebush Swallowtail at Hilda Young and a Pipevine and about 30 Juvenal Duskywings at Tyson. Falcate Orangetip, Pipevine Swallowtail, Spring Azure and Juvenal Duskywing were flying at the Katy Trail in Weldon Springs C.A. on 4/15 (JM). At Babler State Park on 4/16, Torrey Berger reported 25 Falcate Orangetips, 7 Zebras, 3 Tigers, 35 Juvenal Duskywings, 3 Spring Azure, 5 Orange Sulphurs, 2 Henry’s Elfins, and 3 Zabulon Skippers. On 4/17, a female Horace’s Duskywing, several Cobweb Skippers, 1 Juniper Hairstreak and a few Henry’s Elfins were seen at Valley View Glades (JZ, YH). Also on 4/17 at Busch, Falcate Orangetips, Zebra Swallowtail, Tiger Swallowtail, Spring Azure and Eastern-Tailed Blues were flying (JZ, YH). Dennis Bozzay led the first field trip of the season at Hilda Young on 4/18 and our target species, Pine Elfin, was seen briefly by Dennis but not, alas, by the rest of us. Hilda Young is the only location in the St. Louis area where NABA has found this species. Dave Larson, Kate Boden, Jeannie Moe, Margaret Gilleo, Chuck Guenther, Tom Krauska, Jim Ziebol, Yvonne Homeyer and a visitor from New York participated. Other butterflies of interest included 1 Henry’s Elfin, several Juniper Hairstreaks, Pipevine, Zebra, Tiger and Spicebush Swallowtails, many Falcate Orangetips, and many Duskywings (Juvenal’s and Horace’s). A Falcate Orangetip was an unusual sighting in Tower Grove Park on 4/19 (JZ); this species is rarely seen in man-made habitat. Mark Peters found a Sleepy Duskywing on his prairie on 4/20. A Mourning Cloak was found at Castlewood State Park on 4/20 (TB); very few have been reported this spring. Silver-spotted Skipper, Red Admiral, and Common Sootywing were reported by Jim on 4/21 at Hilda Young C.A. Dennis found another Pine Elfin at Hilda Young C.A. on 4/27 and this time it was a "photo opportunity". He observed 18 species in all: 80 Pipevine Swallowtails, 10 Zebras, 6 Tigers, 1 Cabbage White, 3 Falcate Orangetips, 4 Clouded Sulphurs, 8 Juniper Hairstreaks, 1 E. Pine Elfin, 6 Spring Azures, 50 Eastern Tailed-Blues, 30 Pearl Crescents, 2 Question Marks, 1 American Lady, 2 Silver-spotted Skippers, 100 Horace’s Duskywings, 1 Sleepy Duskywing, 1 Juvenal’s and 1 Wild Indigo. Torrey Berger observed Black Swallowtail at Horseshoe Lake on 4/27 and at Little Creve Coeur Lake on 4/28. Zabulon Skippers were reported on 4/29 by Mark Peters at his prairie. Please submit sightings by the last day of the month to Yvonne Homeyer. 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, Yvonne Homeyer, Dave Larson, Scott & Annie Marshall, Jeannie Moe, Mark Peters, Jim Ziebol. 3. FIRST BUTTERFLY SIGHTINGS OF THE SPRING by Yvonne Homeyer As of May 24, there have been 60 species of butterflies reported in the immediate St. Louis area by NABA members. Below are some more first sighting dates, to continue the list from our last newsletter, which ended on 4/21 (except for the Red spotted purple on 4/13 below): 4/13 Red-spotted Purple Black Swallowtail 4/27 Please continue to report your sightings! (Send to Yvonne at: homeyer@earthlink.net ) 4. MERAMEC CLASS ON BUTTERFLIES A SUCCESS by Yvonne Homeyer Our spring class on "Local Butterflies: Habits and Habitats" at St. Louis Community College/Meramec was a success, with 13 students enrolled. Dr. Tom Bratkowski, a NABA member and entomology professor at Maryville University, taught the session on natural history and biology and Jim Ziebol and Yvonne Homeyer taught the session on butterfly identification. Tom visited the Monarch wintering grounds in Mexico in January and showed the class slides of his trip. Jim and Yvonne used a video they made of local butterflies. This class qualifies for the Master Naturalist certificate program offered by Meramec. 5. CHAPTER ANNUAL MEETING HELD, OFFICERS AND BOARD MEMBERS ELECTED by Ann Earley The annual membership meeting of our chapter was held on Sunday, May 16 at the Busch Wildlife Conservation Area Visitors' Center. At the meeting, the following people were elected to serve as chapter officers and board members for the coming year: President Ann Earley Thank you to these individuals who have volunteered to serve our NABA chapter, and to Jane Schaefer who was this year's Nominating Committee Chair. We welcome Dave Berry and Kate Boden to the chapter board, to serve as Treasurer and Publicity Chair, respectively. Many thanks to outgoing board members Tom Krauska (Treasurer) and Anne Craver (Public Relations) for their contributions and service to our chapter during the past few years. 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 with questions or for additional information about chapter board meetings. 6. AND MORE... 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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