Past Issue April 2006
In This Edition:
1) Upcoming Events NABA's MISSION STATEMENT: 1. UPCOMING NABA PROGRAMS AND EVENTS – April and May 2006: Beginners and children accompanied by adults are welcome on every butterfly walk and count. Directions are found below, at the end of the Calendar. Water, hat, and sunscreen are recommended for every outing. Tick prevention methods include wearing long pants and using insect repellent. Feel free to invite a friend, or even better, several friends! Sun. Apr. 9, 9:30 a.m. Annual meeting and election of officers at Busch C. A. at 9:30 a.m. – see story below. Butterfly Count begins from the Butterfly Garden at 10:00 a.m. Tues. Apr. 18. "Spring Butterflies" class offered at Meramec Community College, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Call 314.984.7777 to register. Taught by Yvonne Homeyer and Jim Ziebol. Sun. Apr. 23, 12:00Noon. Butterfly Walk at Tyson Research Center. Meet at entrance to Tyson. Tues. Apr. 25. "Spring Butterflies" class offered at Florissant Valley Community College, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Call 314.513.4444 to register. Taught by Yvonne Homeyer and Jim Ziebol. Sat. Apr. 29, 10:00 a.m. Butterfly Walk at Busch C. A. Meet at the Butterfly Garden (bottom of parking lot at Visitor’s Center). Sat. May 20, 10:00 a.m. Butterfly Walk at Tyson Research Center, co-sponsored by Friends of Tyson. Meet at Tyson Gatehouse; snacks will be provided by Friends of Tyson. Walk will start about 10:15 a.m. Sun. May 28, 10:00 a.m. Butterfly Count for Mo. Dept. of Conservation at Busch C. A.. Meet at the Butterfly Garden (bottom of parking lot at Visitor’s Center). DIRECTIONS: Busch Wildlife Conservation Area: 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. 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. 2006: Looking Ahead - Butterfly Counts and Walks: Sat. June 17. Riverlands Butterfly Walk. 2. CHAPTER ANNUAL MEETING and ELECTION OF OFFICERS and DIRECTORS TO BE HELD APRIL 9th by Ann Earley On Sunday, April 9th at 9:30 a.m., we will hold our annual meeting of members, when we elect our officers and directors for the coming year, just prior to our first butterfly count of the year at Busch Wildlife C.A. We will meet in one of the meeting rooms at the Busch Visitor Center for a brief business meeting, including election of officers, before adjourning to count butterflies. We hope to see you there! Jane Schaefer, Nominating Committee Chair, reports the following slate of officers and directors that will be presented at the April 9th meeting. Each person will serve for one year as a director and as the designated officer if elected. POSITION: Thank you to these individuals who have volunteered to serve NABA if elected. 3. EARLY SPRING BUTTERFLY SIGHTINGS by Yvonne Homeyer Dave Larson gets the honors for the first butterfly sighting of the year – an Anglewing species (Question Mark or Comma) at Tyson on Jan. 11, a sunny day with an unseasonably warm temperature of 55 degrees. Anglewings and Mourning Cloaks overwinter as adults so on a warm day, these butterflies sometimes emerge from their protective winter habitat (tucked under some loose bark of a tree, under a pile of leaves, in a brushpile, etc.). That also explains why some of the year’s first butterflies often look worn – they are really “last year’s” butterflies. The 70 degree temperature on March 1 st enticed a Mourning Cloak to greet the sun; it flew past Ron Goetz on the Meramec Community College campus. That same day, near Springfield, IL, Alana Studebaker saw an anglewing take flight from an apple tree in her yard. Spring weather arrived early and seemed determined to stay, as temperatures zoomed into the 70s on the weekend of March 10-11-12. Ron Goetz saw a CabbageWhite on 3/10, and Dave Larson observed several Mourning Cloaks and Eastern Commas at Tyson. On 3/11, a Comma landed in front of Jack Harris on Grant’s Trail at Clydesdale Park, and Sarah George spotted a sulphur species at Faust Park. Also on 3/11, a Comma and Mourning Cloak flew by Jim Ziebol and Yvonne Homeyer at Busch Wildlife, while a Cabbage White was spotted at Yvonne’s Brentwood condo. On 3/13, Jeannie Moe saw several anglewings flying at St. Francois State Park and Jim Ziebol counted 4 Mourning Cloaks and 8 E. Commas at Tower Grove Park, before a cold front moved in that afternoon. The first Goatweed was spotted by Ann Earley and Jeannie Moe at Shaw Nature Reserve on 3/18. A snow storm on the first day of spring, 3/20, brought butterflying to a temporary halt. Despite chilly temperatures and some snow still on the ground, a fresh male Checkered White (photo) was seen at Horseshoe Lake by Sherry McCowan on 3/22. A White M Hairstreak was an exciting find at Shaw Nature Reserve on 3/26 (James Trager). That same day, 3 Cabbage Whites were bouncing along a road at Horseshoe Lake, a sunny day with a morning temperature of approximately 50 degrees (JZ, SM, YH). Also on 3/26, Ann Earley observed 2 Mourning Cloaks in Warren County. On 3/31, Jim Ziebol saw a Falcate Orangetip at Tyson, a Black Swallowtail at Hilda Young C.A., and a Clouded Sulphur at Route 66 State Park. CONTRIBUTORS: Dave Berry, Dennis Bozzay, Ann Earley, Ron Goetz, Jack Harris, Yvonne Homeyer, Sherry McCowan, Jeannie Moe, Mary Eileen Rufkahr, James Trager, Jim Ziebol. Bold indicates the first reported sighting of the year. 4. KID’S CORNER WEBSITE UPDATES by Mary-Eileen Rufkahr NABA members, head to the Kids’ Corner and turn up your “virtual radio” to tune into NPR broadcasts highlighting stories about butterflies. You will find links to six stories from the files of NPR including one about the fable of the Butterfly and the Moth; another one talks about a “foster father” to four painted ladies, named John, Paul, George and Ringo; and an interview with the pilot who sailed his ultra light airplane alongside the Monarchs as they made their annual migration last year. Also, keep those pencils sharpened as more word searches and crosswords are added. With butterfly season upon us, these puzzles will get you prepared to head into the great outdoors! If you have any ideas for future crosswords and/or word searches, please contact Mary-Eileen Rufkahr at merufkahrATaol.com. The Kid's Corner link is: http://www.naba.org/chapters/nabasl/kids.htm From our Kids’ Corner: "The butterfly is a flying flower, The flower a tethered butterfly." 5. NATIVE PLANTS FOR SALE by Yvonne Homeyer Beginning on Saturday, April 1, Missouri Wildflowers Nursery, located in Jefferson City, will have a stand at Kirkwood Farmer’s Market every weekend through Sunday, May 21, except for Mother’s Day weekend (May 13/14). You can order ahead or purchase from their supply. A color catalog with beautiful pictures of native wildflowers and grasses is available at no charge. Their phone number is 573.496.3492 and their web site is www.mowildflowers.net. Saturday, May 13 is the Shaw Nature Reserve’s Spring Wildflower Sale. It starts at 9:00 a.m. Missouri Botanical Garden members can participate in an early sale. More information is available on the SNR web site at www.shawnature.org.
6. NABA-ST. LOUIS MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION… YOUR OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS, AS OF APRIL 2005: (AT = @ in Email address)
NEWSLETTER ARTICLES WELCOME: If you have questions or suggestions, e-mail Ann Earley (aee623ATprodigy.net). 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. |
“We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes
it has gone through to achieve that beauty.” - Maya Angelou -
Editor: Dave Larson, Email: larsrblATearthlink.net ("AT" = @)
Suggestions, Corrections and Articles are appreciated.
[View Newspaper Articles]