Mimic Plant Phenology...Become A Recurring Wildlife-Watching Phenomenon

I went outside after dinner, conditions were good (warm and sunny) for finding...butterflies. The hillside below our house is a grassland with interspersed conifers. The highlight is a large area of Arrowleaf Balsamroot (Balsamrhiza sagittata) flowering now. Sure enough, spied two butterflies that were pretty skittish: Boisduval Blue (Plebejus icarioides) and Clouded Sulphur (Colias philodice), photos below.

Success at finding wildlife can and is influenced by knowledge of phenology. Phenology defined: "The scientific study of cyclical biological events, such as flowering, breeding, and migration, in relation to climatic conditions. Phenological records of the dates on which seasonal phenomena occur provide important information on how climate change affects ecosystems over time" (The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin). So by knowing that flowers are important food sources for some butterfly species, one can narrow down butterfly searches to places that have flowers in bloom.

If you repeatedly use this strategy...well your behavior becomes a recurring phenomenon (a remarkable person!), though not dictated by climate :-) The bolded words are a positive meme, but they are really a call to action...get outside and wildlife watch even if for only 15-30 minutes a day. It's guarantee you will discover a world of beauty and wonder.

Arrowleaf Balsamroot

Boisduval Blue

Clouded Sulphur

Butterfly and Wildflower Action Picks Up

Noted a blog posting from Northwest Butterflies alerting folks as to Painted Lady butterfly (Vanessa cardui) migrating into Washington. Sure enough found a couple by accident at Blue Mountain (Missoula, MT) nectaring on Heartleaf Arnica (Arnica cordifolia). Also using this 50 yard linear patch of flowers were Green Comma (Polygonia faunus) and Western Pine Elfin (Callophrys eryphon). Earlier, a Sulphur blew by me without stopping along with another species of Elfin. And yes the wildflower show is kicking in...really enjoying the stands of color from Shooting Stars and Glacier Lilies :-)

Painted Lady

Green Comma

Western Pine Elfin

Shooting Stars

Glacier Lily

Dragonfly Watching Adventure

Visited Georgia for a couple of days for wildlife watching. Trip objectives: find, identify, photograph what nature I can (focus on dragonfly species) given total unfamiliarity with the land...basically live large and passionate (going for it...like you?).

Took over 600 photos/video using two Canon cameras/7" Nexus tablet visiting one National Wildlife Refuge, four State Parks/two Wildlife Management Areas. Weather was a major feature - a slow-moving storm front with tornado's and twenty-one inches of rain in places. Avoided harm by channeling my intuitive Weather Channel persona :-)

Encountered 46 species of birds that I had not listed in years; comedic nasal cawing of the Fish Crow (Corvus ossifragus) and the Hooded Warbler (Wilsonia citrina) singing "monte monte video" from the dense forest understory stand out. Landscape features, well they were green, really green and verdant. Closing my eyes I can still see the Spanish moss (Tillandsia usneoides) draping the Cypress swamp trees at Banks Lake National Wildlife Refuge.

Getting back to things that fly, believe I found five "lifer" butterfly species (2 Satyr, 1 Sootywing, 1 Skipper and 1 Swallowtail). However, observing different Skimmers (Libellulidae dragonfly family), made my trip...big and showy species (for the most part:-) that most folks mentally associate as "dragonflies". They are spectacular!

Call to Action - Your neighborhood wetland might even have these species present for your own discovery, try it. Below is a sampling of species discovered:

Bar-winged Skimmer

Golden-winged Skimmer

Painted Skimmer

Spangled Skimmer

Finding Early Season Butterflies

Several landscape features, independent of each other and many times overlooked by us, are very attractive for early spring gatherings of butterflies. They are poop, moist soil and tree sap. For overwintering adult butterfly species of the comma and tortoiseshell groups poop, moist soil and sap are all that is available for food. Yes, these organics are food of sorts. That's right, find these "microhabitats" within the broader habitat types of forest, grassland and prairie and you dramatically increase your chances of observing butterflies.

"Puddling" is the term describing butterfly activity at moist soil areas; essentially butterflies are taking in sodium and proteins. Jan Beck, Eva Muehlenberg and Konrad Fiedler (Mud-puddling behavior in tropical butterflies:in search of proteins or minerals? [Oecologia (1999) 119:140-148]) found that male butterflies do take in proteins in addition to sodium (needed for muscle activity) when puddling. Additionally, these substances are attached to the male spermatophore, considered a "nuptial gift", that in reality increases reproductive success!

Crescents on Moist Soil

Fritillary on Poop

Sap Wells

Yellow-rumped Warbler...Closer Sustained Look

Yellow-rumped Warbler (Dendroica coronata) hasn't arrived here in western Montana just yet. In your part of the country they may be around and building in spring numbers. Yellow-rumps are numerous in migration just about everywhere making it a good species to observe regularly and really get to know. I took a yellow-rump photo out my window (Bitterroot Valley of western Montana) three years ago during May. I came across this photo recently and recognized its value, i.e. what subspecies is this and why? I admit to being lax at examining birds as well as should be done, in this case down to subspecies. If you are a novice birder, knowing common birds well is a key behavior to advance field identification skills. Here's the photo for a simple challenge or review, enjoy :-)

Yellow-rumped Warbler

2nd, 3rd, 4th Wildflower Species of 2014

First field trip today (Mondays are my day off and conditions were sunny and 60 F as a high) for wildflowers. A bit early in the season, been cool and not too conducive for plant development. But wasn't disappointed at Waterworks Hill in Missoula, a conservation easement/open space bond issue adopted by forward thinking community members. A steep aerobic climb and one is on the east/west ridgetop. Douglasia (Douglasia montana) was the target, several dozen plants were in bright pink flower (early season color beyond brown...wahoo!). Not only did I find them, but so did four or so Checkered White (Pontia protodice) butterfly (nice unexpected bonus for me). On the way back down captured a photos of Yellow Bell (Fritillaria pudica) and Few-flower Shootingstar (Dodecatheon pulchellum).
You folks that live back east should be able find Harbinger of Spring (Erigenia bulbosa) or perhaps Spring Beauty (Claytonia virginica) in flower. Take a walk in the wild spot of your neighborhood...development doesn't always get all the wild spots. Get your daily Vitamin D this way, the sunshine vitamin...a lack thereof may be linked to heart disease.

Douglasia and Checkered White

Few-flower Shootingstar

Yellow Bell

Spring Migration - Junco "Fall Out"

Forth day of Spring, by calendar, and a group of migrant Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis oreganus) landed in our part of the neighborhood (Lolo, Montana) to refuel. Or maybe the overnight snow made them stop flying, true to their nickname of "snowbirds". I estimate 75 birds involved. Lucky to get a couple photos of some of the birds flocked up getting grit on the road shoulder.

Probable that they are somewhere in your area during this period of March. These birds are common coast-to-coast during migration. The subspecies differ enough at times, places to assign a subspecific identification...a real fun birding challenge (my "call to action" for you), especially for those of you living in the American West. A recent G+ post on this subject.

Failed to get video of the action...birds were actively singing/calling. Watched the action from kitchen window as I sporadically washed dishes...good show :-) An American Robin (Turdus migratorius) expressed how the morning was going (bottom photo).

Dark-eyed Junco (Oregon form)

Junco picking up grit on road shoulder

American Robin foraging in snow