Exploring and the 1st Butterflies for 2014

Sixty One degrees Fahrenheit and partly sunny today; first warm day (wahoo!!!) this spring. To celebrate I took a wildlife watching trip to Bass Creek NRA to find birds, butterflies, lichen, moss, wildflower (in no particular order though I strongly felt some butterflies could be on the wing). My objectives: a) to use my cameras and  b) be an explorer because " everything is interesting" (check out this great book, How To Be An Explorer of the World by Keri Smith).

Arrived to find much snow still on the ground (immediate photo below) in shaded areas, but south facing slopes had large patches of exposed ground. Advanced up the trail and found my special spot, yep where several trees have "sap wells" (2nd photo below) a magnet for early season leps. No sap and no butterflies (lone Steller's Jay [Cyanocitta stelleri "sheking" up a storm]), so I retreated to the sunny slopes near the trailhead. Within a couple of minutes spied two Mourning Cloak (Nymphalis antiopa) on "scat" (bottom photo). Great find for me, 15 days ahead of last years first-of-year sighings.  Working slope further flushed a Comma, likely a Green. Finished off my exploration with photos of 3 different mosses, may take quite a while to identify (rookie status).  It was great fun...try it for yourself :-) 

Bass Creek NRA landscape

Sap Wells

Mourning Cloak on Scat

Contribute to the Cost of the Journey

Robert Fulghum writing in Words I Wish I Wrote: "I saw a bumper sticker on the back of an old Buick: 'If voting really changed anything, it would be illegal.' I felt like giving the driver a bumper bang from behind. He's typical of those who have a shallow view of history-those who don't understand that nobody has a right to ride on the bus without making some contribution to the cost of the journey. They don't respect the fact that somebody else paid the price to build the vehicle of civilization in the first place. They owe. We owe. It's a moral obligation to participate in the work of society. If you take form the pot, you must put into the pot. Even those who have no money can sing and keep the driver of the bus awake and hopeful."
Today is Earth Day, get involved in conserving mother nature. Plant a flower garden, let a portion of your yard go wild, provide a water source, contribute to a conservation organization, do something everyday (simpler the better) for wildlife no matter how inconsequential it may seem to be. Right now, enjoy these images:

Mourning Cloak

Xanthomendoza montana

Fuzzy-tongued Penstemon

Flame Skimmer

Wildflowers Blooming

Beautiful spring weather today...low 60's with clear blue skies. Main priority for wildlife watching excursion is to add bird species to month list. Recorded 93 species in 2008; starting today have only 81.  Did find 3 'monthers' this morning : Mountain Chickadee, Red-breasted and Pygmy Nuthatch. As happens often, 'things' are found outside of priorities/targets. Found 5 colorful, at times tiny in size, species of wildflower in bloom: Sagebrush Buttercup, Yellow Bell, Spring Draba, Bulbous Woodland-star and Blue-eyed Mary (photos below). It was fortuitous in finding some of them; great overview of 'mastering the art of observation' by Brain Pickings Newsletter. This time I'll claim finding them to a "connected mind" :-) Find something great!

Collinsia parviflora

Lithophragma glabrum

Ranunculus glaberrimus

Draba verna

Fritilliaria pudica 

1st Butterfly of the Year...over Asphalt

A Milbert's Tortoiseshell (Aglais milberti) flew past me, my first butterfly for the year, while I sat in my car at a light on a four-lane highway. What's really ironic, I was going to Blodgett Canyon, a US Forest Service property just west of Hamilton, MT, that is a trailhead into the Selway Bitterroot Wilderness...I found zero butterflies there! Wildlife watching can be like this...never know what might pop into view. Here's a photo of a flashy Milbert's:

Aglais milberti

At Blodgett Canyon did find colorful wildlife in the form of many lichen species, mostly crustose in morphology, on rock:

Unfortunately, I cannot identify them (at present at least); please enjoy for form and color. Spring is arriving, find something colorful.

Finding the Ferruginous...Fantastic Feeling

This morning I followed up on Cynthia Hudson detailed account on area (and behavior also) of a Ferruginous Hawk (Buteo regalis) near the former paper mill (Smurfit Stone) west of Missoula, MT. I estimate this is the fifth try for finding this bird; following through/ignoring-the-resistance because of advice from Do the Work by Steven Pressfield.
In transit found: American Kestrel (Falco sparverius) [Blue Mountain and Mocassin Road] and Prairie Falcon (Falco mexicanus) at Kona and Mullan Roads. Rough-legged (Buteo lagopus) and Red-tailed (Buteo jamaicensis) were obvious on the numerous power pole in vicinity of the mill, though most birds were at least 50 yards off the highway/pull-off. Found a pull-off on the north side of Pulp Mill road after crossing over railway tracks. Set up scope and found bird within fifteen minutes of arrival. It was perched about 250 yards away in a willow, with a stick nest, very close to rail tracks. Watched it hunt from a distance, diagnostic field marks seen well (white breasted, three points of white [base of tail and primaries], red coverts). Wow, magnificent, not all about checking off list. Watched for about an hour from different vantage points, never got close enough for better photo/look.
Took long way home in hopes of finding Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedorum). No luck, but did find a Merlin (Falco columbarius) that hunts waxwings; that's coming close isn't it :-)

Ferruginous Hawk at a distance

Prairie Falcon

Merlin 

Rough-legged Hawk

Butterfly Publication...Reminder Spring is Coming

I just bought a great book about butterflies, Butterflies of Indiana A Field Guide by Jeffrey Bleth. It is an awesome piece of work surpassing identification (a thorough treatment mixing text, photos, phenology, abundance) while including behavior, ecology, natural history, butterfly gardening and watching, host plants, etc. Chock full of information that any naturalist or butterfly watcher can profit by, especially a reminder of the spring that is coming. Yes, Bitterroot Bill called for six more weeks of winter, but Mourning Cloak (Nymphalis antiopa), the State butterfly, sightings in Montana (warm days) may be only 3 weeks away! The Montana Field Guide has the species account. Tree sap and rotting fruit are the main food sources. This serves them well; they may have the longest lifespan (10-11 months) for butterfly species...that period encompasses winter conditions! In the meantime find something great.

Mourning Cloak

Exploring the World (small parts anyway)

Just bought How To Be An Explorer of the World , a book by Keri Smith. It's a cute little book that could be a catalyst for you; it helps you create your own "portable life museum". Main objective is to look at the world differently by documenting or collecting what you find during your explorations. Documentation or collection is done by tools, e.g. camera, glue, bag, print making, clay impressions, scissors, et al. I've been doing something similar all these years birding. Folks were actually doing this in the late 1800's (excellent treatment by Barrow in A Passion for Birds) decorating their homes with natural history items of rocks, flowers, birds, bird nests, etc. Now that I employ a camera regularly...I can really explore :-) Here's a primitive table documenting species seen by yours truly so far this year (today's highlight-brilliant colored Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes) just a sight record, no photo):

#Species Documented - 2013

Bird	Lichen	Mammal
60	~12	5

Hope to do more 'exploration' blog postings...take flight and find something good for your own museum.

Rough-legged Hawk (Buteo lagopus)

Field Trip Expectations

“Home” as E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial said after a lengthy adventure on Earth. For us humans one need not go far from home for an adventure discovering alien wildlife. For me a wildlife field trip is centered on reasoned expectations of what I wish to find. I think serendipity comes into play as much or more so than prediction by logic.
So, yesterday I find a Cooper’s hawk (Accipiter cooperii) perched in my neighbor’s willow overlooking his feeder stations looking out the window (serendipity). So I’m thinking, it’s my lucky day. Quickly packed my stuff and headed to Pattee Canyon (accessible high elevation site good for winter finches) early afternoon. Sunshine and 18F, walked up the snow packed Crazy Canyon trail hoping to see/hear Pine Grosbeak or Red Crossbill. Did not find either, did get video (below) of Golden-crowned Kinglet (Regulus satrapa) foraging. So contrary my expectation, there was no significant/additional bird find for the day.

Today rolls around...and decide to “shoot the moon” and again try for winter finches at Lolo Pass, a mere 32 miles from my front door. Guess what, no winter finches (no conifer seed cones might explain this), instead bumped into 6 American Dipper (Cinculus mexicanus) and a Moose (Alces alces) along Lolo Creek.



Stopped back at home for quick lunch, then to west side of Missoula to find a wintering Ferruginous Hawk. Found instead an abundance of Rough-legged Hawk (Buteo lagopus) between Pulp Mill Road and Loiselle Lane. Captured one bird calling on video; that is a first for me (~30 years of wildlife watching).



Kept looking for the ferrug and intersected with a good flock of Horned Lark (Eremophila alpestris) containing a couple of Snow Bunting (Plectrophenax nivalis) and a single Lapland Longspur (Calcarius lapponicus)...again serendipitous; no matter, am really happy because they are usually difficult to find...by expectation :-0

Horned Lark, Snow Bunting, Lapland Longspur...can you find them in the photo?

'Jelly' Lichens...Remind you of your favorite PB&J?

Found two species of lichen similar looking and remind one of jelly, i.e. they are smooth skinned,  shiny at times, and moist and swollen when wet. Appropriately, one is named Blistered Jelly Lichen (Collema furfuraceum) and the other is Tattered Jellyskin (Leptogium lichenoides). These lichens are fairly small and inconspicuous; they share a like for growing on moss over rock. By the way, my favorite field trip snack sandwich is Franz 9-grain bread with chunky Jif and Smuckers blackberry jam:-) Living large, you can too...

Blistered Jelly Lichen

Tattered Jellyskin

Stokes Field Guide to the Birds of N.A...Wow

I just got around to purchasing Stokes Field Guide, published in October, 2010. This is my 16th field guide (conservative count) to birds of North America! Why? Simply put each contributes different knowledge on which to profit (continuing evolution of bird identification).
The Stokes Guide is no different: covers 854 species (wow); 3,400 color photos; and emphasis on "quantitative shape" as the identification tool. Don and Lillian Stokes maintain that this publication is "factually and visually superior to any other field guide." Is it?
Well, the photos (more of them and bigger in size compared to Kaufman, National Wildlife Federation, and Smithsonian field guides) are stunning (ala +HQSP Birds +Birds4All  +Bird Poker ). I can say I've never seen many bird species through binoculars, as well as the photographs portray them in this field guide. Using a DSLR for other critters, I can appreciate the excellence and the standard of these photos; maybe just the reason for bird photographers to acquire this book (sorry I don't own Richard Crossley field guide for comparison...waiting for the western edition to be published). I also like the emphasis on "quantitative shape" akin to G.I.S. (General Impression and Shape) that accents body parts proportional relationships, e.g. Greater Scaup (horizontal head shape) versus Lesser Scaup (vertical head shape).
This field guide is not really for ones pocket, but ideal for the reference library. Of course, there is no 'the one'. All the field guides have pluses and minuses, use your public library to find ones that fit your identification process/style. Most importantly, get outside and find something great!

American Three-toed Woodpecker (Picoides dorsalis)

Tough Morphology ID's of Lichen

My usual modus operandi in identifying lichens is to take multiple macro photographs of an unknown species. Then upload digital photos to computer where they can be zoomed in to reveal diagnostic morphological characteristics. Works fairly well with macro lichens...with crustose lichens it can be wishful thinking. Here's a case study of sorts:

I 'justified' identification by descriptions from Lichens of North America. Really should use chemistry for definitive ID. Making my way slowly to this action. Check out +The Lichen Page or +Dan Bowden on Google+ for more lichen dialogue/photos.

70th posted Lichen Species...this is fun :-)

Just uploaded a photo of broad wrinkle-lichen (Tuckermannopsis platyphylla) to my Flickr set of lichens; this marks the 70th species identified via photographic record. It has been great fun. Lichens fill a slow time of the year for wildlife watching in Montana, late fall through winter. These organisms are beautiful, if you note them, as they are small and somewhat inconspicuous. Identifying can be a bear; many times chemical tests are required for a definitive answer. I have not gone there...yet. Have relied on my Canon T1i and 100 mm macro lens instead. Learning by trial and error the entire way...the best way to go, truly fulfilling and empowering. Here's a photo of the scree/rock slope of Kim Williams Nature Trail in Missoula, MT...it's all lichen habitat!

Kim Williams Nature Trail

Yep, rocks, soil, tree, shrub, bark, dead wood all substrate for lichen species. Discovery is everywhere...bring a camera on your next neighborhood hike/wildlife watching field trip :-)

Full Life...

Contained in a feed from Brain Pickings is a quote from Anais Nin (1946):

Technology associated with this blog posting may be superficial as Nin describes, but it a great medium to broadcast her message. Similarly, Fast Company has a Kaihan Krippendorff web posting about finding your work purpose/passion. So a simple message to you: "Get in the moment, find your purpose/passion, go for it, be the best you inc...create a full life" 

Here is a photo link of some butterflies doing just that:

Butterfly-'Coppers' subfamily Lycaeninae

Rabbitbrush...Neighborhood Butterfly Magnet

Over time I've discovered that some of the best wildlife watching may be right out the front door of your home. For sure it helps if one cultivates plants/habitats attractive to wildlife around the home site. Plus, many residential areas/subdivisions may have areas that are dedicated as "parks" in the neighborhood. That's the case where I live. It just so happens the parks (not huge in size...largest about 7 home lots in extant) here have a good native component. To my discovery, the 'beat down' looking shrubs growing in these areas, Rabbitbrush (Ericameria genus) are major butterfly attractants in late summer/early fall. Paul Opler, dean of butterfly watchers, published a paper detailed 33 species of butterfly using Rabbitbrush [Journal of the Lepidopterists' Society 49 (1), 1995, 1-5]  Yes, I've been going to a large expanse of Rabbitbrush southeast of Stevensville which has been great for butterflying. However, the wildlfire smoke has been really bad there recently. So, I checked out instead the Rabbitbrush in my neighborhood parks. And I'm not talking about extensive stands, instead scattered specimens far apart that may get to 6 foot in diameter (most much smaller). Had some great action. Found west coast lady, hoary comma, juba skipper, red admiral, and clouded sulphur in an hour. Here's the video followed by photos for your enjoyment:

Clouded Sulphur

Hoary Comma

Juba Skipper

Red  Admiral

West Coast Lady

Watching Dragonflies...Learning How

Monday mid-afternoon, a hot summer day...my wife and I go to Fort Fizzle to wade in Lolo Creek for the exquisite feeling of cold, rushing water. Brrrr, water is still cool in August! I've got my Canon DSLR camera and Christine has her keen eye on rocks. The action begins, a dragonfly...it's a darner zooming by, nice! After several more darner sightings, a smaller, darker dragonfly with emerald eyes blows past. As 'Scooby Do' would say "rut row". Yep, I'm fully engaged with getting a photo of this mystery odonate. The best I could do:

Emerald species

I'm thinking this is a member of the Striped Emerald group, genus Somatochlora. Did not know or think of looking here for this genus of dragonfly. These dragonflies really fly, I mean for extended periods which photographing them challenging. And this could be a species I've never seen before. Choices according to the Dennis Paulson field guide Dragonflies and Damselflies of the West are Ocellated, Ringed, and Hudsonian Emerald (all stream species to a degree). The photo I took does show a diamond shape (if not a photo artifact) on the front of the thorax, indicative of Ringed. However, not getting any sense of white rings on the abdomen. So have gone back two other times this week after work to get a diagnostic photo. No luck. So tomorrow morning will be going to the spot for success. Had a similar challenge with Sedge Darner (Aeshna juncea) at Mud Lake near Skalkaho Pass (east of Hamilton, MT). After the fifth try I captured one in flight:

Sedge Darner

Hey, the fun is in the doing and discovery. 

Other groups of dragonflies are not as difficult at least to photograph. Meadowhawks, genus Sympetrum, are much more cooperative. Check out this video:

I encourage you to investigate your own neighborhood...learn something new and good:-)

Photographic Miscues of Copper Butterflies

It is a great feeling to go wildlife watching, find the species you are looking for, and then capture a superb photo documenting your sighting experience. After investing in two Canon 'L' lenses of late, 100 mm macro and the 70-300 mm, the results of most of my photographic efforts are pretty great (my take)...it's all in the equipment :-) Recently while butterfly watching at Skalkaho Pass (elevation ~7200 feet east of Hamilton, MT), was so intent on photographing a Fritillary (to id, really good photos are necessary), missed getting on quickly one of the most beautiful and distinct lepids that landed just beyond the fritillary...Lustrous Copper (Lycaena cupreus). Here's what I would up with the camera:

Lustrous Copper

The butterfly flew after a brief period; I looked for quite a while never relocating it. A second great  Copper miscue at a different location, I locate a Bronze Copper (Lycaena hyllus) nectaring, which they don't do regularly. I'm clicking away point blank with my Canon T1i; later discover that I had neglected to insert the SD card...NO photos were captured! Being prepared and camera ready is part of success; that serendipity thing plays important role in wildlife watching. Walking the Peterson Lake Trail (Bitterroot National Forest near Florence, MT) came upon several small meadows immediate the trail; several wildflower species were still in bloom among them Sulfur Buckwheat (Eriogonum umbellatum). 'Euphilotes' Blue butterflies usually key in on this species as a larval foodplant. Yep, no Square spotted Blue butterflies using the buckwheat, just many other Blue butterfly species along with one Blue Copper (Lycaena heteronea)...a lifer! Ready with the camera this time, got many good photos of this particular Copper:

Blue Copper

Much success in finding and photographing something great.

On a Mission...

Maclay Flat, USFS property along Bitterroot River in Missoula, Montana, has a wet meadow that is attractive to the Red-veined Meadowhawk (Sympetrum madidum) and perhaps the Bronze Copper butterfly (Lycaena hyllus). I don't have a real good photo of a male red-veined and I have never seen the copper species...hey, let's go for it. Of course did some homework beforehand. This species of copper is found on wetland edges that have 'dock' plant species (genus is Rumex) growing.
Arrived at the site about 2 pm, ~85F, WNW wind >10 mph at times. Right off found Melissa Blue butterflies (Plebejus melissa) along moist spots on trail.

Many meadowhawks were also seen the trail that borders an irrigation ditch, here's a Cherry-faced Meadowhawk (Sympetrum internum).

Cherry-faced Meadowhawk

A robust stand of sweet clover is growing along the trail in places...attractive for bees and...one Edith's Copper (Lycaena editha) butterfly.

Edith's Copper


Got to the wet meadow and found 'dock' growing, however found zero Bronze Copper and zero Red-veined Meadowhawk, hmmmmm. Called it a day and headed home. Decided to water some flowers around the yard and what do I find in the process...a Red-veined Meadowhawk 'hawking' insects from my garden.

Red-veined Meadowhawk

The nearest wetland is a mile away (riparian forest of the Bitterroot River)! It's funny that both butterflies and dragonflies aren't always found where they should be. Need to review the literature more for added understanding...or maybe not. Take home message, finding something great may just be out your back door.

Butterfly Bonanza @ Spring Gulch (Rattlesnake NRA)

Decided to do a pre-count reconnaissance of the Spring Gulch Butterfly Count (Rattlesnake NRA, Missoula, Montana) scheduled for Monday, July 9 starting at 10:30 am. I was not disappointed; I counted over 120 butterflies of ~20 species over 3 hours. Here's a short video illustrating the action at times:

At times the butterflies 'teed up' nicely for still photographs, even caught one species in flight:

Small Wood-Nymph (Cercyonis oetus)

Common Roadside-Skipper (Amblyscirtes vialis)

Rocky Mountain Dotted Blue (Euphilotes ancilla)

Melissa Blue (Plebejus melissa)

Build It and They Will Come...

Have been 'restoring' my yard for several years now, from lawn to meadow/garden/wildlife habitat. Here's a recent photo of the meadow:

It's been beautiful right from the start (to a degree of course). Now it's becoming more beneficial to wildlife, especially pollinators. Over the last three weeks have had four species of swallowtail butterfly use my plantings. Western Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio rutulus) found first on Dianthus,

Western Tiger Swallowtail

then followed by: Two-tailed Swallowtail (Papilio multicaudata) on Penstemon sp.,

Two-tailed Swallowtail

Canadian Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio canadensis) on Penstemon sp.,

Canadian Tiger Swallowtail

and lastly Pale Swallowtail (Papilio eurymedon) on Coreopsis

Pale Swallowtail

As pointed out by butterfly field guides, swallowtails are easy to attract to a garden. So I haven't really achieved anything extraordinary. The point being you can do this. Butterflies and bees (and a host of other pollinators) are in decline for a variety of reasons. Consider 'plowing under' a part of your lawn for their benefit. The Xerces Society has many publications as reference information for your restoration efforts:  http://www.xerces.org/pollinator-conservation/ . Michael S. Baldwin writing on the blog 3quarksdaily makes a more expansive case for 'Rethinking Lawns'...good reading at  http://www.3quarksdaily.com/3quarksdaily/2012/05/rethinking-lawns.html . Create something special!