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| List: MassLep Date: Mon, 7 Jul 2025 15:38:33 +0000 (UTC) From: 'Wendy Howes' via MassLep <masslep...> Subject: [MassLep] Follow-up to Zack's message-More Bog Copper news |
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------=_Part_775605_129935581.1751902713692 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Zack et al, On July 4th we visited Brightwater Bog Nature Retreat, owned by Kestrel Lan= d Trust, while conducting part of the central Franklin Fourth of July annua= l butterfly count. It is a vast bog, truly beautiful, full of all the plant= s you'd expect, including large mats of cranberry in bloom. Similar to Zack= 's observations, we found only 5 Bog Coppers on the bog and a few other spe= cies flying around the upland areas. (There was no breeze to speak of.) Although I share everyone's concern about the overall general decline in th= e population of all insect species and butterflies in particular, I have to= keep reminding myself that this year's weather patterns have been very irr= egular and with extremes in temperature and precipitation bookending occasi= onal short periods of "normal" weather.=C2=A0 I would think this has had an= impact specific to this season. There are many fewer insects in my garden,= and some species emerged earlier than expected. Dragonflies are few and fa= r between in some places I visit regularly. I wonder: will some species of = butterflies and insects be delayed and emerge later? Was there a lot of lar= val-stage mortality?=C2=A0=C2=A0 I'm amazed if the birds can find enough to eat. Maybe they're having a hard= time. Although our local birds always visit suet feeders when we put them = out in summer, this year the diversity of bird species and actual bird numb= ers at the suet has increased dramatically over past years. We are going th= rough two suet cakes a day. (BTW, we are extremely vigilant and watchful an= d alert for black bears, and do not put suet out if there are bear reports = and/or at high-risk periods [never at night].) Some species seem to have ra= ised their nestlings with a great deal of suet in their diet, and parent bi= rds are bringing their fledglings to the feeders with more frequency than I= 've noticed in past years. I apologize for the bird digression, but the subject of the lack of insects= is wide-ranging.=C2=A0=C2=A0 Wendy HowesHardwick On Monday, July 7, 2025 at 07:55:37 AM EDT, Zack Weber <birdingwithzack= <weber...> wrote: =20 Hopefully this delayed report is still interesting.=C2=A0 Late in the morn= ing of July 4, I went to the Elm Circle section of Squannacook River WMA.= =C2=A0 There were mats of cranberry seemingly in the height of their bloom,= but only a single bog copper.=C2=A0 There were other sections that I didn'= t check though, with one looking especially promising.=C2=A0 Maybe the bree= ze was a factor?=C2=A0 Busy with many individuals and species from other po= llinators like bees, flies, etc though.=C2=A0 The only other butterfly seen= was a crossline skipper. Zack WeberCambridge, MA. . . =20 --=20 You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "= MassLep" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an e= mail to masslep+<unsubscribe...> To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/masslep/134= <2811340.775606.1751902713694...> ------=_Part_775605_129935581.1751902713692 Content-Type: text/html; charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <html><head></head><body><div class=3D"ydp28bcff56yahoo-style-wrap" style= =3D"font-family:verdana, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:13px;"><div></div> <div dir=3D"ltr" data-setdir=3D"false">Zack et al,</div><div dir=3D= "ltr" data-setdir=3D"false"><br></div><div dir=3D"ltr" data-setdir=3D"false= ">On July 4th we visited Brightwater Bog Nature Retreat, owned by Kestrel L= and Trust, while conducting part of the central Franklin Fourth of July ann= ual butterfly count. It is a vast bog, truly beautiful, full of all the pla= nts you'd expect, including large mats of cranberry in bloom. Similar to Za= ck's observations, we found only 5 Bog Coppers on the bog and a few other s= pecies flying around the upland areas. (There was no breeze to speak of.)</= div><div dir=3D"ltr" data-setdir=3D"false"><br></div><div dir=3D"ltr" data-= setdir=3D"false">Although I share everyone's concern about the overall gene= ral decline in the population of all insect species and butterflies in part= icular, I have to keep reminding myself that this year's weather patterns h= ave been very irregular and with extremes in temperature and precipitation = bookending occasional short periods of "normal" weather. I would thin= k this has had an impact specific to this season. There are many fewer inse= cts in my garden, and some species emerged earlier than expected. Dragonfli= es are few and far between in some places I visit regularly. I wonder: will= some species of butterflies and insects be delayed and emerge later? Was t= here a lot of larval-stage mortality? </div><div dir=3D"ltr" dat= a-setdir=3D"false"><br></div><div dir=3D"ltr" data-setdir=3D"false">I'm ama= zed if the birds can find enough to eat. Maybe they're having a hard time. = Although our local birds always visit suet feeders when we put them out in = summer, this year the diversity of bird species and actual bird numbers at = the suet has increased dramatically over past years. We are going through t= wo suet cakes a day. (BTW, we are extremely vigilant and watchful and alert= for black bears, and do not put suet out if there are bear reports and/or = at high-risk periods [never at night].) Some species seem to have raised th= eir nestlings with a great deal of suet in their diet, and parent birds are= bringing their fledglings to the feeders with more frequency than I've not= iced in past years.</div><div dir=3D"ltr" data-setdir=3D"false"><br></div><= div dir=3D"ltr" data-setdir=3D"false">I apologize for the bird digression, = but the subject of the lack of insects is wide-ranging. </div><d= iv dir=3D"ltr" data-setdir=3D"false"><br></div><div dir=3D"ltr" data-setdir= =3D"false">Wendy Howes</div><div dir=3D"ltr" data-setdir=3D"false">Hardwick= </div><div dir=3D"ltr" data-setdir=3D"false"><br></div><div dir=3D"ltr" dat= a-setdir=3D"false"><br></div><div><br></div> =20 </div><div id=3D"ydpe69f6d99yahoo_quoted_1948931923" class=3D"ydpe6= 9f6d99yahoo_quoted"><div class=3D"ydpe69f6d99yahoo-style-wrap" style=3D"fon= t-family:verdana, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:13px;"> <div style=3D"font-family:'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, s= ans-serif;font-size:13px;color:#26282a;"> =20 <div class=3D"ydpe69f6d99quoted-text-header"> On Monday, July 7, 2025 at 07:55:37 AM EDT, Zack We= ber <<birdingwithzackweber...>> wrote: </div> </div><div style=3D"font-family:'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica= , Arial, sans-serif;font-size:13px;color:#26282a;border-left: 1px solid #cc= c;padding-left: 8px;margin: 0px 0px 0px 8px" class=3D"ydpe69f6d99inline_rep= ly_quote_container" data-split-quote-node=3D"true"> <div><br></div><div><br></div> <div><div id=3D"ydpe69f6d99yiv7539061464"><div dir=3D"ltr">= <div>Hopefully this delayed report is still interesting. Late in the = morning of July 4, I went to the Elm Circle section of Squannacook River WM= A. There were mats of cranberry seemingly in the height of their bloo= m, but only a single bog copper. There were other sections that I did= n't check though, with one looking especially promising. Maybe the br= eeze was a factor? Busy with many individuals and species from other = pollinators like bees, flies, etc though. The only other butterfly se= en was a crossline skipper.</div><div><br></div><div>Zack Weber</div><div>C= ambridge, MA</div><div>. . .</div></div> </div></div> </div> </div></div></body></html> <p></p> -- <br /> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups &= quot;MassLep" group.<br /> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an e= mail to <a href=3D"mailto:masslep+<unsubscribe...>">masslep+uns= <ubscribe...></a>.<br /> To view this discussion visit <a href=3D"https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/= masslep/<1342811340.775606.1751902713694...>?utm_medium=3Demail= &utm_source=3Dfooter">https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/masslep/1342811340.= <775606.1751902713694...></a>.<br /> ------=_Part_775605_129935581.1751902713692-- |
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