 |
 |
 |
 |
| List: NorWest Leps Date: Mon, 15 May 2023 16:08:39 -0700 From: <tlpyle...> Subject: [NorWestLeps] John Day Dam/Maryhill 5-14-23 |
||||
--3yn0N6tTjdBiFttOOdxB Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable The warm weather (at last!) got me out into the field over the weekend. I'd= been hopeful of revisiting the good stand of wavy-leafed thistle ( Cirsium= undulatum ) that I located last year near John Day Dam in the eastern Colu= mbia Gorge, Klickitat Co., Washington. The Pale Crescent ( Phyciodes pallid= a ) is one of the last Washington butterflies I've never seen in the state = (I've collected it in Colorado and Montana) and I hoped to find it here. So= after camping at Stonehenge, above Maryhill, I arrived at Railroad Park an= d boat launch at 8:30 am on Saturday May 14, the heat already rising. The thistle was at least two or three weeks behind its condition last year = on June 1, so pretty much in sync, but spring 2022 was also late and cold. = None of the buds was near blooming. Distressingly, some of the best plants,= near the road, had been recently sprayed ! This happens when invasive weed= managers and crews, ignorant of the native species, just see thistles and = automatically spray. Fortunately they did not go much beyond the very edge.= I saw no butterfly action around the thistles, and detected no larvae. Most of the available nectar belonged to Northern Buckwheat ( Eriogonum com= positum ). These were visited by many mostly fresh males and females of Acm= on Blues ( Plebejus acmon ), far fewer fresh Columbian Blues ( Euphilotes c= olumbiae ), 1 fresh male Juba Skipper ( Hesperia juba ), 1 Gray Hairstreak = ( Strymon melinus ), and Ochre Ringlets ( Coenonympha californica ). Occasi= onal fly-by whites were all Becker's ( Pontia beckerii ), as far as I detec= ted. Two Short-tailed Black Swallowtails ( Papilio indra ) flew by and dall= ied at buckwheats and the wet rocks at the boast launch shoreline. Two othe= r swallowtail fly-bys appeared to be a female Oregon ( Papilio baridii oreg= onius-- larger, paler), and a male Anise ( Papilio zelicaon-- smaller, brig= hter), both of whose hostplants were present, but of course the species IDs= of these two are uncertain. One rapid black witch motored past up the gull= y. This could have been an Oak Duskywing ( Erynnis propertius ) (the neares= t oaks are several miles north or west), or a Northern Cloudywing ( Thorybe= s pylades ). In the afternoon I drove a road that was new to me, from John Day Dam back = west to Maryhill, via a route that hugs the river below SR 14 and the railr= oad line. Known as the "Maryhill Highway," it is a dry, stony and sandy tra= ck that accesses many of the Indian fishing platforms below the dam along t= he undeveloped shoreline designated Cliffs Park. I was hoping it would have= lots of the native thistle, but I saw none, and barely a lick of nectar. T= he western section, where the cliffs come near the shore, is known as The W= all on Lake Celilo (upstream of where Celilo Falls were drowned by the Bonn= eville Dam). Here the buckwheat reappeared, and some phacelia ( Phacelia he= terophyla ), and these hosted lots more Acmon Blues and a few ringlets. The= re were a few Netleaf Hackberry trees ( Celtis reticulatus ) with fresh new= growth, and beside one of these I brieflyspotted a smallish, blackish butt= erfly flitting around its hems. Bitterbrush was present, so it could have b= een a Brown Elfin ( Callophrys augustinus ), but it looked larger and was f= lying low down. If it wasn't a Dark Wood Nymph ( Ceryonis oetus ) I have no= other guesses. It had that aspect, color, and flight-type, but I barely sa= w it, and it would be quite an early record, especially this year. The road= , okay if you take it slow, and pretty bare but offering some nice cottonwo= od shady groves and a river breeze, eventually comes right out the pretty o= rchard village of Maryhill. So numbers were low, both of individuals (except P. acmon ) and species, bu= t it was good to get out after the long, cold winter and spring. As for P. = pallida , I could have been early or maybe it just doesn't occur there; it = seems unlikely that I was too late. Data : WA: Klickitat Co. 14 May 2023, R. M. Pyle Railroad Island Park & Boat Launch road, Columbia River, just above John Da= y Dam: 45.723013, -120.700621 pyrgine skipper spp. 1 Hesperia juba 1 Papilio indra 2 P. bairdii oregonius 1 prob. P. zelicaon 1 prob. Pontia beckerii several Strymon melinus 1 Euphilotes columbiae 2 Plebejus acmon abundant (> 100?) Coenonympha californica > 20 The Wall in Cliffs Park, Columbia River: 45.698344, -120.767616 Plebejus acmon=C2=A0common Coenonympha californica several Cercyonis oetus ? (maybe) Total: 9-11 species R. M. Pyle 6 June 2022 -=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D- Groups.io Links: You receive all messages sent to this group. View/Reply Online (#11316): https://groups.io/g/NorWestLeps/message/11316 Mute This Topic: https://groups.io/mt/98915971/795800 Group Owner: NorWestLeps+<owner...> Unsubscribe: https://groups.io/g/NorWestLeps/leave/4559582/795800/778100922= /xyzzy [<lists...>] -=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D- --3yn0N6tTjdBiFttOOdxB Content-Type: text/html; charset="utf-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <span style=3D"font-family: 'times new roman', times;">The warm wea= ther (at last!) got me out into the field over the weekend. I'd been ho= peful of revisiting the good stand of wavy-leafed thistle (<em>Cirsium undu= latum</em>) that I located last year near John Day Dam in the eastern Colum= bia Gorge, Klickitat Co., Washington. The Pale Crescent (<em>Phyciodes pall= ida</em>) is one of the last Washington butterflies I've never seen in = the state (I've collected it in Colorado and Montana) and I hoped to fi= nd it here. So after camping at Stonehenge, above Maryhill, I arrived at Ra= ilroad Park and boat launch at 8:30 am on Saturday May 14, the heat already= rising.=C2=A0</span><br/><br/><span style=3D"font-family: 'times new r= oman', times;">The thistle was at least two or three weeks behind its c= ondition last year on June 1, so pretty much in sync, but spring 2022 was a= lso late and cold. None of the buds was near blooming. Distressingly, some = of the best plants, near the road, had been recently <em>sprayed</em>! This= happens when invasive weed managers and crews, ignorant of the native spec= ies, just see thistles and automatically spray. Fortunately they did not go= much beyond the very edge. I saw no butterfly action around the thistles, = and detected no larvae.</span><br/><br/><span style=3D"font-family: 'ti= mes new roman', times;">Most of the available nectar belonged to Northe= rn Buckwheat (<em>Eriogonum compositum</em>). These were visited by many mo= stly fresh males and females of Acmon Blues (<em>Plebejus acmon</em>), far = fewer fresh Columbian Blues (<em>Euphilotes columbiae</em>), 1 fresh male J= uba Skipper (<em>Hesperia juba</em>), 1 Gray Hairstreak (<em>Strymon melinu= s</em>), and Ochre Ringlets (<em>Coenonympha californica</em>). Occasional = fly-by whites were all Becker's (<em>Pontia beckerii</em>), as far as I= detected. Two Short-tailed Black Swallowtails (<em>Papilio indra</em>) fle= w by and dallied at buckwheats and the wet rocks at the boast launch shorel= ine. Two other swallowtail fly-bys appeared to be a female Oregon (<em>Papi= lio baridii oregonius--</em>larger, paler), and a male Anise (<em>Papilio z= elicaon--</em>smaller, brighter), both of whose hostplants were present, bu= t of course the species IDs of these two are uncertain. One rapid black wit= ch motored past up the gully. This could have been an Oak Duskywing (<em>Er= ynnis propertius</em>) (the nearest oaks are several miles north or west), = or a Northern Cloudywing (<em>Thorybes pylades</em>).=C2=A0</span><br/><br/= ><span style=3D"font-family: 'times new roman', times;">In the afte= rnoon I drove a road that was new to me, from John Day Dam back west to Mar= yhill, via a route that hugs the river below SR 14 and the railroad line. K= nown as the "Maryhill Highway," it is a dry, stony and sandy track = that accesses many of the Indian fishing platforms below the dam along the = undeveloped shoreline designated Cliffs Park. I was hoping it would have lo= ts of the native thistle, but I saw none, and barely a lick of nectar. The = western section, where the cliffs come near the shore, is known as The Wall= on Lake Celilo (upstream of where Celilo Falls were drowned by the Bonnevi= lle Dam). Here the buckwheat reappeared, and some phacelia (<em>Phacelia he= terophyla</em>), and these hosted lots more Acmon Blues and a few ringlets.= There were a few Netleaf Hackberry trees (<em>Celtis reticulatus</em>) wit= h fresh new growth, and beside one of these I brieflyspotted a smallish, bl= ackish butterfly flitting around its hems. Bitterbrush was present, so it c= ould have been a Brown Elfin (<em>Callophrys augustinus</em>), but it looke= d larger and was flying low down. If it wasn't a Dark Wood Nymph (<em>C= eryonis oetus</em>) I have no other guesses. It had that aspect, color, and= flight-type, but I barely saw it, and it would be quite an early record, e= specially this year. The road, okay if you take it slow, and pretty bare bu= t offering some nice cottonwood shady groves and a river breeze, eventually= comes right out the pretty orchard village of Maryhill.</span><br/><br/><s= pan style=3D"font-family: 'times new roman', times;">So numbers wer= e low, both of individuals (except <em>P. acmon</em>) and species, but it w= as good to get out after the long, cold winter and spring. As for <em>P. pa= llida</em>, I could have been early or maybe it just doesn't occur ther= e; it seems unlikely that I was too late.</span><br/><br/> <p class=3D"DefangedMsoNormal" style=3D"margin:0px;"><span style=3D"font-fa= mily: 'times new roman', times;"><em><u><span style=3D"font-size: 1= 2pt; line-height: 115%;">Data</span></u></em><u><span style=3D"font-size: 1= 2pt; line-height: 115%;">:<br/><br/></span></u></span></p> <p class=3D"DefangedMsoNormal" style=3D"margin:0px;"><span style=3D"font-fa= mily: 'times new roman', times;"><span style=3D"font-size: 12pt; li= ne-height: 115%;">WA: Klickitat Co. 14 May 2023, R. M. Pyle<br/><br/>Railro= ad Island Park & Boat Launch road, Columbia River, just above John Day = Dam:=C2=A0</span><span style=3D"font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; backgro= und-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial;= background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-ori= gin: initial; background-clip: initial;">45.723013, -120.700621</span><span= style=3D"font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> <br/><em><br/></em>pyrgine = skipper spp. 1<br/><em>Hesperia juba </em>1<br/><em>Papilio indra=C2=A0</em= >2<br/><em>P. bairdii oregonius</em> 1 prob.<br/><em>P. zelicaon</em> 1 pro= b.<br/><em>Pontia beckerii</em> several<br/><em>Strymon melinus </em>1<em><= br/>Euphilotes columbiae</em> 2<em><br/>Plebejus acmon </em>abundant (> = 100?)<br/><em>Coenonympha californica</em>=C2=A0> 20<br/><br/>The Wall i= n Cliffs Park, Columbia River:=C2=A0</span><span style=3D"color: #1a73e8; f= ont-size: 0.75rem; font-style: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; fo= nt-variant-caps: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style=3D"font-size: 1= 2pt; color: #000000;">45.698344, -120.767616<br/><br/></span></span><em sty= le=3D"font-size: 16px;">Plebejus acmon=C2=A0common</em><span style=3D"font-= size: 16px;">=C2=A0</span></span><br style=3D"font-family: 'Times New R= oman', 'serif'; font-size: 16px;"/><span style=3D"font-family: = 'times new roman', times;"><em style=3D"font-size: 16px;">Coenonymp= ha californica</em><span style=3D"font-size: 16px;">=C2=A0several</span></s= pan><br style=3D"font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'serif'; f= ont-size: 16px;"/><span style=3D"font-family: 'times new roman', ti= mes;"><em style=3D"font-size: 16px;">Cercyonis oetus</em><span style=3D"fon= t-size: 16px;">? (maybe)<br/><br/></span>Total: 9-11 species</span><br styl= e=3D"font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'serif'; font-size: 16= px;"/><span style=3D"font-family: 'times new roman', times;"><span = style=3D"color: #1a73e8; font-size: 0.75rem; font-style: inherit; font-vari= ant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;"><= br/><br/></span><span style=3D"font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span>= <span style=3D"font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></span></p> <p class=3D"DefangedMsoNormal" style=3D"margin:0px;"><span style=3D"font-si= ze: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'times new roman', times;= ">R. M. Pyle</span></p> <p class=3D"DefangedMsoNormal" style=3D"margin:0px;"><span style=3D"font-si= ze: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman','= serif';"><span style=3D"font-family: 'times new roman', times;"= >6 June 2022</span></span></p> <div width=3D"1" style=3D"color:white;clear:both">_._,_._,_</div> <hr> Groups.io Links:<p> =20 You receive all messages sent to this group. =20 =20 <p> <a target=3D"_blank" href=3D"https://groups.io/g/NorWestLeps/message/11316"= >View/Reply Online (#11316)</a> | <a target=3D"_blank" href=3D"mailto:<NorWestLeps...>?subject=3DRe:%2= 0%5BNorWestLeps%5D%20John%20Day%20Dam%2FMaryhill%205-14-23">Reply To Group<= /a> =20 | <a target=3D"_blank" href=3D"mailto:<tlpyle...>?subject=3DP= rivate:%20Re:%20%5BNorWestLeps%5D%20John%20Day%20Dam%2FMaryhill%205-14-23">= Reply To Sender</a> =20 | <a target=3D"_blank" href=3D"https://groups.io/mt/98915971/795800">Mute T= his Topic</a> | <a href=3D"https://groups.io/g/NorWestLeps/post">New Topic</a><br> <a href=3D"https://groups.io/g/NorWestLeps/editsub/795800">Your Subscriptio= n</a> | <a href=3D"mailto:NorWestLeps+<owner...>">Contact Group Owner</a> | <a href=3D"https://groups.io/g/NorWestLeps/leave/4559582/795800/778100922/x= yzzy">Unsubscribe</a> [<lists...>]<br> <div width=3D"1" style=3D"color:white;clear:both">_._,_._,_</div> --3yn0N6tTjdBiFttOOdxB-- |
||||