We hiked the first mile or so, of the Colonel Devin Trail, 15 miles NE of Payson. Everyone was very happy that the trip was postponed with a week! The temperatures didn't get above 40 degrees last Saturday, while now we hiked the trail with 70-some degree weather, no wind and plenty of sunshine! The goal was to do this hike earlier in the season this year, to find a slightly different set of butterflies: especially Duskywings were on our wishlist! Dandelion, Arizona Valerian and Manzanita where the main nectar sources. Between the fieldtrip and the scouting hike 10 days earlier, we found 34 species:
Two-tailed Swallowtail, Orange Sulphur, Southern Dogface, Mexican Yellow, Sleepy Orange, Dainty Sulphur, Bramble Hairstreak, Arizona Hairstreak, Gray Hairstreak, Marine Blue, Reakirt;'s Blue, Spring "Echo" Azure, Acmon Blue, Western Tailed Blue, Variegated Fritillary, Mylitta Crescent, Field Crescent, Satyr Comma, Sagebrush Checkerpot, American Lady, Painted Lady, Common Buckeye, Arizona Sister, Mounrning Cloak, Silver-spotted Skipper. Short-tailed Skipper, Northern Cloudywing, Pacuvius Duskywing, Sleepy Duskywing, Rocky Mountain Duskywing, Afranius Duskywing, Common Checkered-Skipper, Northern White-Skipper, Orange Skipperling.
read more »
A group of about a dozen traveled into the Mazatzal’s on March 17. The day started fine but became increasingly cloudy and windy as the morning proceeded. We arrive at Round Valley (RV) about 9:00 AM and walked up a small wash in search of Variable Checkerspots. We were not disappointed as at sometime there were as many and 15 to 20 individuals flying near us. After getting our fill of these Variable Checkerspots about 10:30AM we adjourned to Sunflower Valley (SV) where we walked the old Beeline Highway and were greeted by equally impressive numbers of Sagebrush Checkerspots. Here the Desert Buckbrush was in full bloom and attracting an impressive number of species given the increasing clouds and wind. We left to return to Phoenix about noon after chalking up a satisfying list of 18 species for our early season morning efforts.
List of species seen: Spring White SV, Sara Orangetip SV, Orange Sulphur SV, Mexican Yellow SV, Brown Elfin SV, Marine Blue RV,SV, Spring "Echo" Azure SV, Zela Metalmark SV, American Snout RV, Tiny Checkerspot RV, Sagebrush Checkerspot (larval foodplant Buckbrush!!) SV, Variable (Chalcedon) Checkerspot RV, SV Satyr Comma SV, Mourning Cloak SV, Painted Lady RV,SV, Empress Leilia RV, Sleepy Duskywing SV, Common/White Checkered Skipper SV.
read more »