Fieldtrip report June 13th, to the Colonel Devin Trail north of Payson by Marceline VandeWater
The Washington Park Trailhead parking lot was packed with people camping out, big trailers and RV’s, there was not even space to park our cars. I have never seen that many people out there! Luckily the trail was nice and quiet. Clouds and wind kept the butterfly activity down in the morning: we had to work hard for them. Mel covered the plants. After lunch the clouds burned off and the number of butterflies increased quickly. Nectar plants included Butterfly Weed, AZ Thistle, Wall Flower, Wright’s Bluets, Yellow Sweet Clover… and some mystery plants and bushes.
Total list for the group: 31 species.
Two-tailed Swallowtail, Black Swallowtail caterpillar, Orange Sulphur, Southern Dogface, Queen-Alexandra’s Sulphur, Dainty Sulphur, Bramble Hairstreak, Gray Hairstreak, Western Pine Elfin, Marine Blue, Reakirt’s Blue, Ceraunus Blue, Spring “Echo” Azure, Acmon Blue, Western Tailed Blue, Zela Metalmark, Northwestern Fritillary (Atlantis), Mylitta Crescent, Satyr Comma, American Lady, Common Buckeye, Tropical Buckeye, Red-spotted Admiral, Weidemeyer’s Admiral, Arizona Sister, Mourning Cloak, Silver-spotted Skipper, Golden-banded Skipper, Northern Cloudywing, Meridian Duskywing, Orange Skipperling.
I want to thank all the 17 participants for their company. Please don’t hesitate to email me with butterfly ID questions. Also let me know if you have found names for the mystery plant at the end of the hike and the bush with AZ Sister and Weidemeyer’s Admiral on it.
PS The mystery plant was id-ed as a non-native from Europe: Salad Burnett (Sanguisorba minor) and the magical bush was probably birchleaf buckthorn (Rhamnus betulaefolia).
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