Trustees of Reservations walk/Juniper Hairstreaks

[Tomb...@aol.com]

Hi Folks:

 

     Six people showed up for the walk at the Trustees of Reservation properties in Holyoke.  First we enjoyed the Dinosaur Footprints and there were quite a few.  Next we hiked Little Mount Tom.  We listed the following:

 

     1.   American Lady   1

     2.   Pearl Crescent   6

     3.   Dreamy Duskywing   4

     4.   Clouded Sulphur   3

     5.   Cabbage White   2

     6.   Eastern Tailed Blue   4

     7.   Canadian Tiger Swallowtail   1

     8.   American Copper   1

     9.   JUNIPER HAIRSTREAK   41

 

     Many thanks go out to Bill Benner, Bruce Callahan, Chris Gentes, and Frank Model for helping to "SHAKE" the cedar trees to rouse out the Junipers.  Bill Benner left about 45 minutes before the rest of us and on our way out we ran into Bill SITTING in the middle of the trail.  My first thought was that Bill had twisted an ankle or something like that.  Bill told us to stop because he had a friend there with him.  Knowing Bill, my first thought was a snake.  Well, his new friend turned out to be a RUFFED GROUSE that was 2 feet from him.  We all approached slowly and I was maybe about 10 inches from this gorgeous wild bird.  WHAT A THRILL !!!!!!  The bird finally left us as the trail left the woods and entered a field.  Thank you Bill.

 

     After the walk, Frank Model, Bruce Callahan and myself went to Florence and listed the following:

 

     1.   Cobweb Skippers   26

     2.   American Copper   12

     3.   Eastern Tailed Blue   2

     4.   Eastern Pine Elfin    2

     5.   American Lady   3

     6.   PAINTED LADY   1

     7.   GRAY HAIRSTREAK   1

     8.   Cabbage White   2

 

     A great day to be out.

 

Tom Gagnon, Florence, (Bear Country) Massachusetts

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[bil...@aol.com]

Hi All,
I know this isn't really butterfly related, but I have to elaborate about the Ruffed Grouse--an amazing wildlife encounter.  I first saw the grouse sneaking through the undergrowth as I was coming down the trail, alone.  I stopped, and the grouse circled around me, getting closer and closer.  I thought at first it was a distraction display, a female with young nearby, and I spent a bit of time scanning the undergrowth, with no luck.  All this time the grouse kept edging closer;  finally, there was me kneeling in the trail and the grouse about 3 feet away.  It made soft sounds most of the time, and wouldn't allow me to touch it, though it did let me softly stroke its back and neck for a while with a six-inch long stick.  I was hoping the other folks would come along, but no luck. Finally, thinking I was keeping the bird from caring for its eggs or young, I got up and walked away.  My little pal followed me, for a very long way, at one point flying up the trail to catch up, landing about 2 feet from me, and strutting around very alertly.  When I got to the edge of the forest, where the trail was going to go out into a field, I decided to just stop and wait for the others and keep the bird company, since it so clearly wanted mine, and I no longer felt like we were anywhere near a nest or young anymore, having walked a half mile or so together since our first encounter.  It walked around me, always staying within a few feet.  It ate some things (plant material) occasionally, and seemed interested when I scratched in the dirt and leaves next to us.  I have to admit I started talking to it--it had up until that point been keeping up a very one-sided conversation with me.  We sat there on the trail for a while, and for me things became very peaceful.  It was beautiful to be able to study the grouse's intricate and detailed plumage, and puzzling but fascinating to wonder what was happening behind those alert brown eyes.  It certainly made my day, and is something I'll never forget.

And the Juniper Hairstreaks were beautiful too!

Bill

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[FSM...@aol.com]

Good afternoon.

 

No, I didn't spend all my pixels on the grouse. I did get some decent butterfly shots, though not of the juniper hairstreaks. They came down from the treetops only seldom and never for enough time to line up a decent shot, so the one juniper photo below is a long distance shot. On that one, note that you can see a fair amount of dorsal surface because of "sawing" and some wing damage.

 

Little Mount Tom

 

juniper hairstreak                                        http://www.flickr.com/photos/fsmodel/3536834002/

dreamy duskywing [fresh - note long palps]   http://www.flickr.com/photos/fsmodel/3536018733/

pearl crescent male                                    http://www.flickr.com/photos/fsmodel/3536834070/

                     mating dorsal                        http://www.flickr.com/photos/fsmodel/3536018903/

                     mating ventral                        http://www.flickr.com/photos/fsmodel/3536833886/

 

Florence

 

cobweb skipper male ventral                        http://www.flickr.com/photos/fsmodel/3536833764/

                       female dorsal                      http://www.flickr.com/photos/fsmodel/3536833646/

                       female ventral                      http://www.flickr.com/photos/fsmodel/3536018457/

American copper dorsal                              http://www.flickr.com/photos/fsmodel/3536018305/

eastern pine elfin ventral                              http://www.flickr.com/photos/fsmodel/3536833820/

 

Cheers,

Frank

 

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[jric...@ttor.org]

Hi all,

Thanks for an excellent trip to our Holyoke Reservations. It was
exciting to see the Juniper hairstreaks and to spend time with all of
you in the field.

You will be interested to know that the ruffed grouse was back on the
trail, probably close to where Bill originally encountered it when I
was headed out as well, at 4pm. I was returning a phone call while
walking when the grouse ran out from the underbrush into the trail in
front of me. I stopped and was amazed that she? didn't run away. I
snapped a photo with my phone, but she didn't seem to mind. So I took
off my backpack and got my camera out. I was totally amazed to be that
close to the amazingly beautify bird and notice her fluffing the
feathers on her head as she quietly spoke to me as well.
Similarly thinking that I was faced with a bird that was trying to
protect young or eggs, I continued to walk down the trail. She
followed me again about 1/2 mile (with me talking to her all the while
- "why are you following me? are you lost?" She was just starting to
cross a stream to keep following me, when a jogger and her dog came
upon us. I grabbed the dog afraid that it would go after the grouse.
The dog was not interested, and the jogger paused only long enough to
leash her dog and admire the bird before continuing along. I think at
that point the grouse decided that I wasn't that interesting and we
parted ways.

What an amazing encounter!!!!

And Bill, you should have come with me to look for swallowwort, as I
did come across a snake!

Julie Richburg