Thursday, March 14, 2024

Santa Ana NWR, 3/14/24

I ran over to Santa Ana NWR this morning to see what might be around before it gets fried  by the spring heat.  Unless it rains in the next few days which might make things pretty good.  Anyway I wanted to check out the azureums by the old manager's residence and walk down to the old cemetery and look for Potrillo Skippers.  The azureums or blue mist flower as they're called were empty on the way down but on the return after some some sun came out were really hopping.  It was nice to finally see Long-tailed Skipper, Dorantes Longtail and Brown Longtail.



It's been a good spring for Checkered Whites.

The walk to the old cemetery was pretty dull.  I did find a couple of Elada Checkerspots.


This Common Mestra looking lookinghard for noseburn but there's little around this spring.


A single Great Southern White gave me brief looks as it nectared on a tulipane.


Not much going on at the old cemetery.  There were lots of spring wild flowers but not many butterflies.  Plenty of Lyside Sulphurs on the way back.


A Variegated Fritillary put on a show as did a Gulf Fritillary.



Only one Queen on the day.


Back in whats left of the butterfly garden by the visitor's center I added one last butterfly to the list, my first Zebra Heliconian for the year.


Considering how dry it's been, 31 species was not too bad.

  • Pipevine Swallowtail 1
  • Giant Swallowtail 5
  • Checkered White 15
  • Great Southern White 1
  • Cloudless Sulphur 2
  • Large Orange Sulphur 4
  • Lyside Sulphur 25
  • Little Yellow 5
  • Sleepy Orange 2
  • Dainty Sulphur 15
  • American Snout 10
  • Gulf Fritillary 1
  • Zebra Heliconian 1
  • Variegated Fritillary 2
  • Bordered Patch 1
  • Elada Checkerspot 4
  • Vesta Crescent 1
  • Phaon Crescent 2
  • Red Admiral 8
  • Common Mestra 3
  • Empress Leilia 5
  • Queen 2
  • Long-tailed Skipper 1
  • Dorantes Longtail 1
  • Brown Longtail 1
  • White Checkered-Skipper 10
  • Laviana White-Skipper 1
  • Clouded Skipper 2
  • Fiery Skipper 15
  • Celia's Roadside-Skipper 2
  • Eufala Skipper 3