BEST Field Events 2011 - bestevents2011

2 Spicebush Swallowtail (caterpillars on Sassafras albidum)

Part 1:  On Eagles’ wings

Saturday 26 February 2011 – 7:45AM: Driving to Cleveland for our rendezvous this morning,  I couldn’t help but feel a sense of déjà vu. Back in 2003, our very first BEST field event had been just this same venue, and it had been rather successful. So I was excited! I was suddenly roused out of my reverie, however, when the car ahead of me approached a roadkill attended by a large avian scavenger. Instead of hopping off to the side as do crows or black vultures, or flying off low like a turkey vulture, this bird was determined to go straight up, and take some carrion with it! It was only after the car passed underneath, missing the felony by inches, that the significance of the white tail and head suddenly slammed into me like a hurricane – Bald Eagle! I took this to be a premonition – perhaps another white organism would show itself today!

Part 2: Setting the Stage

The preview had certainly been promising: on last week’s dry run, Carlton, Hugh and I had seen at least a dozen Falcate Orangetips. However, that was sunny, mild weather. Today would be cloudy and somewhat cool.  But why were we doing this in the first place? To see these truest harbingers of Spring.  “Falcates” are lovely bugs, but they are also very ephemeral – the flight season lasts no more than 6 weeks in Southeast Texas. The bugs know they are on a short schedule, and they act the part; they are highly frenetic  and extremely wary, all of which makes for a problematic photo shoot! Being active for such a short time, one has a hard time gaining any experience; by the time one feels they’ve got it down, the species disappears for the year, leaving only a few chewed up Spring Cress. This butterfly spends most of the year as a chrysalis!

Part 3: The Waiting

When it comes to experience with this bug, I am luckier than most  - it’s a common denizen of our yard.  I’ve been chasing this bug – literally -  every spring since 2003. I have a fair number of decent in-flight shots, nectaring portraits, and ovipositing photos, plus eggs, caterpillars, and even a chrysalis or two. What’s missing? Sleep shots. Where do they sleep?  To find the answer, of course,  means hitting the trail earlier than usual, and searching them out. So it was that 8:30am found nine of us walking out along the beginning of the Lone Star Hiking Trail and finding their beautiful host plant, Spring Cress.  We checked out each plant – no adults to be seen – lots of eggs, however! These provided some diversion for those of us with macro capability, but the clouds continued to sit overhead. What to do?  The group spent the entire morning beating out everything they could – to no avail. Randy did manage to get a very good picture of a very beat up Pearl Crescent – but that was all. So it was with some pensiveness that we ate our lunches: What would the afternoon bring?

Part 4: The Visitation

As Kathie and I were headed back down the main trail,  her female intuition came into play – “What about this trail?” - pointing at another, obviously illicit path.  And so it was that we found ourselves in a small sandy glade, inhabited by sparse grasses, a rotting, lichen – covered twig – and patrolled by a female Falcate! It finally settled down to land briefly  - not on a flower, but to disappear onto that lichen-covered stick!

By the time Kathie and I got back onto the main trail, we had seen a male as well, and the others were finding them too. We counted a baker’s dozen in total – evenly split between the two genders, with one  uncertain.  It was time to move along, having learned a very important point – the Falcates sleep in the trees, where their marbled ventral wing surfaces make them invisible  against the lichens.

Part 5: The Denouement

So – mission accomplished – everyone happy. How to cap this? So it was off to another segment of National Forest – FSR 230. We were greeted there by more clouds, and more coolness.  That didn’t stop Diane, however – she was in Elfin mode, and she got one. Due to the cool and lack of sun, it was quite docile – but 15 feet up in a pale gray sky. It was a booger to photograph!

So that was the end of this trip – but it was only the beginning of BEST’s adventures in 2011! Come join us on as many of these as you can – we look forward to seeing you!

David Henderson

Past President, Butterfly Enthusiasts of Southeast Texas

Banded Hairstreak.jpg
Photo by D. Henderson 2011-04-23

John getting a closeup of a Hackberry Emperor
Photo by D. DuBois 2011-04-23

Female "White" Orange Sulphur
As close as we got to the Olympic Marbles! Richland Creek WMA 2011-03-13

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail on Flowering Crabapple
Richland Creek WMA 2011-03-13

Gray Hairstreak
Richland Creek WMA 2011-03-13

Eastern Phoebe
Fort Boggy SP 2011-03-13

Eastern Phoebe
Fort Boggy SP 2011-03-13

Eastern Phoebe
Fort Boggy SP 2011-03-13

Male Juvenal's Duskywing
Fort Boggy SP 2011-03-13

Male Juvenal's Duskywing
Fort Boggy SP 2011-03-13

Male Juvenal's Duskywing
Fort Boggy SP 2011-03-13

Dainty Sulfur
Fort Boggy SP 2011-03-13

American Lady
Fort Boggy SP 2011-03-13

Goatweed Leafwing, Fort Boggy SP
2011-03-13

Winters Bayou Tableau
It IS a Scenic Area! Photo by D. Henderson 2011-02-26

Slow Morning
With no sun, the bugs were not being cooperative. That's Diane, Carol, Ken, Zee, and Steve. Photo by D. Henderson 2011-02-26

Don passing the time along Winters Bayou
Photo by R. Scott 2011-02-26

Diane relaxing along Winters Bayou
Photo by R. Scott 2011-02-26

What was that?
Photo by K. Cook 2011-02-26

The Butterfly Warrior in his domain
Hugh trying to stir up some action. Photo by D. Henderson 2011-02-26

Kathie focusing on fungus
Photo by D. Henderson 2011-02-26

Spring Cress - the Falcate's host plant
Note the orange egg in the center - that's what we're using our macro lenses on! Photo by R. Scott 2011-02-26

Falcate Host Plant
Spring Cress (Cardomine bulbosa) Note the orange egg just right of center - that's what we're using our macro lenses on! Photo by D. Henderson 2011-02-26

Inspecting the plants for eggs and caterpillars
Photo by K. Cook 2011-02-26

Close-up work
That's David in the foreground, with Randy right behind; Diane, Steve, Ken, Kathie, and Katie are all visible in the background. Randy and David are taking pictures of Falcate eggs; had it been a butterfly, EVERYONE would have been crowded around! Photo by D. DuBois 2011-02-26

David with "the beast".
The Canon MP-E 65mm Macro is indeed a beast to work with, but the results are WORTH IT! To see what he did with this - a manual lens in a digital world, check out the Falcate egg pics. Photo by R. Scott 2011-02-26

More "beastly" fun!
Photo by K. Cook 2011-02-26

And yet more!
Photo by K. Cook 2011-02-26

Don getting into the egg action
Photo by K. Cook 2011-02-26

Falcate Egg - Winters Bayou
Taken with Canon 50D and MP-E 65mm lens set at 3x, supported by Bush Hawk. Photo by D. Henderson 2011-02-26

Falcate Egg - Winters Bayou
Taken with Canon 50D and MP-E 65mm lens set at 3x, supported by Bush Hawk.  Photo by D. Henderson 2011-02-26

Falcate Eggs
Photo taken by K. Fraser with Nikon D90 and a 105mm lens 2011-02-26

Carol and Kathie
Photo by D. DuBois 2011-02-26

Our first butterfly du jour - a Pearl Crescent!
Quite a nice contrast with the viburnum leaves! Photo by R. Scott 2011-02-26

Lepidopaparrazzi at work
Steve, Kathie, Don, Randy, Ken, and Katie. Photo by D. Henderson 2011-02-26

Photographing the Falcate
Steve, Kathie, Don, Katie, Randy, and Ken. Photo by D. Henderson 2011-02-26

A hallmark of the Digital Revolution - the instant share
That's Katie in the foreground, in front of David, Ken, Diane, & Hugh. Photo by K. Cook 2011-02-26

Now I know why God gave the Falcate marbled wings!
Our first Falcate of the day, and my first female of the year! Photo by D. Henderson  2011-02-26

Male Falcate Orangetip on Spring Cress
by D. Dubois 2011-02-26

Male Falcate Orangetip on Japanese Honeysuckle
by D. Dubois 2011-02-26

Falcate in Fiight!
A maddening pic to obtain! Photo by K. Fraser 2011-02-26

Male Falcate Orangetip on Spring Cress
Photo by K. Fraser 2011-02-27

Elfin Picture Time!
Randy, Kathie, David, Steve, Don, and Zee. Photo by H. Wedgeworth 2011-02-26

More Elfin Fun!
Notice the variety of cameras! David has his pic, so he's taking advantage of his hands & neck - free camera mount. Photo by K. Cook 2011-02-26

This bug was really exasperating!
Photo by K. Cook 2011-02-26

Henry's Elfin
No - it is NOT an Eastern Pine Elfin! Photo by D. Henderson 2011-02-26

Henry's Elfin
Henry's Elfin by H. Wedgeworth 2011-02-26

Falcate Orangetip egg - Stoltje Property
Upon my return home, I discovered this exquisite ovum on the ONLY Spring Cress to have not got toasted on the fire of 3 weeks ago. Photo taken with Canon 50D with MP-E 65mm macro set at 5x, on tripod, under natural light. Photo is uncropped, unretouched in any way. Photo by D. Henderson 11-02-26

Male Falcate Orangetip on Spring Cress 1
Winters Bayou Scenic Area, Sam Houston NF 2011-02-20

Male Falcate Orangetip on Spring Cress 2
Winters Bayou Scenic Area, Sam Houston NF 2011-02-20

Male Falcate Orangetip on Spring Cress 3
Winters Bayou Scenic Area, Sam Houston NF

Male Falcate Orangetip on Spring Cress 4
Winters Bayou Scenic Area, Sam Houston NF 2011-02-20

Mystery Turtle photo # 1
2011-02-20

Mystery Turtle photo #2
IMG_9747.JPG 2011-02-20

Hew what's that in the water?
2011-02-20

Why, it's an OTTER!!!!
2011-02-20

Way cool huh?
2011-02-20