Searching for the beautiful Falcate Orangetip Butterfly

What? Butterflies in February? Yes, in Southeast Texas and especially right here in The Woodlands area, we have a species that exists in flight only in late February and March. By April, the newly hatched caterpillars will transform into a Chrysalis and wait until next February to fly.

Falcate Orangetip

A small butterfly but very obvious in the forest as it moves from one flowering Spring Cress plant to another, this species can easily be found wherever there is Spring Cress.

This is the exquisitely colored male. The female is almost totally white with the dots on the wings. Photographing this butterfly is not easy. It is very skittish and is frightened off by small movements. It does not like to land near humans but when eating, it can be less observing.

The plant is very small and so is the butterfly. This is what it requires to photograph this beauty.

Spring Cress (Cardamine bulbosa) is an interesting flowering plant. It is one of the first wild flowers in the Spring to expose its blooms to the forest. As a butterfly plant, it hosts the eggs of the Falcate on its flower stems instead of the leaves. It's tiny eggs are orange and also intricate. Where is the egg? You will need to click on this photo to see how small it is. Hatching will occur any day now. After hatching, all the flowers will be stripped off by the caterpillar. Even though this plant will produce by seed, it survives the butterfly by replicating at the roots. No leaves are touched by the little caterpillars.    

Our search took us to Sam Houston National Forest this day. Finding the bug was not easy. I made five sightings myself. This was not the only butterfly in the forest however.

Pearl Crescnt

A surprise was the spotting of the Pearl Butterfly. This one had a damaged wing but he was able to get around just the same.

Henry's Elfin

This butterfly (Henry's Elfin) was expected at this time of the year but difficult to spot, landed high in the branches of the trees and on this cloudy day was very difficult to photograph. Fortunately one of our group managed to find the right spot and had the equipment plus skill to take this photograph.

My thanks to Don Dubois and Hugh Wedgeworth, fellow members of B.E.S.T., for allowing me to share their photos with you.

Let me introduce you to Phenology

In The Woodlands Texas, this happens to be an important topic. Many of us highly value the nature that surrounds us. Phenology is the study of Mother Nature, sort of. It is focussed on cause and effect of natural processes, specifically the timing of those processes to plants and animals, including humans. An example is how weather delays or speeds up bird migration. I will address that separately in the weather commentary but will just mention it here. Another example is the dependence of certain bird migrations on certain plants. Outright survival for much of nature's wildlife is very dependent on the timing of annual events and location of those events.  Global warming must include the consideration of phenology and vice-versa. Water, warmth, sun rays, and daylight play a role in phenology. Man's behavior also plays a significant role.

Although the organized global study of phenology is recent and just getting into high gear, observation data has been collected for decades and even thousands of ears to study some aspects of it. "For the past 1200 years, observations of the timing of peak cherry blossoms in Japan have been recorded." ⁵ The internet has enabled this specialized subject matter to be taken up in ways never before even envisioned. Personally, I started taking note of a new wave of knowledge in this field in my writings last year. The Cedar Waxwing comes through here in the Spring, getting drunk on the berries of the Yaupon tree. In a month or two, we will see these birds making their annual trek up north again. It hasn't been like this for ever. The name of this bird comes from a past migration path and feeding habits. They are called "Cedar" for a reason. They used to feed off of a species of Cedar trees in their migration, but with the demise of their food in the food chain, they had to find an alternative. The berry of the Yaupon is much higher in sugar content and stays on the branches over the winter, offering a berry to them relatively high in alcohol content. The berries are highly available and dense on the native Yaupon trees in the Spring in East Texas. So the beautiful Cedar Waxwing passes through here for their survival. Therefore their lives have changed partially due to man who has destroyed part of its primary migratory food chain. On the other hand, man has planted fruits and trees rich in fruit content to take the place of the cedar berries. These fruits are now fond in the cities and rural areas, facilitating existence outside of the forest. Actually if there are records to support it, I believe we have likely been a part of their migration path for centuries or longer. They may be coming through in greater numbers now than in the past due to the changes mentioned above but are just eating the fruits that are available as always. This article is not about the Cedar Waxwing though, it is focussed on the science of the timing of Mother Nature. ³

My own interest in this topic has taken me to participate in a project to electronically capture historical bird migration records which document sightings and the timing of those sightings. This information will be used to correlate ecological events, weather patterns and the timing of birds in their migration over the period of history where there are records. Today, we have observers and data recorders to collect more information in real time into a database. This is expected to enhance our knowledge and give us direction of trends. Perhaps the butterfly observations and counts taken each year could be integrated with this effort as well. There are many more birders than butterfly observers however.

Although there are disagreements whether we are in a man-made global warming trend, it is easily apparent that we are in a natural global warming trend. How that will play out over the next century and beyond  is not easily predicted, so we have the opportunity to utilize phenology as an additional tool for future generations, to enable predictions at least for short terms. These efforts may serve as an additional means to save our planet down the road.

The National Phenology Network (USA-NPN) is funded to serve us in this way. It "monitors the influence of climate on the phenology of plants, animals, and landscapes".¹  The organization looks for data such as when a plant leafs out, or begins to bloom or other such milestone events during the year. A specialized organization/project called North American Bird Phenology Program (NPP) specializes in bird migrations.  It is with this group that the bird observations are being cataloged electronically. Six million observations from just before World War II and earlier into the 19th century are being digitized in this project. "This program was started in 1881 by Wells W. Cooke, who wanted to broaden knowledge and understanding of (bird) migration.  ²   

So why am I writing about this in a local blog? We are part of nature here. That is our fundamental backbone of value. Why is it that we live in the woods anyway? That is the reason I came and the reason many others came to this community. We are in the path of bird migrations. That is part of our heritage and our ecological responsibility to sustain. That is one reason I am so partial to the Yaupon tree (bush). It is a contributor to phenology and an important part of our ecology. Therefore, I am a member of USA-NPN and NPP.  I encourage others also to participate in one or more of these programs. You can rest assured that I will publish more articles in the future on this subject.

Related links
¹ National Phenology Network website
² North American Bird Phenology Program website
³ Cedar Waxwing just passing through Southeast Texas (Commentary)
⁴ Yaupon - One necessary component of the understory (Commentary)
⁵ Project Budburst website

Eagles in the sky for year 2011

In The Woodlands, Texas, near Houston, we have the American Bald Eagle in our community. There is other natural wildlife as well. All of it is on the decline as the community continues to be built out. An Eagle needs space. We have had space for them over the years, and that is the reason they are here. That space is filled with large Pine trees and dense undergrowth. In the summer the birds migrate to the north, but by the time it gets really cold up north, they are back here to nest in December. The Woodlands development Company owns the current nesting grounds of the pair that I observe each year. It appears to me that their nesting ground will disappear within the next three years. Their previous nesting location here was dislocated by the construction of of apartments, condos and homes. The birds built a nest close-by when the previous site was threatened by that construction and human activity increased there about 5 years ago. They prefer to use the same nest year after year. It saves them time and energy, besides proving to be safe from prior years' use. Today they inhabit an area of about 10 acres which should be preserved for their use. The chance of that happening is extremely low. It is high value land. As our pine forests decline and is displaced by concrete and brick,one of our precious residents will lose their habitat. Will they move to Spring Creek? Will they move to the 242/1488 area near-by? They have are options, but prefer and perhaps even demand the dense forest and the undergrowth near the lake where there is plenty of food. There, the parents teach the birds to catch small animals like rodents, squirrels, snakes, rabbits, and other small animals. There, they teach their young to fish.

The preservation of their habitation is an opportunity for an organization and/or the developer. With pride, the residents of The Woodlands speak about our community - we have the Bald Eagle right here among us! Wouldn't it be great if we had something for our nearly useless boats on the waterway to observe from the boats, like an Eagle's habitat? We have an opportunity, but we can't see a vision by the development company to develop based on the natural ecology. The Woodlands is unique but it is becoming less so as the developer continues to displace its strengths and values with the developers' own vision of what those strengths and values should be.This is typical of development everywhere. There remains hope for these birds, as slim as it may be. Savvy business people know that you should leverage the strengths you have and build on it, not try to make it something else.

The Woodlands maintains its parks for people, generally not for birds and animals (although it could be changing as I am working with others on a project to place Bluebird houses in the parks). People are not compatible with these large shy birds of prey. The Eagles are not birds which tolerate "tourists" who infringe on their hunting territory. To provide a safe place for their eaglets, they require a family atmosphere away from human threat. They need their space and a natural environment to fly, hunt and care for their little ones. We residents do get the thrill of seeing and hearing these birds in the Spring and early Summer. This year I hope to do some observations with a spotting scope. Meanwhile, I wanted to share this year's photographs with my readers. These photos were taken here in The Woodlands in December 2010 with careful consideration and respect for the birds' privacy before their eggs hatched.

If you want to read past years' articles on this mating pair of Eagles, please refer to the links provided below.

Other Commentary articles

1. Great News for Eagle Fans - Woodlands Texas (2009) 

2. A Magnificant Eagle downed by man's neglect to care (2010)

3. Family life of a Bald Eagle (2010)

4. The Baby Eagle - wild and free from the start (2010)

5. Is an Eagle Dangerous? (2010)

6. Call of the Wild eagle (2010)

7. And the Woodlands Eagles fully fledge (2009)

8. And the Eagles prepare for Flying Lessons (2009)

9. Eaglets in The Woodlands  (2009)

Tagging Monarch Butterfiles

Update 03/01/2011: so far there has not been any feedback on the location of these butterflies. Sometimes, information does not become available for as long as two years after tagging. I will follow up with an update if any information becomes available.

In my most recent butterfly count in Montgomery County Texas, our count team had the privilege of tagging 14 Monarch butterflies before their migration to Mexico. This year, there is a shortage of these insects due to cold conditions in Mexico last winter. It is a special year for tracking these beautiful creatures.

First we had to find and catch them. This attempt was successful. The Monarch was in flight about to land on this wall of flowers where it was captured.

Then a tag purchased from the NABA was carefully placed on the outside of the wing in a specific place. Each of us had the chance to tag a butterfly. I successfully tagged one. You have to be very careful not to harm the insect.

Tagged Monarch

The tag is uniquely numbered, so it is cataloged with the location, sex, and other pertinent information to enable an accurate record of its migration and/or ultimate destination if and when someone spots the tag and records the butterfly whereabouts.  You can see the tag more clearly if you click on the photo.

Then the butterfly is put into a white mesh container which would eventually be opened to release the insects back into their habitat.

Don DuBois

Our group leader, Don DuBois, organized this activity. He is a big local butterfly enthusiast.

On completion of the task, the tagged butterflies were released. We had two casualties of the 14 captured butterflies in the process. Well, actually one was given a splint in the hope it could make its journey, but the other will probably remain local and not survive the winter.

Monarch preparing to resume normal life

A few just hung around for a while, not particularly anxious to fly off, but eventually got their wings and disappeared. Now we hope to hear the outcome and see if any are actually spotted in Mexico.

Link to the North American Butterfly Association (NABA)
Link to the local chapter of NABA: Butterfly Enthusiasts of Southeast Texas - B.E.S.T.

Identfying Butterflies in Montgomery County Texas

Each year, there are a number of butterfly counts sanctioned by the NABA (North American Butterfly Association) in Southeast Texas. This article is provided to help the novice identify common species in Southeast Texas. Identifying butterfly species is fulfilling but not exceptionally difficult.; in one outing, you may see the same species many times. It helps if you have some experience, but as a novice, you can identify species in these counts, even though you actually know little. Believe me, there must be an expert in the group to be able to count them efficiently and accurately, but every person available to assist in the process is appreciated. I know! I went cold turkey out in the field last year and found I could be a big help. I am a member of the local chapter of  BEST, the local  chapter of NABA, which organizes such activities in the Houston area. These counts are normally based only on observation; catching these insects in a net is normally undesirable and unnecessary.  Those who have sharp eyes for subtle differences can see a butterfly at a distance and identify it as a specific species or subspecies. I am simply amazed at how they do it, but there are some rules of the road. Those who know their butterflies very well, know what species to expect in what ecology. So if we are observing these insects in an open field, a species is more likely to be seen than another that might like the shade of forest. Another way is to understand species of host plants and know what butterflies are attracted to which species. So it helps to know what species of plants are normally found in a particular location and conditions.

All photos in this article were taken on this one butterfly count in Montgomery County, Texas, just northwest of The Woodlands. Well-planted butterfly gardens will have abundance of the insects but other natural areas this year were much less abundant than last year. I am noting some late comers though on the open pond close to my home.   

On this particular day, our group would also be catching Monarchs and tagging them. So we set out with nets and a cage to hold them. Our primary mission was to find how many species we could identify and in what abundance at benchmark locations. Our secondary mission was to capture Monarchs, then tag and release them for their subsequent journey to Mexico, where their discovery is recorded.

For all of North America, there were only 50 counts conducted in the Fall of 2009. Several of those were conducted right here by BEST. We are fortunate to have the opportunity to participate in these events. This one was in our backyard, literally. A count covers an area having a diameter of 15 miles. Our area was north of FM 1488 and west of FM 2978.  

I will give you some photos of common butterflies that were identified on this count. First a little background. There are six families of butterflies.

1. Swallowtails - generally large with distinctive prongs on their wings as "tails", e.g. Black Swallowtail
2. Brush-footed - generally has two pairs of legs. e.g., Monarch
3. Whites and Sulfurs - soft distinct colors with colored markings, six legs, often seen "floating in the air". e.g., Orange Sulfur Butterfly
4. Gossamer-winged Butterflies - medium to small butterflies which tend to shine in the sun and have colorful patterns on their wings. e.g., Gray Hairstreak Butterfly
5. Metalmark Butterflies - not often if ever seen here. They are a tropical variety and beautifully colored. 
6. Skippers - quite different from other butterflies, there are many species. They are short and stubby looking and move quickly about when they feed,  "skipping" from flower to flower. e.g.,Fiery Skipper 

Gray Hairstreak

This Gray Hairstreak is abundant and widespread throughout this continent. You are likely to find it in the sun amidst a home garden such as this one.

Gray Hairstreak

 This Gray Hairstreak was spotted in another location , appearing a bit different in different light.

Southern Cloudywing Skipper

  The Southern Cloudywing Skipper uses the same plant for a host as the Gray Hairstreak, Bush Clover.

Fiery Skipper male

The Fiery Skipper was the most common butterfly in all in our counts. Gardens were simply swarming with them. Several varieties of grasses serve as hosts, especially Bermuda.

Moth

I have added this because what may appear as a butterfly, can easily turn into being a moth. There is a distinct difference between the two. The wing structure is totally different so they fly differently.

Common Buckeye

 
The Buckeye is quite common all over the United States. I saw a few of these this trip but in Trinity County, saw many. They love the sun will utilize several types of plants as hosts.

Duskywing Butterfly

This butterfly looks very plain when its wings are folded back but when spread out, it comes alive in brown colors. 

White Stripe Long-tailed Skipper

A readily identifiable skipper that has a tail on its wings similar to the Swallowtails.

White Striped Long-tailed Skipper

Northern Broken Dash

Note the small white marks on the wings. It is best to have a pair of binoculars when  identifying butterflies.  No one could identify this except one person in our group.  We had an expert of the skipper family with us on this outing.

Clouded Skipper

This photo provides better markings of the Clouded Skipper and a view of the wing structure of the skipper family.

Orange Sulfur

 The Orange and Little Sulfurs are similar. One typically sees the Little Sulfur on the ground but the Orange Sulfur stays on the plants. 

Little Sulfur

Cloudless Sulfur

Great Purple Hairstreak

Not so common is the Great Purple Hairstreak, but we found several in one backyard that we visited.

Gulf Fritillary female

This butterfly is often called the Passion Flower Butterfly, because its host is the Passion Vine. There is a native species of the plant, but you will often find another variety sold at nurseries. The native species lays close to the ground. Their leaves are very similar, but their flowers and climbing characteristics are different.

Gulf Fritillary male

One of the amazing features of the Gulf Frit is its underwing. It is elaborate and shiny, resembling a masterpiece creation of the orient, such as with inlaid oyster shell.

Tawny Emperor

Another beautiful creature but less brilliant than some of the others. As you might guess by looking at it, it prefers the woody areas, especially on the edge of the forest where it blends into its habitat quite safely. It feeds more on sap and fruits, rarely on flower nectar. Its host is the Hackberry Tree.

Queen

I know; it looks like a Monarch. Well, although related, the Queen is smaller, darker and very beautiful. 

American Snout

One of the woody butterflies.  This one normally blends in with its habitat by perching on tree limbs. I caught this one on a leaf, so that it could be seen clearly. It is a little blurred but you get the idea of this unusual butterfly. They migrate in mass in the fall, similar to the Monarch. Their host plant is the Hackberry tree.

Common Checkered Skipper

    Moderately common here. Prefers sunny warm habitats. Host is Shepherd's Needles among flowering plants.

Monarch

This may be the one butterfly that almost everyone knows and can readily identify, except they get it mixed up with the Queen and other relatives. The Milkweed plant is its host. There is a fear that this butterfly will be extinct in 30 years due to illegal logging in Mexico and the dwindling habitats north of Mexico. Our reality is that the population will decline but not be quite as threatened as some conservationists believe.

Butterfly Count Team left to right:  Steve Abbey & Z Anglin, Carol & Ken Fraser (Back row), Randy Scott, Pat Lee, Farrar Stockton, Ednelza Henderson, Diane Cabiness, Hugh Wedgeworth, Diane Milano.

Results of the count 
Total species: 52
Total individuals: 842
Counts

Pipevine Swallowtail	13	Red-spotted Purple
Polydamas Swallowtail		Viceroy	1
Black Swallowtail	1	Goatweed Leafwing	1
Giant Swallowtail	5	Hackberry Emperor	7
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail	4	Tawny Emperor	15
Spicebush Swallowtail	2	Northern Pearly-eye
Palamedes Swallowtail	8	Southern Pearly-eye
Cabbage White		Creole Pearly-eye
Checkered White		Gemmed Satyr
Great Southern White		Carolina Satyr	1
Falcate Orangetip		Little Wood-Satyr
Orange Sulphur	3	Monarch	34
Southern Dogface	1	Queen	9
Clouded Sulphur		Silver-spotted Skipper
Cloudless Sulphur	70	White-striped Longtail	12
Orange-barred Sulphur		Long-tailed Skipper	1
Large Orange Sulphur	1	Southern Cloudywing	1
Little Yellow	18	Northern Cloudywing	3
Sleepy Orange	10	Confused Cloudywing
Dainty Sulphur	3	Glassy-winged Skipper
Great Purple Hairstreak	2	Juvenal's Duskywing
Soapberry Hairstreak		Horace's Duskywing	3
Banded Hairstreak		Funereal Duskywing	1
Striped Hairstreak		Wild Indigo Duskywing
Northern' Oak Hairstreak		Common Checkered-Skipper	18
Henry's Elfin		Tropical Checkered-Skipper	6
Eastern Pine Elfin		Laviana White-Skipper
Olive' Juniper Hairstreak		Turk's-cap White-Skipper
White M Hairstreak		Swarthy Skipper	1
Gray Hairstreak	16	Julia's Skipper
Red-banded Hairstreak	3	Neamathla Skipper
Dusky-blue Groundstreak		Clouded Skipper	37
Ceraunus Blue	3	Least Skipper
Reakirt's Blue		Southern Skipperling	2
Eastern Tailed-Blue		Fiery Skipper	249
Spring' Spring Azure		Whirlabout	5
Summer' Spring Azure	1	Southern Broken-Dash	3
American Snout	2	Northern Broken-Dash	1
Gulf Fritillary	60	Little Glassywing	5
Zebra Heliconian		Sachem	4
Variegated Fritillary		Yehl Skipper
Silvery Checkerspot		Broad-winged Skipper
Texan Crescent		Dun Skipper	21
Phaon Crescent	5	Lace-winged Roadside-Skipper
Pearl Crescent	1	Common Roadside-Skipper
Question Mark		Celia's Roadside-Skipper
Eastern Comma		Eufala Skipper	11
Mourning Cloak		Twin-spot Skipper
American Lady	10	Brazilian Skipper
Painted Lady	3	Ocola Skipper	15
Red Admiral
CommonBuckeye	130

Online Resources 
1. Identifying Bugs - I like this site but it needs some more depth
2. B.E.S.T. - Houston Butterfly chapter of NABA 
3. North American Butterfly Association


Related Commentary Articles:
1. Tagging of the Monarch
2. Trinity River National Wildlife Park (2009 butterfly count)

Red-Tailed Hawk : an amazing inhabitant of our forests

Its a B-52! No, it's a huge bird! The shadow of a large winged creature in the evening made this neighborhood in The Woodlands Texas, in the East Texas forest system, stand up and pay attention. The bird swooped down to about eight feet off the ground, so I ducked. What in the world was going on? Our neighborhood had been attacked by this squirrel hunter? It came in for a landing, but the question is, was it looking for a squirrel or the pet rabbit across the street? Maybe my little Toy Terrier?

In flight to reach the position he seeks in a tree

    So majestic, so swift, so powerful! This bird of prey is a natural inhabitant of our forest. He chases a Grey Squirrel up a a tree by going to a limb below the squirrel. The squirrel escapes by going up the tree, seeking refuge from this feared enemy. That is exactly what this bird wants the squirrel to do. On a large Pine Tree, the squirrel moves up and so does the hawk. This happens repeatedly until the squirrel has no place to go. Then this hunter goes in for a swift capture in his talons.

About 60-70 feet high overlooking his domain

The Red-Tailed Hawk is a beautiful bird and a welcome resident of the forest. He is welcome here as well, on a residential street of The Woodlands. Yes, he casts a large shadow with his 3.5-4.5 foot wingspan. Just think! His wings stretch out the height of a human. He lives for 20+ years, so he is our neighbor and friend for much of our life if we stay here.

Mated Red-Tailed Hawk adults

On this day, we saw no prey being taken, but there were suddenly two birds i the tree. I have reason to believe they have been nesting nearby in a tall Pine.  I particularly like their hunting ability of rats and mice. We need them as well as Coyotes and Owls to control the tree rat population here. They will also feed on rabbits and any small creature. They are not likely to be hunting cats or dogs. If you see one close to you, you are quite lucky. One landed on our fence once. The photo turned out poor so I never show it. I am very thankful on this day for this observation of such a beautiful creature. I wish I could have given you better photos, but this will have to do for now.