June 6 - Mormon Pioneer Trail (Summer flyers are out!!)

It's my day off - yea! Time to check on butterflies on the Mormon Trail. Its been 2 weeks since I've been there. The late Spring/early Summer flyers were just starting (i.e,. Field Crescent) at time.. Also, I was there about a year ago and got my first glimpse at the Relict Frittilary. This bfly flies in just a very narrow portion of the central Rockies (far western Idaho/far eastern WY, NW CO and NE UT) -- I have one of its locations).

Perfect morning - in the 60s when I left and its sunny.

There are lots of Northern Cloudywings just outside of the parking lot to the bridge. I couldn't believe there were so many.

When I get to the "real trail", I quickly hear that there is no more water -- at least in the lower part of the trail. The creek bed is now dry. The only thing I hear are birds singing.

The first butterfly I see is the Common Ringlet - a beautiful tannish lower flyer. And they were very common all along the trail today.

The Wasatch Beardtongues are blooming.

as are the Tapered Onions (little pink flowers on a stalk), Bluebells, Pussytoes (bunches in only one spot of the trail),

Balsamroot and many others.

There are tons of blue bflies a bout. All the way along the trail -- especially the muddier section (which bflies always love for the salts). Most of the ones I looked at were Western Tailed Blues but there were some Azures in the mix (and maybe some others).

I see an mid-sized orange bfly -- could it be the Relict? It stops and its a Sagebrush Checkerspot -- the 1st for the year. Also see a large white butterfly -- this one drove me crazy last year for some time because I didn't know what it was -- but finally I did get a good look so I know its a Parnassian. (Saw 3 today.)

The yellow swallowtails were soaring which is great because I'm trying get a good look so I can ID these in flight; they are either Western or Two-tailed. Fortunately for me, several of the 7 I saw today got really close. I noticed that a couple were really huge and didn't have as much black markings which means that they are 2-tails. I had a good lesson today; hopefully I can repeat and get more confident. (And trying to see that 2nd tail -- impossible for me as least for now.)

There were several orange flyers -- Northern Crescent, Field Crescent, and the new Sagebrush Checkerspot -- and I still think, a Relict Frit.

I see my first dragonfly of the day -- Its a species darner.

I come upon a little patch of flowers -- lots of orange and blue bflies but one catches my eye. He lands on a flower but his wings are closed and he's facing the wrong direction. I move very slowly to the right and was able to see that he is a Purplish Copper (the 1st of the year) and then he flies --- couldn't find him again.

I stop at all the muddy areas to check out bflys. Blues, blues and blues, lots of Northern Cloudywings and Duskywings -- a mixture of Rocky Mt, Sleepy and Dreamy. At one of the muddy spots, I notice a smaller brown bfly -- its a Mexican Cloudywing (1st of the year). The size difference is quite obvious between the Northern and Mexican (again good lesson learned).

Someone has been out to chop down the tree I've been crawling under all year. Yea!!!

I'm nearing the camp and I see a Goldfinch!!!

I've seen plenty of year in Chicago, had them my yard - but I've never seen one in UT. Quite exciting. When I get to the camp, there were 2 more perched on some dead stalks.

Well the dragonflies are out around the pond. Will have to check them out on my way back.

I see a little brown bfly and am surprised its a very old and beaten Brown Elfin -- thought these would be long gone but some are still clearly hanging on.

All the flood ponds (including the beaver dam) are dry -- a couple muddy spots here and there.

Just before the 3 mile marker, the creek began to have water. Not gushing water, just a slow stream in some spots and stagnant water in others. At one of these spots, I'm looking at the bflies in the muddy spots when I heard the hum of a hummingbird flying. I looked up to see a flash of a green body but then it flew into the trees. When I heard the hum again, I saw the bird fly down into the creek bed (it had water). I couldn't see so I slowly moved  to the left hoping to catch it in the water. But it once again flew into the tree. I did see it brush its bill against a branch (kinda like sharpening a sword). I waited, hoping it would fly back. But I gave up and started to move - only to hear the hum again. I looked and couldn't find it -- perhaps it was finally flying off. Regardless, it was pretty cool.

The Sara Orangetip are out at this higher elevation. Very common bfly on this part of the trail.

I get to my lunch spot --- the wooden bench over looking the little spring pond -- and it is back to a little pond w/ no torrent of water flowing down the hill side. In a few weeks, it will be a mud hole. As I have lunch, I watch several robins hunting along the pond's muddy edges.

Time to head back. Its warmer now and the sun is higher so there should be even more bflies out.

Noticed a lot more Mourning Cloaks out now -- I see over 20 on my way down.

I find a really good muddy spot; it had the usual Blues, N Cloudywing but it had both the Sleepy and Dreamy Duskyings. Again, the side-by-side comparison is quite striking. The Dreamy is much smaller than the Sleepy. And I can clearly see the a slant on the upper wing. Store image in brain for the future. :)

I'm walking along and I see a Frittilary in the middle of the trail - not the one I was expecting but still my first Frit of the year -- It's a Callipe. Summer is here!

I'm almost back to the camp/pond and I stop to get a drink water next to a wet part of the streambed  when I spot what could be my Relict Frit fly by. I watch it land pretty much right next to me and it's the Relict!!

I have a water bottle in my mouth (which I don't want to take the time to take it out of my mouth cause I don't when it will fly). So with the bottle hanging from my mouth, I grab my camera and snap off a few photos. Its actually in a bad position for a photo (wings closed and opposite me). So I do put my bottle away and adjust my position. Then it opens its wings -- beautiful! It crawls up on a rock and I get a good look at its underside.

What a nice way to cap off the day!!!

But it not over. There's a Skipper flying and I think he's a little confused -- a dandelion seedhead is NOT a good place to get nectar.

I get back to the pond and its time to check out the dragonflies. I see a paired couple of Dot Tailed Whitefaces (and some singles).

There was a Bluet damselfly and another gold dragonfly.

Further along on the trail, there's a chipmunk sitting on a log nibbling on what looks like a dandelion head. Interesting but it must be tasty.

But its not quite over, a little further down the trail, I see one Garita Skipperling (a first for the year)!

Great day in every way: birds, dragonflies, and butterflies (28 species today)!!!