June 23 - Mormon Trail

 Sunny day with a high of 101 degrees - Whew!

Heading up the Mormon Trail today (high of 86 degrees) and leaving early and walking 3 miles. Figure I'll catch the butterflies on the way back. Water level will have definitely lowered since it's been 2 weeks since I've been here. Hoping there are butterflies flying too.

I leave my house at just after 7:00 am. I arrive about 7:45, gear up and start up the trail.

In the shade and hearing lots of birds this morning.

I reach the trail and find the Spittle bugs are out!! And the Salisfy are ready for bloom #2, the red clover is finally blooming, Pearly Everlast are still blooming, as are the Yarrow, and Geraniums. 

The water crossing are all but dry for the most part; lots of mud still.

Just before the meadow, the Jacobs Ladder is in bloom and Wild Onion.

I finally see my first butterfly as I work my way past the entrance; one of my favorites the Weidemeyer's Admiral!! They were pretty sightings today.

The flowers are still not in bloom yet but the Lupine are very close.

I reach the pond and today, there's lots of dragonflies zipping around.

I also see my 2nd butterfly of the day as Western Swallowtail!

Continuing past the pond, the dam is no longer overflowing but behind the dam is still as bunch of water. Will stop on my way back and look for flyers.

Had a hummingbird investigating me on the way out and back. Just got quit glimpses of green as it flew around my body.

The farther I go the butterflying gets better. The numbers are still not there but the species are. I go around 2.5 miles and besides the White Columbine and some moose prints in the mud,  I see the following species in no particular order:

Mourning Cloak

Northern Checkerspot

Northern Crescent,

Common Checkered Skipper

Northern Cloudywing

Rocky Mt Duskywing

Purplish Copper

Boisduval Blues

Western Tailed Blue

Field Crescent

Clodius Parnassian (another of my favorites)

and Ringlet.

Surprise finds include:

Anise Swallowtail (muddling at the pond with a Western Tiger)

Dreamy Duskywing (these are early flyers; but saw this guy around the 2mile mark or after where the snow melts later)

Relict Frit (still flying in June but only see after the pond - maybe even after the 2 mile mark)

several Greenish Blues (this one had me stumped until I got home. I've only seen these at the pond a time or too but today they were may 1/2-3/4 of a mile in.)

and two Pale Crescents (not too common to see for but very exciting).

A total of 19 species; not too bad!

Awesome day!



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