First, our hard work on the butterfly collection at the University of
Vermont has paid off. The specimens are finally in order and labelled --
and available for study. If VBS volunteers want to use the specimens to
prepare for the coming field season, contact the curators of the Zadock
Thompson National History Collection, Ross and Joyce Bell, at
[log in to unmask] Ross and Joyce are at the collection most afternoons.
But you'll need to schedule a time with them (and learn a bit about careful
use of the specimens). This should be a great resource for us.

I may be at the collection this Saturday afternoon. Actually, I'll be
getting my car serviced in Burlington from 2 to 4 pm on Saturday. If
someone wanted to pick me up at the service station (behind Al's French
Fries) at 2 pm, I'd be happy to spend a few hours with the butterflies. Let
me know by private email ([log in to unmask]) -- AND NOT BY
REPLYING TO THIS MESSAGE.

Second, I've just purchased a pair of Celestron Noble 8x32 binoculars,
which seem to be great for butterflying. They're $239 from
www.binoculars.com, which is $100 less than the Eagle Optics Platinum
Rangers that lots of butterflyers seem to be buying. (The binoculars.com
price is actually $249, but they'll match competitors; I found the binos
on-line for $239 elsewhere.) The Celestrons focus down to 5.5 feet. I like
the design and feel and weight. They're not as sharp as my Bausch & Lomb
Elites (which cost three times as much) and I suspect their optics aren't
as good as the Eagle Optics model. But I plan to use them for insect this
summer and even in a pinch for birds.

Finally, I'm up to three species for the year: Here in Barre East-4 today:

Milbert's Tortoiseshells (Nymphalis milberti) - 2
Mourning Cloak (N. antiopa) - 1
Tuesday in Springfield -- Anglewing sp. (Polygonia sp.) - 1

Bryan Pfeiffer

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Vermont Bird Tours
113 Bartlett Road
Plainfield, VT 05667

Web:    www.VermontBirdTours.com
E-Mail: [log in to unmask]
Phone: (802) 454-4640

Enjoy Life.  Watch Birds!
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