I wore a Harvester as an earring today. While surveying in Ryegate (in the
Woodsville Quad) I spied my second Harvester (Feniseca tarquinius) in three
days. Coincidence? Or emergence? He (I assume) was dabbing on a dirt road,
and as I sprawled for a photo he hopped onto my thumb. Then he jumped to my
right earlobe. Darn, no one to take my picture. He accepted my offer of a
sweaty index finger -- then I wasted lots of film. We held hands for about
5 minutes. The Harvester even waited patiently as I gave directions to a
passing motorist.

 From there, Harvester Highway turned into Fritillary Freeway. I gawked at
Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele), Aprodite Fritillary (Speyeria
aphrodite), and Meadow Fritillary (Boloria  bellona) together taking salts
and other treats up the road a ways at a power line cut. At one point the
two Speyeria were RIGHT NEXT TO EACH OTHER, PERFECTLY POSED -- and I had
blown all my film on the Harvester as well as Gray Comma (quite worn) and
Eastern Comma (newly eclosed) only a few paces away. At this very same spot
on 24June were scores of Crescents.

The particular road in Ryegate, Hunt Mill Road, has been amazing for
butterflies. In a short distance, it passes through mixed woods, a
hayfield, a shrubby alder wetland, and a power line cut on the way to Lower
Symes Pond, a state wildlife management area. It could very well be the
perfect VBS site. After the survey, the pond was fine for skinny dipping.
And after that it was a short drive for strawberry shortcake at the famous
P&L Truck Stop in Wells River. Here's my list so far:

Canadian Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio canadensis)
Cabbage White (Pieris rapae)
Clouded Sulphur  (Colias philodice)
Harvester (Feniseca tarquinius)
Summer Azure (Celastrina neglecta?)
Silvery Blue (Glaucopsyche lygdamus)
Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele)
Aphrodite Fritillary (Speyeria aphrodite)
Meadow Fritillary (Boloria bellona)
Crescent species (Phyciodes sp.)
Eastern Comma (Polygonia comma)
Gray Comma (Polygonia progne)
Milbert's Tortoiseshell (Nymphalis milberti)
White Admiral (Lymenitis arthemis)
Viceroy (Lymenitis archippus)
Eyed Brown (Satyrodes eurydice)
Common Ringlet (Coenonympha tullia)
Silver-spotted Skipper (Epargyreus clarus)
Indian Skipper (Hesperia sassacus)
Peck's Skipper (Polites peckius)
Tawny-edged Skipper (Polites themistocles)
Long Dash (Polites mystic)
Hobomok Skipper (Poanes hobomok)
Dun Skipper (Euphyes vestris)

This is all too much fun.

Ta-ta,
Bryan


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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!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~