2020 April 7 morning

 

    Just heard from Annie Pang, who reports that she saw a Cabbage White from her house in The Gorge area about April 1 or 2.

 

   Yesterday, April 6, was the first warm (well, warmish – at least not cold) day we have had for a while, and I see that the InvertAlert inbox has several butterfly messages.

 

   Starting with one from myself,  Jeremy Tatum, I saw my first butterfly of the year at 5.00 pm, yesterday – a California Tortoiseshell on one of the whitish patches on the Mount Tolmie reservoir.  I’ll swear that they preferentially settle on these little whitish patches!

 

  Jeff Gaskin writes:  Kirsten Mills and I saw a comma species on Goldstream Heights Drive south of Trail Way on the Malahat.  Also, I saw my first Cabbage White near McKenzie Avenue and   Pat Bay Highway. And there were 2 California Tortoiseshells on Mount Tolmie at 4:05 p.m.   (Uh, oh, – looks as though Jeff and Kirsten beat me by an hour!  –  JT)

 

  Val George writes: T he sun brought out some butterflies this afternoon, April 6.  I saw my first Cabbage Whites of the season, one at Panama Flats and another near Mount Tolmie.  At the Mount Tolmie reservoir there were three California Tortoiseshells, presumably the ones that have been around there for the past few weeks [though last reported (2) on March 19 -JT].  (Beaten by Val, too!   JT.)

 

 Gordon Hart writes:  Things were waking up here (Highlands) today with the increase in temperature and sun. We had two butterflies today, Monday April 6, a Satyr Comma, and a California Tortoiseshell. Both were on a Pieris which is in full flower right now and attracting both birds and insects. I have attached a couple of photos.

 

Satyr Comma Polygonia satyrus (Lep.: Nymphalidae)  Gordon Hart  

 

California Tortoiseshell  Nymphalis californica (Lep.: Nymphalidae)  Gordon Hart