2016 April 14
MONTHLY BUTTERFLY COUNT
Gordon Hart writes:
Hi Butterfly Counters.
This weekend marks the beginning of the 2016 Butterfly Count season. As always, the count period is from the third Saturday to the fourth Sunday – nine days, or April 16-24 this year. You can submit a count anytime over this period, and you can do more than one count, just use a separate form for each count. In the case of repeat counts or more than one person counting an area, I will take the highest count for each species.
Please use the form at https://www.vicnhs.bc.ca/?p=33 on the Victoria Natural History Society website.
The count area is the same as the Christmas Bird Count circle. For butterfly identification there are numerous internet sites, but most or all Victoria species are listed on E-Fauna. If you select by photographer, all the photos under James Miskelly’s name are of Victoria species: http://linnet.geog.ubc.ca/efauna/photoGallery/Gallery.aspx?gr=showall&pid=175&photographer=miskelly,%20james&specrep=0
I am now acting as coordinator of the count, as Aziza is taking a break. Please let me know if you want to be removed from this list. If you know of anyone who would like to be added, please ask them to send me their email address.
If you would like a suggestion for an area to count, please send me an email.
In addition to the counts, a monthly butterfly walk is held on the first Sunday of each month – May 1st, is the next walk. We start at the summit of Mount Tolmie at 1pm, and decide where to go from there. The walk will be cancelled if the weather is cool or rainy.
Thank-you for submitting your sightings and happy counting!
Gordon Hart
Butterfly Count Coordinator
Victoria Natural History Society
Jeremy Tatum writes: Here is a moth from my Saanich apartment, and a snail from UVic, both photographed today.
Hypena californica (Lep.: Erebidae – Hypeninae) Jeremy Tatum
