Spring is for the Butterflies - FRIENDS of the Blue Ridge Parkway

FRIENDS of the Blue Ridge Parkway, Inc. P.O. Box 341 Arden, NC 28704 P.O. Box 20986 Roanoke, Va. 24018 800-228-7275 (toll-free) 540-772-2992 (fax) staff@friendsbrp.org FRIENDS of the Blue Ridge Parkway is a non-profit, volunteer organization that is dedicated to preserving, promoting and enhancing the Blue Ridge Parkway, a national treasure. FRIENDS programs focus on preservation, protection and education. FRIENDS of the Blue Ridge Parkway, Inc., is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation, organized and existing under the laws of the State of North Carolina and the Commonwealth of Virginia, whose current principal business address for identification purposes is P.O. Box 20986, Roanoke, Virginia 24018.	FRIENDS of the Blue Ridge Parkway, Inc. A National Park Service Blue Ridge Parkway approved partner organization dedicated to preserve, promote and enhance the Blue Ridge Parkway, a national treasure, for future generations.
	Volunteer Join Donate Adopt-A-Trail
	Spring is for the Butterflies Catch them this year along the Parkway by Clyde Kessler From mid to late March through October, and sometimes into a mild winter, butterflies flourish along the Parkway. I have observed around 90 species from milepost 0 at Afton Mountain to milepost 469. Harbingers of spring include the Silvery Blue, Spring Azure and Falcate Orangetip. All three of these are dazzlers, flying flowers after winter. The Spring Azure can be found along most of the Parkway, while I have only found the Silvery Blue in a few places north of Roanoke so far. The Falcate Orangetip flies in April at low to mid elevations (less than 3,400 ft.), and I have had the joy of seeing it in many locations from Humpback Rocks to Asheville. Getting a photograph of it is another story, as these butterflies always seem to be on the move, seldom stopping to nectar on flowers. The Parkway sees six species in the swallowtail group of butterflies, though one (the Giant Swallowtail) is scarce: Pipevine, Zebra, Black, Giant, Eastern Tiger and Spicebush. I have only seen the Zebra Swallowtail in the Virginia section of the Parkway, and it is common only near the James River. A few friends of mine have a couple of records near Boone and near Asheville. Other groups of butterflies visible along the Parkway: whites and sulphurs (nine species), gossamer wings, coppers, hairstreaks, blues (16) species), brushfoots (29 species) and skippers (30 species). I often start early in the morning watching and listening to birds, then as the day warms up I start looking for butterflies, seeking out places with lots of flowers. The sunnier the day, and the more sheltered from the wind that the meadow or woods edge is, generally the more butterflies I find. I offer the following advice to make your butterfly watching more fun: • Dress comfortably to match the weather • Wear a hat if you will be in the sunlight for a long time • Put on sun screen and insect and tick repellent I also take along snacks, a lunch and plenty of water. I usually have with me a couple of identification guides, and some notebooks for recording butterfly behaviors, numbers seen, locations and what flowers seem to attract them. Share your butterfly-watching observations with Clyde Kessler – he can be reached by email at: ckessler@vt.edu or by mail at: PO Box 3612, Radford, VA 24143
Copyright 2002 - 2009, FRIENDS of the Blue Ridge Parkway. All rights reserved.