Early wildflowers, butterfly
Some of the very, very early flowers and butterfly seen today on a fast trip to the lower area of Figueroa Mountain (as far as the first big pullout on the right) and back again. The usual early flowers were seen – California buttercup, fiddleneck, milkmaids, miner’s lettuce, California poppy, lomatium, etc. At least a dozen Sara’s Orangetip butterflies were seen nectaring on fiddleneck near Alamo Pintado Creek, Birabent Canyon.
(Figueroa Mountain – Sara’s Orangetip on fiddleneck – Click image for larger version)
(Figueroa Mountain – Sara’s Orangetip on fiddleneck – Click image for larger version)
Just a short way up at the sharp left bend, Sara’s Orangetip were also seen. Since no fiddleneck were apparent, a closer investigation revealed that the butterflies were nectaring on a very small dark pink flower that I had not noticed in previous years. When I saw the flower, I guessed Phlox family, and it turns out to be slender phlox.
(Figueroa Mountain – Slender Phlox – Click image for larger version)
There were many new leaves for a variety of species. Some of the buckbrush ceanothus are close to blooming. Hopefully, more rain will fall to allow them and other plants to flower in reasonable abundance this year.
Slideshow
Sara’s Orangetip Information Links
- Green Nature
- Butterflies & Moths of North America
- Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History - County Butterflies
Interesting pix, and with just one new (to me) butterfly specie here, maybe I can remember it when I see one…I really do know all butterflies aren’t monarchs!
February 2nd, 2009 | #
Thanks, Ginny. I have seen Sara’s Orangetip on More Mesa, but not often or in any numbers. Your post made me think of one other link I need to add – the SBMNH list of county butterflies.
February 2nd, 2009 | #
I love hearing about early flowers!
February 3rd, 2009 | #
That is a very colorful butterfly. Very nice phlox shot, too. It sounds and looks like you are definitely experiencing “spring.” But I wish all of California would get some rain, too. Heaven knows we really need it!
February 4th, 2009 | #
Great photos. Are you finding flowers are blooming earlier this year?
February 4th, 2009 | #
@Jamie: I am not sure. I expected to find all the flowers I found, because they are supposed to flower this early – except for the slender phlox which is supposed to bloom from Mar to Aug. (The Jepson manual has now added blooming times to their species descriptions. This is for slender phlox
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?5654,5899,5907
)
@Mary: Rain is expected this weekend, hopefully. I regularly check Weather Underground and also the IR view here:
http://www.rain.org/~mkummel/sbnow.html
@Monarch: Yes, you are still under snow — but be thankful for the moisture — we need it here, where 50% of normal rainfall has fallen. Can we have some of your snow?
http://cdec.water.ca.gov/cgi-progs/reservoirs/RES
February 4th, 2009 | #
Hi,
I’m researching specific California native plants and the specific butterflies attracted to their flowers. Appreciated this post and others. Would be helpful if you would put the name of the plant with insect nectaring photographs, whenever you know it!
September 17th, 2009 | #
Yes, I do try to add names of both flora and fauna, when possible. Here is a photo of Sara Orangetip on slender phlox.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/deinandra/3245563319/
September 18th, 2009 | #