Sunnier Day in CO

[Mark Walker]

Well, I've been busy all week and haven't been able to connect to make
this report on the wonderful butterflying I enjoyed Monday morning up in
the mountains above Boulder, CO.  After all the rain and thunder on
Sunday, I figured that my best bet would be to walk during the morning
hours, before the thunderheads start building up.  So early on Monday
morning (8/17) I headed up the canyon.  By 10:00 a.m. the temperature
was already pushing 80 degrees F., and the leps started flying in
numbers.

With the exception of the Atlantis Fritillaries (which were seen in
Boulder Canyon below Nederland), the rest of the species below were
"investigated" (some rather intrusively) just south of Ward, CO.  By
11:00 a.m., the butterflies were swarming.  By 11:30, the rain was
coming down, the activity over.  Another perfect day.

Cercyonis oeta (charon?) - Least Satyr (>30)
Limenitis (Basilarchia) weidemeyerii - Weidemeyer's Admiral (1)
Polygonia sp? , probably oreas or progne (4), the underside of one
mostly black
Agriades glandon - Arctic Blue (5)
Speyeria mormonia eurynome - Mormon Fritillary (3)
Speyeria atlantis hesperis - Atlantis Fritillary (8)
Phyciodes campestris - Field Crescent (1)
Pontia occidentalis - Western White (2)
Pieris (Artogeia) rapae - Cabbage White (18)
Colias scudderii - Scudder's Sulpher (12)
Lycaena (Epidemia) helloides - Purplish Copper (>100)

Mark Walker