Santa Ana NWR Christmas Bird (& Butterfly) Count

[Mike Quinn]

Dear Subscribers and Friends,

Christmas Bird (& Butterfly) Count

Texas, Hidalgo County
Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge
Territory #9, western 1/3 of refuge (Cattail Lake was dry)
Morning of December 19, 1998
Ray and Lynn Bieber, Carrie Cate, Minnie Jo, Betty Perez, Mike Quinn

A beautiful day! Birding highlights include: 5 Groove-billed Ani's, 1
White-tailed Hawk and 1 Hook-billed Hawk.

The Butterflies were nearly as diverse as the Birds:

Great Southern White - 2 in open areas

Orange Sulphur - 1 in open area
Southern Dogface - 1 in open area
Cloudless Sulphur - 1
Large Orange Sulphur - 2
Lyside Butterfly - 7 trail and road sides, (abundant in spring)
Tailed Orange - 2 trail side
Little Yellow - common throughout the refuge

Silver-banded Hairstreak - Saw 3, 2 in immaculate condition
Gray Hairstreak - only one, scarcer than the Silver-bandeds!!??

Blue sp. - 1 never stopped flying!

Metalmark sp. - 1 *Calephlis* sp. at new HQ garden

American Snout - many scattered throughout the refuge

Gulf Fritillary - 4, mostly in forest openings
Zebra - 2 along forested trails (7 in communal roost so. of old HQ on the 16th)
Bordered Patch - 1 adult, ~ 100 larvae on Common Sunflower
Texan Crescent - 3
Phaon Crescent - 3 in open areas, regular at new HQ garden
Pearl Crescent - a few on the open dirt roads & a few at new HQ's garden
Red Admiral - 4, here and there, fresh
White Peacock - 50+, rarely less than 3 in sight at all times

Mexican Bluewing - 3 Jaguarundi Trail south of Highline Trail, forested areas
Blue-eyed Sailor - 1 immaculate, Jaguarundi Trail south of Highline Trail,
rare
Common Mestra - 6 good numbers for this time of year

Tawny Emperor - 1, usually more common

Gemmed Satyr - 3
Carolina Satyr - 1

Monarch - 1
Queen - many nectaring on Common Sunflowers
Soldier - 3 at Cattail Lake, 3 more at new HQ garden

White-patched Skipper - 1 fresh individual
Common Checkered-Skipper - abundant
Tropical Checkered-Skipper - 1
Laviana Skipper - common in open areas, Cattail Lake
Turk's-cap White-Skipper - I think I saw 1 individual

Clouded Skipper - 50+, will eat Guinea Grass
Purple-washed Skipper - 1 nectaring on Lantana

Towards late morning, Lynn Bieber remarked, "Your know, it's more
comfortable standing in the shade." And so it was. High temperature ~85F.

Joe Ideker said that he counted just over 50 species while walking 7 miles
on the refuge one day earlier this month!!!

Charles W. Bordelon, Jr. is the Zone 6 (OK, TX, AR, LA) Coordinator for the
Lepidopterists' Society. Please send him any unusual Moth or Butterfly
records you might have.

Charles Bordelon, Jr.
8440 Washington Boulevard
Beaumont, TX 77707
(409) 866-8163

Thanks, Mike

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Mike Quinn <MQnature at hiline.net>
Vice President of South Texas Chapter
North American Butterfly Association
1708 Hunt Ave. Donna, TX 78537-2924