Anza Borrego 11/7

[Mark Walker]

The family got up early on Saturday to spend the day with the Mira Costa
College Natural Science Club on an outing to Fish Creek, Anza Borrego State
Park, CA.  The weather was wonderfully hot and sunny (the Vermont flannels
duly stowed under the bed).  Not a lot of butterfly activity, although there
were plenty of V. cardui patrolling the canyons.  We brought our nets along
(don't leave home without 'em), and were curiously stopped by a park ranger
who asked us for our permits.  I understand the mentality of a
non-collecting policy in state parks, but it's a little odd in an off-road
vehicle park.  We had a steady flow of Jeep and Buggy traffic all day,
thrashing about, providing human access to locations that would otherwise be
untouched.  I enjoy off-roading as much as the next guy, but if we're going
to declare open season on the habitat then it's a little ironic to stop and
question a man with a butterfly net.

Oh well, I didn't intend on starting a collecting thread - only a field
report.  So here it is:

Vanessa cardui (Painted Lady) - 50
Junonia coenia (Buckeye) - 1
Leptotes marina (Marine Blue) - 6
Hemiargus isola (Reakirt's Blue) - 3
Strymon melinus (Gray Hairstreak) - 1
Ministrymon leda (ines) (Leda Hairstreak) - 6

Mark Walker
in Houston this week