Larch Mtn, OR (7/16)

[Mark Walker]

A brief stop in Portland, with minimal time for lepping.  The weather has
been very nice up here - warm and sunny.  Above the Columbia River, the
flowers are blooming everywhere - but the butterflies are surprisingly few.
Not much on the wing in the morning except the Swallowtails and moths
(sorry, no id - I must have misplaced my Western U.S. Moth Field Guide };>(
The conditions appear more like late spring - with lots of day flying moths,
Spring Azures, and Margined Whites.

The most common butterfly here (on this day) was the Cloudius Parnassian.
I'll never forget the first one of these I ever saw.  It was on a
backpacking trip in the High Sierra in California.  They don't necessarily
appear different on the wing (although there is something peculiar about
their flight), but when you capture one in a net you know you've got
something different.  It's wings are like plastic - stiff and durable.  In
spots they are virtually transparent.  There were hundreds flying on Sunday,
yet few people seem to notice them.  I showed one to a childhood friend I
visited here in Cornelius.  He had obviously never seen anything like it
before.  

The Parnassians seem to have a lot more yellow scaling than those I've
caught in CA - particularly on the underside.

While hiking around, I managed to find a wonderful stream that beckoned me
in for a swim.  Not seeing another human for several hours, I decided to don
my birthday suit.  After a brief swim (twas a bit on the cold side), I put
on only my boots, as I needed some air drying.  A nice Parnassian specimen
decided to float it's way down to some flowers nearby.  I've never chased a
butterfly in the nude before - it was an invigorating experience (mental
picture not recommended here).  Quite a sight for the lumberjacks, I'm sure
(Monty Python lyrics seem to come to mind...).

Anyway - hmmmm.  I wonder if I should start a new website:  

NakedChristianEnvironmentalistVoucherButterflyCollectors.com

Might make for some pretty boring conversation, huh?

So here's the (rather short) list:

Parnassius cloudius (Cloudius Parnassian)
Papilio zelilcaon (Anise Swallowtail)
Papilio rutulus (Western Tiger Swallowtail)
Papilio eurymedon (Pale Swallowtail)

Pieris marginalis (Margined White)

Celastrina ladon (Spring Azure)
Speyeria hydaspe (Hydaspe Fritillary)
Pyciodes mylitta (Mylitta Crescentspot)
Limenitis lorquini (Lorquin's Admiral)

Epargyreus clarus (Silver-spotted Skipper)
Erynnis pacuvius (Pacuvius Duskywing)
Euphyes vestris (Dun Skipper)

Mark Walker
Portland, OR