the doldrums

[Ron Gatrelle]

Harry Legrand wisely wrote


> Folks:
> Glad to see that folks are waking up to the Piedmont doldrums -- the
> period between mid-June and mid-July when we should not be doing 4th of
> July butterfly counts!  Parties out all day and seeing less than 100
> individuals!  Actually, I'm not surprised. Jim will definitely need to
> move his counts next year. That is simply too much people-time to see so
> few butterflies. Late May to June 10 would be better to hit some
> first-brood grass skippers and Satyrium hairstreaks. Of course, we all
> know that late July into mid-August is the best Piedmont time, but there
> a fair number of counts vying for the same days then. But, the best
> results in the Piedmont are in that 20-25 day period from about July 25
> to August 20.
>

Numerous posts have come into the carolina leps bulletin board in the last
week relative to the "doldrums" - as the thread has been called.  I had
wanted to post on this but did not as I felt the "birderwatchers" would
just think I was picking on them. I am thus so thankful that the leader of
the watchers in the Carolinas posted the above bit of absolute truth and
wisdom.

Butterflying on the 4th of July is next to worthless here in the deep
South. It may be great in Maine or the Sierras but not in lower North
Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi,
Louisiana, Arkansas, much of Texas, non-montane Tennessee, etc.  If there
is any Birder tradition that is for-the-birds when it comes to butterflies,
it's the 4th of July "count". As I told someone who wanted to have a 4th
count at their nature preserve recently - I don't even go out that time of
year. In the Appalachian mountains good stuff is out then - but not in the
hot humid sweat belt.

In our region the counts need to be as Harry suggests - one for the spring
species and one for the fall species.
Ron


 
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