Rhode Island Feeds

We had such a terrific North American Butterfly Association Count in Rhode Island this year (see results here), and the star of the show was the Baltimore Checkerspot! 3,240 of these beautiful butterflies were found in a single field. The team that surveyed the site was joined by Dr. Deane Bowers of the University of Colorado, who studies the Baltimore Checkerspot and is on sabbatical at Brown University. Dr Bowers will be presenting a talk on this remarkable butterfly and its life cycle. I hope you will attend!

Baltimore Checkerspot Butterfly: Evolution Unfolding
Environmental Education Center
1401 Hope St, Bristol, RI
Thursday, September 30
7 – 8:30pm
$6/member, $8/non-member
To register: Call (401) 949-5454 ext. 3041.

"The striking Baltimore Checkerspot butterfly is native to the eastern United States. Not only gorgeous behold, they have a fascinating story. Historically, the caterpillars fed on turtlehead, a wetland plant, and the butterflies were relatively uncommon. But recently populations of these butterflies have been making the switch to a different host plant - common Ribwort Plantain. This has sometimes resulted in dramatic population increases. Dr. M. Deane Bowers of the University of Colorado has studied the Baltimore Checkerspot for over 30 years and will share her research and a unique perspective on evolution unfolding in our lifetime."

The final results for the Audubon Society of Rhode Island’s 7th annual North American Butterfly Association Count have been released! Check it out by clicking here.

Sites in the East Bay were surveyed on June 19, and sites in the West Bay were surveyed on July 10. The 61 participants ranged from amateurs to Audubon naturalists to professional lepidopterists. Over the two survey dates a total of 7,221 butterflies were counted, more than double the previous maximum of 3,521 butterflies counted in 2008. This huge jump is due to 3,240 Baltimore Checkerspots counted in one field--which is more that we usually get for the whole state for all butterfly species combined!

We have been aware of this amazing, privately owned field in Bristol for a few years now, but this is the first time we have been able to get a team big enough and expert enough to survey the entire thing...not an easy task when there are butterflies bouncing everywhere you look!

Even without the Baltimore Checkerspots, it was a good year for butterflies. The spring and summer have been warm but not so dry that nectar sources dry up, and butterflies have been plentiful and early. We recorded an American Snout, which is a rare migrant to RI and has never before been seen on the count. We found a Broad-winged Skipper, also new to the count. It is not a rare butterfly but it tends to emerge just after the count is over. This year's warm temperatures may have caused them to start emerging a bit early. Harry Pavulaan, our RI butterfly expert, identified some Northern Crescents in our photos, which are extremely similar to the common Pearl Crescents.

So enjoy checking out the results. Feel free to contact me with any questions!

July Lewis
401-949-5454 x3044
jlewis at asri.org

We successfully completed this year's NABA Butterfly Count in RI! The East Bay survey circles were counted on June 19 and the West Bay circles were counted on July 10. The results are still coming in and mystery photos are being identified, but this much we know--it will be a record-breaking year for numbers of butterflies! The previous maximum was 3,521 butterflies, and already we have 4,889 butterflies recorded! Much of this is due to one field in the Bristol Co. survey area that is teeming with Baltimore Checkerspots. 3,240 were counted in this one field! We are working with researchers who are studying this site and its amazing abundance. Another great find was the American Snout, which has never been found on the RI Butterfly Count before. It is a migrant species that is only seen occasionally in our area.

More interesting sightings are being reviewed--stay tuned for the final results!

The butterfly count is coming up soon! At this event, amateurs and experts go into 15-mile diameter survey areas and count as many butterflies as they can in one day. Check out the new google map of the survey circles: http://tinyurl.com/ributterflycount. Teams claim survey sites within the larger survey circles. In each circle, there will be one site led and coached by an Audubon staff member that anyone can join.

Orientations are held before the count, so don't be shy if you are a beginner! You will learn to start IDing butterflies right away.

Butterfly Count Orientations
Environmental Education Center (Bristol): June 15, 6:30-8 p.m.
USFWS Kettle Pond Visitor Center: July 1, 7-8:30 p.m.
Powder Mill Ledges Wildlife Refuge: July 6, 6:30-8 p.m.
Fisherville Brook Wildlife Refuge: July 7, 7-8:30 p.m.

Butterfly Counts:
Saturday, June 19: Bristol and Newport County Circles (includes some "West Bay" areas as well--see map)
Saturday, July 10: Providence, Kent and Washington County Circles

The pricing structure is a little bit different this year. Audubon is charging $6 to participate in the count, but this includes both count dates! So if you count butterflies on June 19, you pay $6. If you count butterflies on June 19 and July 10, you still only pay $6. The orientation is included in this fee. If you just want to do the orientation/ID workshop and not the count, it is still $6. Simple, right? Hopefully! Let me know if you would like more information or to be added to the email list for the Count: 401-949-5454 x3044 or jlewis@asri.org. We always love new participants!