Since I can't seem to locate them in the valley, I'm heading up to 6400 ft and walking the Lambs Canyon road. Perfect day for an easy walk (1.5 miles to the trail head); it's sunny and low 70s.
When I reach the mouth of the canyon, the road is closed. I knew that would be the case (it'll open after Memorial Day), so I park just outside the gate and then start up the road.
No surprise, seeing Painted Ladies flying and I haven't walked but a few steps.
Not much in bloom yet - just some Forget-me-knots
- but plenty of green foliage.
Many snowmobiles lining the road near the gate -- that's how people get to their homes in the winter.
And no surprise that the creek is running strong. So nice to listen to on my walk.
Continuing along,
I'm seeing that little black moth with white dots and a little orange moth (I get a good look at him basking in the mud at the trail head).
It isn't until I'm about 1/2 way up to the trail head before I see a butterfly other than a Painted Lady. It's a little Blue; pretty sure it's a Spring Azure but I didn't get a good look. I'm so excited!! It's butterfly season!!
Passing lots of moose droppings along the road and at one point a pile of hair. My guess is that either a deer or moose either died or was killed here. There is a pile what could be the remaining contents of its intestines on the side of the road. On them, I find a Painted Lady
and my 1st Comma of the day!
I continue up checking along the remaining piles of snow for butterflies. (Yes, there are piles here and there on the road. More on the east facing hillside though.) Then I reach this little gully and a bunch of butterflies fly up. They seem to all be CA Tortoiseshells and oooh, there goes a Sara Orangetip!
There's a tree next to the gully where the Tortoiseshells are flying. I check it out and find the source of their interest - sap! And I find a CA Tortoiseshell
and Satyr Comma enjoying the sap! Cool!
Continuing on, I finally reach mud and water running down the side of the road. Finding Spring Azures,
Hoary Commas
and Satyr Commas and Milberts Tortoiseshell!
Jackpot!
I continue up to the trail head where I also see a Mourning Cloak (I've seen them flying but this is the first basking)
and that small Orange moth!
Total on the way up: 3 Orangetips, 5 Mourning Cloaks, 1 Milbert's Tortoiseshell and about 5 Spring Azure. The CA Tortoiseshells definitely outnumber both Comma species but I don't think I saw more than 10 of Tortoiseshells.
The road continues past the trail head but it is still covered in snow.
The footbridge over the creek is snow free but the trail on the other side is snow covered. Fortunately, heading up the trail is not in my plans today but the butterflies are - Success!
