2015 April 10

   Bill Savale saw a Mourning Cloak yesterday, at the corner of Shelbourne Street and Cedar Hill Cross Road.

   Ann Nightingale was at Muir Creek west of Sooke on Thursday afternoon (April 9) and came across a moderately cooperative Grey Hairstreak.

Grey Hairstreak Strymon melinus (Lep.: Lycaenidae) Ann Nightingale

Grey Hairstreak Strymon melinus (Lep.: Lycaenidae) Ann Nightingale

   Mike McGrenere writes:  Daniel Dönnecke and I hiked up Mount Douglas today looking for birds and butterflies. The butterflies were the highlight, though. We saw two California Tortoiseshells at the top (one by the teacup lookout and the other by the tower), 15 Sara Orangetips, 3 Spring Azures and 3 Propertius Duskywings. We also saw a Cabbage White along the Lochside trail.

California Tortoiseshell Nymphalis californica (Lep.: Nymphalidae)

Mike McGrenere

   Annie Pang sends a series of photographs of the Western White Ribbon Carpet Moth Mesoleuca gratulata. It was busy laying eggs of the buds of the Himalayan Blackberry Rubus discolor. The moth inspired Annie to write an ode in its honour.

Ode to a White Ribbon Carpet Moth

                 Annie Pang

This tiny flitting, whimsy passing by;

is it a bit of petal or of cloth?

Too small to be a tiny butterfly,

by day, could it possibly be a moth?

I try to follow as it hovers near,

and looks as if quite soon it will alight

but then to my dismay, oh dear, oh dear,

it changes course!  Is off again in flight!

I chase it here and there, both up and down

and feeling hopeless that I’ll get a shot

do acrobatics, like a foolish clown,

not caring if I wreck my clothes or not.

And then she lands so neatly near my leg

and daintily she lays a tiny egg.

Mesoleuca gratulata (Lep.: Geometridae)  Annie Pang

Mesoleuca gratulata (Lep.: Geometridae)  Annie Pang