2017 March 30

   Gordon Hart writes:

 Hi, Butterfly watchers,

The first Butterfly Walk of 2017 will be this Sunday, April 2. The weather looks as though it may be nice, so perhaps we will even see some butterflies! The only species reported to date have been some individual Cabbage Whites [but see posting from Mike McGrenere below!], but the temperatures are warming up.   We meet at the top of Mount Tolmie in the parking lot north of the summit at 1 p.m. After a quick look around the summit, we will decide on a destination at that time. As always, the walk is weather-dependent, so if the weather forecast is wrong and it is cold or rainy, the walk will be cancelled.

    The April count will run from April 15 to the 23rd. I will send out a further reminder for that.

  Mike McGrenere writes:  I went up Mt Douglas from Blenkinsop Road this morning (about 8:35 am) and I saw a male Sara Orangetip on the lower slope of the first hill that you come to from Blenkinsop Road, about 150 metres along the trail. It was sunny at that time. It was cloudy on my way down so I did not see any butterflies on my way back.

   Annie Pang sends photographs of a fly nectaring on Arabis alpina in the Gorge Park Community Gardens, March 29.  I believe it is a male Phaonia atriceps – a new species for Invert Alert.

Phaonia atriceps (Dip.: Muscidae)  Annie Pang

Phaonia atriceps (Dip.: Muscidae)  Annie Pang

 Phaonia atriceps (Dip.: Muscidae)  Annie Pang