North Coast Diaries

June Lowdown

Weather through June was mixed, but mostly rainy with below normal temperatures.

June is never a particularly surprising month for unusual bird species. WESTERN BLUEBIRDS were found at several locations including the top of Saddle Mt. Shorebirds began their southbound migration by about the third week, SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER and LONG-BILLED CURLEW being the notable. GREAT EGRETS continued to be seen at Svensen Island suggesting a nearby breeding colony. Also on Svensen, a pair of BLUE-WINGED TEAL, but no sign of youngsters.

Butterfly news is perhaps a bit brighter. The GREAT ARCTICS are flying on Saddle Mt. MOSS'S ELFINS were well documented from late-May through 30 June. SONORAN SKIPPER was photo-documented at Klaskanine Fish Hatchery (second county record). A COMMON ROADSIDE SKIPPER was seen at Nicolai Mt. This continues to be a heavy flight year for PAINTED LADIES. Other Vanessa species are also doing well, especially WEST COAST LADIES and RED ADMIRABLES.

Equally intriguing was the report of a strange moth using YELLOW SAND-VERBENA at Gearhart. The description seems to match a rare species, so far only recorded on Vancouver Island and in the northern Puget Sound. Copablepharon fuscum is a nocturnal species and is best observed by night-lighting a site. We will try in the next week or so, if we get the weather, to survey sites to find it. Perhaps the July lowdown...