Texas Highways, Volume 51 Number 10, October 2004 Page: 49
This periodical is part of the collection entitled: Texas State Publications and was provided to The Portal to Texas History by the UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
like me, you're starting from zero in
butterfly awareness, it makes sense to go
where the butterflies are abundant and
where knowledgeable people are eager to
help you learn what you're looking at.
I thumbed through Mike Quinn and
Mark Klym's pamphlet, An Introduction
to Butterfly Watching (Texas Parks and
Wildlife), and preregistered for a variety
of butterfly field trips and seminars be-
fore heading to Mission, ready to plunge
into festival activities and meet butterfly
believers from around the country.
"We'd been birding here in the Valley
numerous times before I went over the
edge on butterflies," says Lise Bixler of
Santa Cruz, California. Why does a
Californian come to the Texas border to
see butterflies? Because the Valley alone
has 300 species (more than are found in
all of California), with uncommon species
commuting across the Rio Grande like
curio shoppers. At the last festival, 129
species were spotted in four days.
With so many different butterflies to
keep track of, I wonder how I'll figure
out what's what. On the first day, I meet
Marge DeWalt of Madison, Wisconsin,
and adopt her common sense approach:
"Every year I learn a few more." I decide
to get five or six butterflies down pat-
learn to identify them with wings open
and closed (there's a big difference), opt-
ing for the biggest, most colorful, or most
common butterflies seen in the Valley.
Mornings during the festival, Mike
Overton holds short identification work-
shops, because he knows newcomers can
feel overwhelmed when handed a long
list of locally-seen butterflies. He takes us
through a slide presentation that makes
me think of an optometrist's test: "There's
this and...there's this," he says, switching
between slides of yellow butterflies. "See
the difference? Look at them again."
Mike advises us that some field marks in
popular books don't always work so
well, and he lets us head out to the field-
trip vans without giving us a quiz.
Unlike birding, butterflying begins
midmorning, once the sun has warmed
the air. Equipped with butterfly guides,
mosquito repellent, and bottles of water;
we head first to Edinburg Scenic Wet-lands and World Birding Center, where
butterflies abound on nearly four acres
of native plantings. It's not much of a tall
tale to say you have to be careful not to
breathe one in. Butterflies alight fre-
quently and let us get long careful looks.
Unlike birds, they are not startled away
by voices or movement (and, to identify
them, we don't need to learn any songs).
UNLIKE BIRDING,
butter flying begins
MIDMORNING,
once the sun has
WARMED THE AIR.
Like a ragtag chorus line, we bend
over, hands on knees, to get a closer look
at them. Some participants whip out
close-focus binoculars and digital cam-
eras to zoom in on the action.
Butterfly guide Bob Behrstock, who
comes to the festival each year from
Arizona, delights in talking to novices
and pointing out distinctive markings forus. "Queens will be the commonest but-
terfly we see here," he tells us. "See the
three dots that go up and down on the
open wing and the three that go from
there toward the body? That's how you
separate the Queens from the Soldiers,
which lack those three dots."
But butterflies are tricky: They display
certain colors and patterns when their
wings are spread wide and different pat-
terns and colors with wings closed. Even
the experts-and several come along on
each field trip-wonder about an occa-
sional sighting, murmuring, "Did we de-
cide what it is? I've never seen it
before." This uncertainty makes us begin-
ners feel better.
We waft from plant to plant, in a
funny way mimicking butterfly move-
ment. As we circle groups of butterflies,
drinking in their color and movement,
we also mimic puddling-that butterfly
behavior where they sip at the edge of
mud puddles taking in salt.
"Plant it and they will come" is the
motto of Amy Winters, director of
Edinburg Scenic Wetlands and World
Birding Center. Lantana, sage, mist-
flowei, milkweed, and Turk's cap provideflower, milkweed, and Turk's cap provide XVZ
L A.
"+. A,111 177
) 4 / f K M A " 7FP" N ' # - qC ^ B, t ?p d l.y $'4
'Y 'q , ,K, t r .j f, G ttJ :; ai ,) .Il "t Y "n*'p:,?. ',
"i l 2 r - M j ti ' ' S '. At, .. f' 'T..i'r . " t Ys 'l} \ t T r" t t 1{ 1 $ Y A a ',""r - // r
1 i '#f R ii i J { s 4
JO -1
Y r ..M
.r r' 'i ' ue_ ' t . 0, a-1',' +' is:. "C; F . _ l . ,4 , - 7' ,i= - " ." n=r.. rd " 1' : , ' ,t.1 l ; y (' 1 t" I
_ -, 1 r, a1.\' . i f ":-'y+ ' - ;;1., :1 '_''j-;.. - Y \-':{ ; _ oi': .."< i'f' 't . h:.l. - r.,irr ,1, -C3y: .(s" .,:{... '.>i t .. -
" J 's,. SSA i r, " . ' c k. 7t i. .. -"ice f' "'\S,:'-?i<'1:' .... ..r!i - i a _ h: .'' " ,s, >tii.=" r,.;4.,.a
. ,. .6' " ' -;!Y: , .y "r " + t ;,Z _ _ "..y.. :J w " 1 s. s t _ ... ;. rij "H'. .i 7- [a I y S? f: ;.Y
. >' - - r Y ; "; -i' .: 'c_. frr"r: .'ice:. \.. '' _ y%. ::., _. .tf - %r: , .5'
{ 1.? n'y ,; ^r'F' 4, -c ,i - - :ti-; v:: x -' ;7;.1 L , .m',%ai .' - . st'<S.:' i'f- :":r
_ "_1' - < : '. ," , <. ' , -L- ..a:,r i1 .r. . :t \ . 4'". - ' 1_ s ', Tyr~'::;, .: n_
'y "P. ,,,1...:'t' '11 ' \ - {ti :t~ ',-!Y'". 1.,._ri."; -_.r,-'J - ,. r*. "t " '_ . .
!"' is-7 " X4.1 }r 1r ' j" , 1 1% ir f!, .i:r r;t' .(="y'"-.y .. Y..r , ;1 =t:
f, ..w. .i, { ~ S.,yy ,,. i::4- " 'o 'j , - ' .. Vii; :S r. - _ . .i~w,,,.: -, p"i''' .- .i.
..r(Y 'Ir 4r 'i Tdlr lr \f . lry. :. , i'"Lr -r,' .f
,1 r : s ," '""' sY t' "" :ji ,,sr, k: ay ' .. ', ' c : l' i",:r ,.SIR t y 1 4:. :.r .. , ^ ' ' '; 3; .. i:. <: .h
r .. Yn, ' k,' ! ,, ., L" ' Yki :S: ' : '. .< ' .,....y?'> 1t : D.?: . - T ;'x'> f''lx
R ,y,. ' rCt .,y , ia >t E ' .'"s. r, "; a, ' _ . ,.y ;' ,Ia_ ,, (. . f;.
_ Ara _ i 1 \, 7 he y 3 n Y .w' .,t" " 4"t a, ..'F',: yy :, v
-t "'1 4 . . }klr '. i r,A n.' I'>! , I jG; ,e; ,. ^,. , "" '! ..:3.''~f >.i
i, . > 't .. I .r- ,, -+ ' , ;r(1 o" t: 'sir'', r, x,' ''i lf v, M
r+tiJi+y pk, '< _1 ,1. 'y, "4 .tr:q' 3/' t' "'f 1.; t'; +' ;, ;?. " i, ,'"- 4,4
ti f. .: r' ll y/. .i. y +i'jA ;: ,- .y I' .y=i >.A, .:t:f 1 '".i-. 4y' i .
I.V
?. L'- "" s.l i ;.er/,, 'li;^; i , 's l [. ti , 4 1 j" . a ,P, ,,avv IVY. :. a yet . G'7 , ,ii'1i:''f A F .j a; , g. ; j .
. I +1 ,{ ^ri . .i ' . !,. ,,,,fill ,. > ., y ; ?r - "@h. y '. , .. i,, ;. , , 3F, ;" S :r' \1 ,::' '.
!', F ,,r'\ ' "i)',':^a:. 4r ,yy 1//h e 1y,:^J: 91 tS" f1 _ > d ; > Y,
..i ,{; : : ", ., .m* .i' :' ;.?, r+ li l1'. (f .S, . , o:f v . ' i t'. ;'.' A'J['r -i i - l:" ..' . 'f, ii : {-"5 y r; .;G
-; ^ , ,,,\\, ,tj-. 1 1 'r'. a. d I, v:, C: + }-:' I - q4 V7 - , . . i, 'rA "'. ,* 'c " t?, ,- .rf.
"ki'\,- ' t y . ;,5 j si:'r , . -'; ,, N' . :rr 1. IIt Af'*1' + , r j, ;'I 'f !i:: ,..- 1 y' : ,'Y', n"=
.e.Y A . ; ,x" ,y.r _a ; ; ' ' jG :+t ' 1-"f.', "- A1 ' / lb ! ,/,>,, r e-. i w
_ l + At ,.."r / : rc r y ", rrt,,_, s - -e' .'
- ', Yom ""r" y ' ' "'> r3 ,+. j ,.f . ' +i ;
i3w ,:i :',t.Gi 46' w Kf'".?r .:a'r r . r /G':if fC '~'n; :, ".'SIYr 's"'a. :?i'. . ..c..' Li "
The festival offers four days of workshops, lectures, and field trips to gardens both private and pub-
lic. While some butterfly-watchers use close-focus binoculars, the naked eye works just fine, too.October 2004 TEXAS HIGHWAYS 49
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This issue can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Periodical.
Texas. Department of Transportation. Texas Highways, Volume 51 Number 10, October 2004, periodical, October 2004; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth839147/m1/53/: accessed April 23, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.