Observation date: March 28, 2015
Date notes: Observed here for at least a week.
Submitted by: Kristie Nelson
Specimen type: Photograph
Observation notes: Species is locally common here annually. Standing at the spot where photo was taken (small spring adjacent to Dechambeau Creek), I could see 5 (perhaps 6) territorial individuals. A few more are within about 200m, by the creekside or spring.
I see them annually, and are always the first butterfly I see in spring (earlier than Mourning Cloaks). Typically I start seeing them by mid-March or so. I have in old notes the first one I saw in 2010 was on March 19, and that was a pretty big snowpack year locally. Earliest date I've noted them was last year (warm, drought winter) on February 10, 2014! That seemed early for the 7000' location, as some Februarys snow can be a couple feet or more here; covering the surrounding Sagebrush entirely (but sure not in the last few years).
Status: Resident
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: March 30, 2015
Coordinator notes: These are always great to see-Ken Davenport
