Butterflies, like birds, are colorful...and free

Irecently asked kids at a local day camp what they liked about birds. Many mentioned the pretty colors of cardinals and blue jays. Others were jealous about birds' ability to fly.

The butterfly is another pretty creature that flies, and this is the time of year to watch them in our gardens and parks.

"Most butterfliers start out as birders," admits Jim Nottke, a member of the Carolina Butterfly Society and a 12-year observer of local butterflies. One June morning, I strayed from my usual search for two-winged creatures and met Jim and birder/butterflier Gene Schepker at Washington Park to learn more about our four-winged fliers. You may not have noticed, but butterflies do have four wings -- two forewings and two hindwings that they hold up together when they rest.

The association of birding and butterfly enthusiasts seems natural enough. Birds rely on butterflies and their caterpillar larvae for food. Also, butterflies are flower pollinators and are important part of the plant life cycle that generates the seeds many birds eat. And, on a warm summer day, it is hard to notice one without seeing the other flitting among the trees and flowers.

A welcoming meadow

At Washington Park, we pushed through a small meadow of common milkweed and dogbane that attracted numerous Silver-spotted Skippers and Buckeyes. Early in the morning, the butterflies sat with wings open, warming their bodies in the sun. With warmth, the activity increased. Soon there were yellow Clouded Sulphurs and orange Monarchs and Great-spangled Frittilaries, among others.

Jim pointed out that butterfly activity actually slows down in June. It is a time between broods of butterflies. It also is the time when birds are most active eating and feeding their young the caterpillars that would turn into butterflies. By mid-July, though, the butterfly activity picks up and lasts through early fall.

That June morning, we saw few of the large Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, although this species has several flights from early spring until fall. Most of us know this butterfly and the Monarch. The male tiger has vertical black stripes on yellow wings, with little tails on the hind wings. Some females also are yellow, but in our area many are black with some blue at the base of the back wings. This coloring mimics the Pipe-vine Swallowtail, which birds find distasteful. The tiger lays its eggs high in tulip poplar, black cherry or basswood trees, and the caterpillars feed on the leaves.

Monarch butterflies also are distasteful for birds, and we know them for their long-distance migration to California and Mexico in the fall.

But only individuals that emerge from chrysalises in late summer make the trip south to survive the winter. Those emerging earlier have short life cycles of weeks not months. In spring, the successful migrants begin the return journey, but leave it to offspring to re-colonize the family home in the north.

The Monarch also has its mimic. The Viceroy is orange and black, but it is smaller, has only one row of dots along its black wing borders, and has a thin black strip on each hind wing.

Just like birds, butterflies can be difficult to identify. Even large, easy-to-see species often have subtle color variations. Some are quite small, like the Azure or Eastern-tailed Blue that are little more than an inch across. Also, many act like warblers and never sit still for you to get a good look. Moreover, www.butterfliesandmoths.org lists about 90 different species for Forsyth County alone.

For a field guide to butterflies, Jim Nottke recommends Butterflies Through Binoculars, edited by Jeffrey Glassberg. This guide has photos of live butterflies in the field. For children and beginners, Peterson First Guides Butterflies and Moths provides a decent introduction.

The Carolina Butterfly Society has a Web site, www.carolinabutterflysociety.org, with links to informational resources, gardening tips and news about butterfly outings. The "gardening" page points out that, although adult butterflies drink nectar from many flowers, they lay eggs only on certain plants that nourish their caterpillars. Good flowers for nectar include coneflower, coreopsis, bee balm, liatris, zinnia and, of course, butterfly bush. To host caterpillars, try milkweed for Monarchs, dill or fennel for Black Swallowtails and passionvine for frittilaries. Fruit trees, such as crab apple, plum and serviceberry, also host a variety of caterpillars. Caterpillars will not thrive on plants sprayed with pesticide, so ask nurseries about their practices. The best nurseries probably are those with caterpillars in residence.

The Triad chapter of the Carolina Butterfly Society holds butterfly outings and even official counts. Jim will lead a Forsyth County count on Aug. 23. On Sept. 8, Lea Nading will lead a walk at Historic Bethabara Park. Check the chapter's calendar for evening programs, too. For more information about the Triad chapter, e-mail Dennis Burnette at deburnette@triad.rr.com or call 299-4342.

■ Bird's-Eye View is a joint column by Ron Morris and Phil Dickinson. Today's column was written by Dickinson. Dickinson is a legal writer. He has been an active birder for 15 years, and is a past president of the Audubon Society of Forsyth County and chairs the conservation committee. Morris retired after 24 years as curator at the N.C. Zoo. He has studied birds around the world and is currently the vice president of the Audubon Society of Forsyth County. If you have a birding question or story idea, write to Bird's-Eye View in care of Features, Winston-Salem Journal, P.O. Box 3159, Winston-Salem, N.C. 27101-3159, or send an e-mail to birding@wsjournal.com. Please type "birds" in the subject line.