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The Rochester Butterfly Club is an independent club formed to promote the study of butterflies in Western New York. We focus on habitat, environment, life cycles, education, and reporting our findings.
Save the date
Our Annual Meeting
Monday, April 25, 2011 at 7:30 p.m.
Downstairs Meeting Room at Brighton Town Hall, 2300
Elmwood Avenue.
Dragonflies, Moths and Butterflies
Steve Diehl and Vici Zaremba will be our presenters at the April meeting. They have taught nature photography workshops for 30 years and been involved in many unique photography projects.
Vici and Steve will present images from their research and discuss photography techniques for dragonflies and damselflies, moths, and butterflies as well as the use of flatbed scanners as cameras for scanning specimens
The Rochester Butterfly Club is an independent club formed to promote the study of butterflies in Western New York. We focus on butterfly watching, habitat, environment, life cycles, education, and reporting our findings.
Field Trips
One of the best ways to learn about butterflies and where to find them is to go on a field trip with experienced leaders who will share their knowledge with you. Each year the Rochester Butterfly Club organizes at least 15 guided field trips to prime butterfly spots in the local area, including some members’ gardens. These trips take place on both weekdays and weekends. The trips are listed in our annual schedule sent out to members in the spring. We are always pleased to welcome non-members on our trips. You need only to show up at our butterfly walks as announced in the printed schedule. If you have them, bring a pair of binoculars and a butterfly identification book. (If you don’t have a book of your own, try your local library.)
Newsletter
Members receive our newsletter “Butterly News,” which is published 3 times a year. It includes a variety of articles and topical information about our local butterflies.
If you would like to become a member of the Rochester Butterfly Club, an application can be found here.
Club Officers:
President: Carol Southby Vice President / Secretary: Shirley Shaw Treasurer: Lucretia Grosshans Statistics: Bill McCleary Editor Norma Platt For information about the Rochester Butterfly Club, contact Lucretia Crosshans.
ROCHESTER BUTTERFLY
CLUB
2011 FIELD TRIPS and
ACTIVITIES
Our field trips will take place rain or shine, but not during thunder storms. On cloudy or showery days, we will have a general nature walk, and look for caterpillars, hiding butterflies and plants that butterflies use. With luck the sun will come out and with it, the butterflies.
Most of our field trips last about 2 hours. Some continue into the afternoon, especially those that are further away, shown by the driving time from Rochester. Bring a cold drink and for the longer trips, your lunch.
***** Long pants and appropriate footgear are strongly recommended, as there is often poison ivy *****
We have provided contact numbers in case you would like more information about a field trip. For most of our field trips, just come along to the meeting place listed. For most of our field trips, an alternative meeting place may usually be arranged, if needed, via one of the contact numbers. A few field trips do require pre-registration, as noted.
Please bring close focusing binoculars, a field guide and your camera, but leave your butterfly nets at home, because they can injure wings, legs and antennae.
Non-members are welcome to join our activities. All field trips by Rochester Butterfly Club except as noted.
| April 25 | INDOOR TALK “DRAGONFLIES, MOTHS AND BUTTERFLIES” *** NEW *** |
| Monday 7:30 pm |
By Steve Diehl and Vici Zaremba |
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In the Downstairs meeting room at Brighton Town Hall, 2300 Elmwood Avenue, west of Twelve Corners. The room is on the lower level, access is from the back of building. |
| May 7 | ROME SAND PLAINS This trip will take place in fair weather only |
| Saturday | Full day trip, about 2+ hours drive from Rochester. Meeting time, place, car pool and other details will be given on registration. Some easy dry trails and a two+ mile trail through wet terrain. Space is limited; priority will be given to members and their guests. For more information and to register, contact us by Thursday May 5 |
| May 21 | GENESEE LAND TRUST NATIVE PLANT SALE |
| Saturday 8:30 am to 2:00 pm |
At the Brighton Town Hall located at 2300 Elmwood Ave., Rochester 14618 Arrive early for best selection. For more information, www.geneseelandtrust.org |
| June 9 | WESLEY HILL PRESERVE, Anna Brown Tract |
| Thursday 9:00 am |
Meet at the Park and Ride parking lot by the Bushnell’s Basin Exit of Route I-490. |
| June 11 | ADIRONDACK MOUNTAIN CLUB OUTDOOR EXPO MENDON PONDS PARK |
| Saturday 9 am - 4 pm |
At the Beach Area at Hundred Acre Pond. Activities promoting many different types of outdoor related topics will take place throughout the day. Web site for more info: http://www.adk-gvc.org/expo |
| June 14 | POWDER MILLS PARK and other places nearby |
| Tuesday 10 am | Meet at the Fish Hatchery parking lot on Park Road, which is off Route 96, just south of Bushnell’s Basin. |
| June 18 | ROCHESTER AREA “4th OF JULY” COUNT (Rain Date, Sunday June 19) |
| Saturday from 10 am |
Several different locations, including Mendon Ponds Park, Powder Mills Park, High Acres Nature Area and Thousand Acre Swamp. We team new butterfliers with more experienced leaders. |
| June 25 | Back Yard Habitat Tour, sponsored by Genesee Land Trust (GLT) |
| Saturday 9 am to 4 pm |
Visit gardens planted to attract butterflies and wildlife. Tickets go on sale in May with member discounts sold at the Land Trust office. Tickets also available at all Wegmans. For more information call Margaret Potter at GLT, 256-2130 or www.geneseelandtrust.org |
| June 28 | SIBLEYVILLE TRAIL and MENDON DRUMLIN |
| Tuesday 10 am |
Meet in the Visitors Center parking lot at Mendon Ponds Park on Pond Road just off Clover St. (Rt. 65). We will explore the butterfly garden and then car pool to explore the other areas nearby. Wear sturdy shoes and be prepared for off trail exploration, possible wet areas and poison ivy. Bring lunch. |
| July 6 | RATTLESNAKE HILL WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA |
| Wednesday 9 am |
Meet at the Park and Ride lot at Rt. 15 and Rt. 251 off I-390, exit 11 for Rush. The area is about a one hour drive from Rush. Bring Lunch |
| July 9 | LETCHWORTH STATE PARK 4th OF JULY COUNT (Rain Date, Sunday July 10) |
| Saturday from 10 am | Several different locations. We can team new butterfliers with more experienced leaders, and car pool from Rochester. If you would like to participate, contact Douglas Bassett, Park Naturalist at 493-3625 |
| July 9 | LETCHWORTH STATE PARK |
| Saturday 10 am |
One of the Letchworth State Park programs. Butterfly walk, meet at Lower Falls restaurant near south end of park. About 1 ½ hours drive from Rochester. |
| July 16 | GANONDAGAN STATE HISTORIC SITE, FORT HILL AREA |
| Saturday 9:30 am | Joint trip with Burroughs Audubon Nature Club., to search for butterflies and other insects as well as breeding birds. The trail is a gentle climb except for the last 50 yards of steep incline to reach the meadow atop Fort Hill. Meet in the parking lot on Boughton Hill Rd. (Ontario County Rd. 41) opposite Murray Rd . about 1.1 miles west of the Ganondagon Visitor Center. Directions: Take Rt I-490 East to Victor exit (last exit before Thruway). Continue east / south on Rt 96 to the light in the middle of Victor, then right on Rt 444 (East St.) up the hill to light at intersection, then right onto Boughton Hill Rd. Parking lot is 1.1 miles on the right. Lunch optional. |
| August 2 | GANARGUA CREEK MEADOW PRESERVE |
| Tuesday 10 am | Joint trip with Burroughs Audubon Nature Club. Meet at the new trail entrance near the intersection of Wilkinson and Victor Rd. in Wayne County, about 40 minutes from Rochester. Directions: From Route 31 in Macedon, turn south onto Route 306 (Wayneport Road). Turn east onto Wilkinson Road and drive to parking lot on right, just before T intersection with Victor Road. |
| August 11 | BLACK CREEK PARK IMPORTANT, *****NOTE CHANGE OF MEETING PLACE**** |
| Thursday 10 am |
Meet outside Byrne Dairy just south of exit #4 from Route 1-490 west, at southeast corner of intersection of Union Street (Rt 259) and Chili Ave. ( Rt 33A). We will car pool from there to a nearby area of the park. Bring lunch. |
| August 17 | BURGER PARK |
| Wednesday 10 am |
Meet in the parking lot at Braddock Bay Park, near the lodge. Directions: Take Lake Ontario Parkway west and exit at East Manitou Road. Go north to the park entrance, then follow park road to the north. About 30 minutes drive from Rochester. We will car pool from here. Bring lunch. |
| August 27 | GANARGUA CREEK MEADOW PRESERVE |
| Saturday 10 am | Joint trip with Genesee Land Trust. If you missed the field trip earlier this month, here is a second chance. Meet at the new trail entrance near the intersection of Wilkinson and Victor Rd. in Wayne County, about 40 minutes from Rochester. Directions: From Route 31 in Macedon, turn south onto Route 306 (Wayneport Road). Turn east onto Wilkinson Road and drive to parking lot on right, just before T intersection with Victor Road. |
| August 1 thru October 15 |
MONARCH COUNT |
| Keep a count list and send it to us via this web site. | |
**** Please remember to send all your butterfly sightings ****
Whenever you go out butterflying or are just sitting on your back porch, keep a list of the butterflies you see and how many of each. Be sure to record the location and date of each sighting and the observers. If the town and county of the sightings are not well known, record those also. Finally, if you see any other interesting things such as caterpillars (if you can identify them) or a female butterfly laying eggs, see if you can also identify the plant and send this information along as well.
You can send your records to Bill either as you make them or at the end of the season. Send them on our standard checklist record sheets or in any other form that you prefer.
Lots of information about the Monarch Butterfly
North American Butterfly Association
Greg Lasley Nature Photography
North American Insects and Spiders
Robert Michael Pyle's account of his butterfly big year in Orion Magazine.
Help preserve the Auburn Trail. Information can be found here.
If you would like to download this list for printing, you can find it here.
If you would like to download this list for printing, you can find it here.
If you would like to download this list for printing, you can find it here.
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Butterfly host plants:
| Butterfly Species | Caterpillar Plants | |||
| Trees and Shrubs | ||||
| Tiger Swallowtail | American hornbeam | ash | tulip tree | wild cherry |
| Spicebush Swallowtail | sassafras | spicebush | ||
| Harvester | woolly aphids on alder | |||
| Coral Hairstreak | black cherry | choke cherry | ||
| Acadian Hairstreak | small willows | |||
| Banded Hairstreak | oaks | |||
| Hickory Hairstreak | hickory | |||
| Striped Hairstreak | American hornbeam | black chokeberry | hawthorn | |
| Spring Azure | flowering dogwood | maple-leaf viburnum | New Jersey tea | shrubby dogwoods |
| Question Mark | elm | (and herbaceous) | ||
| Eastern Comma | elm | (and herbaceous) | ||
| Compton Tortoiseshell | birch | |||
| Mourning Cloak | elm | poplar | willow | |
| White Admiral | American hornbeam | black cherry | cottonwood | oak |
| Red-spotted Purple | American hornbeam | black cherry | cottonwood | oak |
| Viceroy | small poplars | small willows | ||
| Hackberry Emperor | hackberry | |||
| Tawny Emperor | hackberry | |||
| Silver-spotted Skipper | black locust | |||
| Dreamy Duskywing | birch | poplar | ||
| Juvenal's Duskywing | oaks | |||
| Butterfly Species | Caterpillar Plants | |||
| Herbaceous | ||||
| Black Swallowtail | dill | fennel | parsley | Queen Anne's Lace |
| West Virginia White | toothwort | |||
| Cabbage White | cabbage family | |||
| Clouded Sulphur | clovers | |||
| Orange Sulphur | alfalfa | |||
| American Copper | sheep sorrel | |||
| Bronze Copper | swamp dock | |||
| Eastern-tailed Blue | pea family | |||
| Great Spangled Fritillary | violets | |||
| Aphrodite Fritillary | violets | |||
| Atlantis Fritillary | violets | |||
| Silver-bordered Fritillary | violets | |||
| Meadow Fritillary | violets | |||
| Butterfly Species | Caterpillar Plants | |||
| Herbaceous | ||||
| Harris' Checkerspot | flat topped aster | |||
| Pearl Crescent | asters | |||
| Baltimore Checkerspot | English plantain | white turtlehead | ||
| Question Mark | hops | nettle species | ||
| Eastern Comma | nettle species | |||
| Milbert's Tortoiseshell | nettle species | |||
| American Lady | pearly everlasting | sweet everlasting | ||
| Painted Lady | bull thistle | nodding thistle | ||
| Red Admiral | nettle species | |||
| Monarch | common milkweed | swamp milkweed | butterflyweed | |
| Hoary-edge Skipper | tick trefoils (Desmodium) | |||
| Southern Cloudywing | tick trefoils (Desmodium) | |||
| Northern Cloudywing | bush clovers (Lespedeza) | tick trefoils (Desmodium) | ||
| Wild Indigo Duskywing | wild indigo (Baptisia) | |||
| Common Checkered Skipper | mallow family | |||
| Butterfly Species | Caterpillar Plants | |||
| Grasses and Sedges | ||||
| Northern Pearly Eye | grasses | |||
| Eyed Brown | sedges (Carex) | |||
| Appalachian Brown | sedges (Carex) | |||
| Little Wood Satyr | grasses | |||
| Common Ringlet | grasses | |||
| Common Wood Nymph | grasses | |||
| Arctic Skipper | grasses | |||
| Least Skipper | grasses | |||
| European Skipper | Timothy grass | |||
| Leonard's Skipper | grasses | |||
| Peck's Skipper | grasses | |||
| Tawny-edged Skipper | grasses | |||
| Crossline Skipper | grasses | |||
| Long Dash | grasses | |||
| Northern Broken Dash | grasses | |||
| Little Glassywing | grasses | |||
| Delaware Skipper | grasses | |||
| Hobomok Skipper | grasses | |||
| Dion Skipper | sedges (Carex) | |||
| Broad-winged Skipper | Phragmites | |||
| Dun Skipper | sedges (Carex) |
Home of the Rochester Butterfly Club photo gallery. Members of the Rochester Butterfly Club can register and post their pictures of butterflies, and other related things, after their gallery is set up.
Right now I'm in the testing stage. If you're willing to help with the testing, just go the gallery and register. Then email the webmaster and let me know that you are willing to help with the test. I will then create your album and you can start uploading your photos (jpegs only).
Note: This photo gallery is for Rochester Butterfly Club members only.
There is no need to worry about the size of your image. It will downsized to around 100kB when you upload it.
Please note:
By clicking on the link below you are agreeing that you will not post any specific information about the location of any butterfly or moth. You are free to post the date, time and county, but nothing more specific.
The gallery can be found here.