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Surveys, field trips, monthly local walks, and counts are open to anyone interested in seeing or learning about Monterey County butterflies

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Participants should bring water and a lunch or snacks. Many outings are all-day.  (monthly local walks are half-day).   You may drive separately if you wish to leave early.  Binoculars and/or camera are recommended; butterfly nets may be used for catch-and-release identification

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For meeting time and place, Contact Chris Tenney, 831-241-4820; tenneyx2@mac.com 

Next 2024 outing: Parkfield area 
Sunday, September 15     temps expected mid-70s-90s 
 This is a long day trip. We'll meet at Starbucks in Soledad for carpooling.  From there we re-convene at the county line on Cholame Road for W. Pygmy-Blue, Sandhill Skipper, and possible northbound strays from SoCal.  Next we drive a few miles north to Parkfield, then up the Parkfield Grade for Great Blue Hairstreak, Mormon Metalmark, and other species nectaring on nude buckwheat.  This was a successful trip last year at this time.  

2024 Outings Schedule
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  • surveys (S) precise dates are weather-dependent, and will be posted at least several days before each survey; these surveys often target rare or difficult-to-find species
  • butterfly counts (C) are scheduled for early June; exact dates will be posted following coordination with other California counts
  • field trips (F) are planned for a few species-rich areas at the best time of year; the dates below are only approximate, and will be firmed up as the seasonal phenology progresses
  • monthly peninsula-area walks (W) short half-day trips in the peninsula area; species and numbers will be counted to monitor seasonal changes in local butterfly populations

Outings every month

W: date TBD

Hatton Canyon and Soberanes Creek - on good weather days, butterflies can be active all months of the year in these peninsula-area canyons; species counts vary from just a few in Dec-Jan to 20 or more in May-June

January

S: 1-28-24

Partington Canyon - Sonoran Blue

S: 1-29-24

Hatton Canyon or Partington Canyon

S: date TBD

February

March

S: 3-8-24

F: 3-17 to 3-18

S: 3-15-24

Partington Canyon - Sonoran Blue

Garland Ranch - early scouting trip

King City and Parkfield - possible Edith's Checkerspot, Spring White, etc.

S: 3-20-24

Piney Creek Road - 19 species this week.

S: 3-25 to 3-26

Fort Hunter Liggett - early scouting trip

S: 4-16-24

April

Garland Ranch RP - Sonoran Blue, 15+ species

S: 4-29-24

East Carmel Valley Road - Common Sootywing, Edith's Checkerspot

May

S: 5-1-24

Hatton Canyon and Soberanes creek

S: 5-10-24

East Carmel Valley Road - Common Sootywing, checkerspots

S: 5-15-24

Parkfield area - Lindsey's Skipper, Lupine Blue

S: 5-22-24

Chews Ridge - sleepy and other duskywings, hairstreaks

F: 5-29-24

Pine Canyon Road - hairstreaks, 30+ possible species

S: 6-16-24

Chews Ridge - three fritillary species, silver-spotted skipper, 20+ species

C: 6-7-24

C: 6-8-24

C: 6-9-24

Butterfly count at UC Big Creek Reserve

Butterfly count at UC Hastings Reservation

Butterfly count at Monterey

F: 6-26-24

Pine Canyon Road - hairstreaks, coppers, blues, etc.; 20+ possible species

C: 6-2-24

Butterfly count at Pinnacles National Park

June

July

F: 7-3-24

Chews Ridge - fritillaries, hairstreaks, coppers, checkerspots, etc.; 20+ possible species

August

F: 8-14-24

King City along the Salinas River - we search for Melissa Blue, a county rarity

September

F: 9-15-24

Parkfield area - Great Blue hairstreak, et al. (see above)

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