Agua Fria

The 2004 Fall Butterfly Walk was held at the Agua Fria National Monument north of Phoenix. A great group of enthusiastic participants included Bob McCormick, Marilyn Ponce, Donna Van Pelt, Anne Durning, Janice Huffman, Janet Halvorson, Anne Heiner-Smith, and Steve Fortier. The walk was led by area naturalists Melanie Dicus and John Dicus.

The day was sunny and warm--good conditions for observing butterflies. With many fly-by observations, some species had to be identified on the wing, while other butterflies afforded the group satisfying looks as they basked, puddled, nectared, or laid eggs.

Altogether, the group observed 24 butterflies species. These included the Checkered White, Orange Sulphur, Mexican Yellow, Dainty Sulphur, Sleepy Orange, Reakirt's Blue, Mormon Metalmark, American Snout, Variable Checkerspot (chrysalis/pupa), Bordered Patch, Elada Checkerspot, Painted Lady, Common Buckeye, Tropical Buckeye, Red-spotted Admiral, Viceroy, Empress Leilia, Monarch, Queen, Funeral Duskywing, White Checkered Skipper, Northern White Skipper, Orange Skipperling, and Pahaska Skipper. It wasn't just a day for butterflies, either. Other species of wildlife were observed during the 3-hour outing. Notably, a colorful 8-inch centipede, a brilliant neon skimmer dragonfly, bot flies, soldier flies, hover flies, large golden paper wasps, tarantula hawk wasps, and a beautiful diamondback rattlesnake poised to strike if any of the group's intrepid photographers had stepped too close. Thankfully, all survived the event unscathed. At the halfway point on our walk near the main channel of the Agua Fria River, one participant pointed out the tracks of several mammal species, including raccoon and mountain lion.

All in all, a successful day.