National Catahoula Wildlife Management Preserve (Kisatchie NF, Grant Parish) -- 7/27/2019

White-tailed Deer doe and fawn

Related Posts
 same location on March 28, 2019:
https://falloutbird2014.blogspot.com/2019/04/national-catahoula-wildlife-management.html
 Sicily Island Hills the previous day (July 26, 2019):
https://falloutbird2014.blogspot.com/2019/08/sicily-island-hills-catahoula-parish.html
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   On July 27 I went to the National Catahoula Wildlife Management Preserve (or Catahoula National Wildlife Management Preserve as it's also presented in some contexts) in the Kisatchie National Forest. The Preserve is mostly in northern Grant Parish, with some western portions in southern Winn Parish. I spent my time in the Grant Parish section. I birded and butterflyed along FS Rd 556 from LA-472 to US-167, FS Rd 558 from US-167 to FS Rd 155, and 155 south a little ways to Saddle Bayou, just across the Preserve boundary. Here are some habitat shots before we continue.

FS Rd 556

FS Rd 556

FS Rds 556 and 521

the White-breasted Nuthatch spot on FS Rd 556 -- there's a good amount of hardwoods mixed in with the pines

pond on FS Rd 556 on east side of railroad tracks -- a great butterfly spot

pond between RR and US-167

open piney woods along FS Rd 558, west of US-167

one of several creeks that FS 558 crosses

looking down FS Rd 155 at Saddle Bayou creek bottoms (just outside the preserve)

Saddle Bayou

   Bird detection by song was only so-so at best-- not surprising considering the time of year. However, a Bachman's Sparrow was heard singing on FS Rd 556 at ~1:45 p.m., when I was retracing my route on the way out of the woods. It was not heard at that same locale that morning. A few Hooded and Pine Warblers sang from time to time.
   The bird highlight of the day was the two White-breasted Nuthatches seen beside FS Rd 556, about 0.2 miles east of the railroad crossing. These nuthatches can be hard to find in Cenla.

two White-breasted Nuthatches

White-breasted Nuthatch -- FS Rd 556

   There are dead pine snags around the pond located between the RR and US-167. Here there was a Red-headed Woodpecker resting on one snag, and a Mississippi Kite on another.

Mississippi Kite getting some sun

   At FS Rd 556 near LA-472 I watched a group of White-tailed Deer. The group consisted of two adult does, a young fawn, and a young buck with small, velvet-covered antlers. The little buck was probably born this time last year, presumably to one of these does.

the little buck

doe 1

doe 2 and fawn

the fawn

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   Videos: At first it was the buck and one of the does that I could see. Eventually the other doe lead her fawn out of the woods to join them.

   Though wary of me, the deer continued ambling about the road for a while, until I decided to drive on. Just as I started driving, I noticed what I thought was another deer up the road at a spot that would have been partially obscured from where I'd parked. Binoculars up: its a Coyote.

Coyote

 The Coyote, if it was in the road before I ran the deer off with the truck, would have had a clear line of sight to the deer. Did I disturb a hunt in progress?

I believe that's the Coyote in the road in the upper right corner, just behind those pine needles

sneaky Coyote

   On FS Rd 556, I spotted a Copperhead warming itself in the morning sun. I got out for some pics, but it slithered off into the grass.

Copperhead, the truck casting a shadow over its sunny spot

Copperhead

   The first butterflies stirring were Gemmed Satyrs and Carolina Satyrs. Early on I also saw three Common Wood-Nymphs, the first that I've seen in Grant Parish.

Common Wood-Nymph -- FS Rd 556

Common Wood-Nymph -- FS Rd 556

   Two or three of what I first thought were especially white alba form female Little Yellows I now think are Barred Yellow! I overlooked this, somehow, until today when I took a closer look at the photo that I obtained and compared it to pictures in a field guide. As far as I am aware, Barred Yellows aren't typically found in the part of Louisiana west of the Mississippi River. However, there was a report from late July, 2017 of a Barred Yellow at the Catahoula Hummingbird and Butterfly Garden (near Bentley), which is also in the Kisatchie NF in Grant Parish.
   My Barred Yellow sightings (if they are Barred Yellow -- there's still some question that they could be Little Yellow) were along a stretch of FS Rd 556, I'd estimate 0.5 miles west of LA-472, as the butterflies were beginning to stir, around 8:25 a.m. - 8:30 a.m.

tentative ID: alba form Barred Yellow -- FS Rd 556

   Cloudywings -- Northern and Confused -- were out in good numbers. Some were pretty clearly one or the other (my opinion), but others were difficult to ID.

Confused Cloudywing ...I think. Note the white face. -- corner of FS Rds 556 and 521; same individual in picture below 

same individual as above photo -- I think its a Confused Cloudywing. Note that white marks on the forewing form a straight line.

Northern Cloudywing - note the dark face -- FS Rd 556

Northern Cloudywing -- FS Rd 556

   Skippers that were either Dun Skipper or Little Glassywing were a common sight. I counted around 40 that would be either one or the other of these species, but too often couldn't tell which species I was seeing. Taken together, these LGW/Dun Skipper were the most numerous butterflies of the day.

two Little Glassywing (?) nectaring on Ironweed -- FS Rd 558

Fortunately I took lots of pictures of the LGW/Duns and tried to keep separate tallies in my notes based on varying levels of confidence as to which species I'd just counted, so I may have a rough count for each of these species once I have some more knowledgeable butterfly folks look at the pictures. For now, I'll lump the total together in the butterfly list below. My impression is that Little Glassywing significantly outnumbered Dun Skipper.

tentative ID: Little Glassywing -- FS Rd 556

tentative ID: Little Glassywing

Little Glassywing?

I think this one might be a Dun Skipper -- pond by RR

   Perhaps the single best spot for butterflies was the roadside vegetation where FS Rd 556 runs beside a pond immediately east of the railroad crossing.

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Here, there was a good amount of Buttonbush, as well as lots of Brazilian Verbena and an assortment of other flowers, attracting a nice variety of butterfly species and a nice concentration of individuals.

Hoary Edge nectaring on Brazilian Verbena -- one of several at this pond

one of several Horace's Duskywings at this pond

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail nectaring on Buttonbush at the pond

The next pond along FS Rd 556, about halfway between the railroad and US-167, also had a good number of butterflies, especially swallowtails (Eastern Tiger, Spicebush, and Pipevine).

at the pond between RR and US-167 -- This orb-weaver spider picked a prime location for its web if it wanted to catch butterflies.

   Another standout location was along the roadside at FS Rd 558 in the pine woods east of the creeks that the road crosses just east of Rd 155. I'd estimate this is ~0.4 miles east of the intersection with Rd 155. Here, there was a lot of Liatris and enough butterflies, both in numbers of individuals and species, to rival the RR pond spot.

best butterfly locale for FS Rd 558 -- the creek bottoms can be seen down the road; I'd estimate this is ~0.4 miles east of Rd 155

Zebra Swallowtail and Giant Swallowtail nectaring on blazing star (Liatris) at the above location on FS Rd 558

   Really, anywhere with a good amount of Blazing Star (Liatris) or Ironweed (Vernonia) was a good place to stop for butterflies. Patches of Liatris were a common sight, and Vernonia was found here and there, sometimes several blooming Vernonia close together.
   The first Lace-winged Roadside-Skippers that I've seen in Grant Parish were two seen along FS Rd 558 this day. One was nectaring on Ironweed a little ways from the road in open pine forest, 0.5 miles west of US-167. The other was approx. a third of a mile east of Rd 155, nectaring on roadside flowers at the west end of the 'good butterfly location' mentioned above.

Lace-winged Roadside-Skipper number 1, nectaring on Ironweed (Vernonia) -- FS Rd 558

In both cases, this skipper's host plant, switch cane, was not noticed in the immediate vicinity, but was present in fair amounts within about 0.2 miles of the sightings, if not closer.
   Zebra Swallowtails -- easily one of the most attractive butterflies in our region, and a personal favorite of mine -- were active. I saw nine on FS Rd 558, and one more on Rd 155.

Zebra Swallowtail (with its mint, chocolate, and cherry coloring) nectaring on Liatris -- FS Rd 558

The Zebra Swallowtails were usually nectaring on Liatris, though one took a liking to my shirt and repeatedly landed on it, and when I thought I'd shaken it, it followed me into the truck through an open window. I finally got it to leave before I drove off. Whether it was attracted to the new botanical detergent I had used to wash the shirt the night before, the color pattern of blue, red, white, and purple plaid, or if it was simply attracted to sweat, I don't know.

Zebra Swallowtail

Zebra Swallowtail after it left the truck

The other Zebra Swallowtails that I encountered at close range didn't seem to be effected, though one Little Glassywing also landed on me several times and followed into the truck.

Little Glassywing

   Below are lists for birds, butterflies, mammals, herps, dragonflies, and a few wildflowers from this outing.

National Catahoula Wildlife Management Preserve
July 27, 2019
7:41 a.m.; 6 hrs 27 mins; 6.8 miles
69 - 94 F.; sunny much of the time, but with periods of variable/mostly cloudy sky; wind ~ 1 - 3 Beaufort

Birds

Wood Duck - 1
Wild Turkey - 1
Mourning Dove - 2
Yellow-billed Cuckoo - 7
Mississippi Kite - 1

Mississippi Kite -- pond between RR and US-167

Red-headed Woodpecker - 1

Red-headed Woodpecker

Red-bellied Woodpecker - 2
Downy Woodpecker - 2
Pileated Woodpecker - 5
Eastern Wood-Pewee - 1
Acadian Flycatcher - 2
Great Crested Flycatcher - 2
White-eyed Vireo - 5
Red-eyed Vireo - 3
Blue Jay - 7
American Crow - 1
Carolina Chickadee - 15
Tufted Titmouse - 15
White-breasted Nuthatch - 2

White-Breasted Nuthatch

Brown-headed Nuthatch - 1 (possibly more than 1 together calling)
Carolina Wren - 20
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher - 3
Bachman's Sparrow - 1
Hooded Warbler - 6
Pine Warbler - 4
Summer Tanager - 1
Northern Cardinal - 17
Blue Grosbeak - 1
Indigo Bunting - 10

Butterflies

Silver-spotted Skipper - 1
Hoary Edge - 12

two Hoary Edges -- FS Rd 558 just west of US-167

Hoary Edge -- pond by RR

Northern Cloudywing - *

Northern Cloudywing - pond between RR and US-167

Northern Cloudywing - FS Rd 556 east of RR

Northern Cloudywing -- FS Rd 556

Northern Cloudywing -- FS Rd 556

Confused Cloudywing - *

Confused Cloudywing - FS Rd 558

cloudywing sp. - *18 - most probably Northern, a few Confused
Horace's Duskywing - 7

Horace's Duskywing -- pond by RR

Horace's Duskywing -- pond by RR

female Horace's Duskywing -- pond between RR and US-167

duskywing sp. - 6

Horace's Duskywing? - immediately west of RR

Fiery Skipper - 1

Fiery Skipper -- FS Rd 556 at pond by RR

Little Glassywing - *

Little Glassywing -- FS Rd 558 -- same individual the two pictures below

Little Glassywing -- same individuals in pics above and below

Little Glassywing -- same individuals in above two pics

Dun Skipper - *
Dun Skipper/Little Glassywing ? - * 38, plus probably more among "skipper sp."
Lace-winged Roadside-Skipper - 2

Lace-winged Roadside-Skipper nectaring on Vernonia -- FS Rd 558

skipper sp. - 16, mostly poorly seen while driving and unable to relocate - many probably additional LGW/Dun, but 2 or 3 were small orange skippers such as Least Skipper or Southern Skipperling

Pipevine Swallowtail - 9
Zebra Swallowtail - 10

Zebra Swallowtail nectaring on Liatris

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail - 5

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail nectaring on Buttonbush -- pond between RR and US-167

Spicebush Swallowtail - 24

Spicebush Swallowtail -- FS Rd 558

two Spicebush Swallowtails -- FS Rd 558

Giant Swallowtail - 1

Giant Swallowtail nectaring on Liatris -- FS Rd 558

dark swallowtail sp. - 7
Cloudless Sulphur - 24

female Cloudless Sulphur ovipositing on Partridge Pea -- FS Rd 556, by second pond

(tentative ID) Barred Yellow - 2 or 3

tentative ID: alba form Barred Yellow

Little Yellow - 20 or 21
Sleepy Orange - 5

Sleepy Orange -- FS Rd 556

'Astyanax' Red-spotted Purple - 7
Pearl Crescent - 2
Common Buckeye - 1
Gemmed Satyr - 3

Gemmed Satyr -- FS Rd 556

Carolina Satyr - 10

Carolina Satyr -- FS Rd 556

Common Wood-Nymph - 3

Common Wood-Nymph -- FS Rd 556

Mammals
Coyote, White-tailed Deer

White-tailed Deer -- doe and young buck

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two does, fawn, young buck

Herps
(all frogs heard vocalizing)
Blanchard's Cricket Frog, Cope's Gray Treefrog, Green (Bronze) Frog; Copperhead

Copperhead

Dragonflies
Common Whitetail, Eastern Pondhawk, Blue Dasher, skimmer spp. (probably including Great Blue Skimmer and Slaty Skimmer), Banded Pennant, Common Green Darner, and probably others

Banded Pennant -- pond by RR

Wildflowers
Blazing Star (Liatris sp.) -

Blazing Star (Liatris sp.)

Blazing Star (Liatris sp.)

Blazing Star (Liatris sp.)

Ironweed (Vernonia sp -- short ones) -

Ironweed (Vernonia sp.)

Ironweed (Vernonia sp.)

Brazilian Verbena, other verbena sp., Buttonbush, Coreopsis sp., Meadow-Beauty (Rhexia sp., such as R. mariana), Partridge Pea (Chamaecrista sp.), Loosestrife (Lythrum sp.), Bitterweed or Sneezeweed (Helenium amarum), Bigroot Morning-Glory, Cotton Morning-Glory, Rudbeckia, and others...

   As always, if you spot an incorrect ID for anything in this post or have suggestions for those that I'm unsure about, feel free to let me know.

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