Central Louisiana Birding & Wildlife: Butterfly Counts, 2021: Kisatchie Longleaf Trail and Catahoula NWR

Hackberry Emperor - Catahoula NWR Count, 7/24/21

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Related Blog Posts:

- Kisatchie Count 2019 (with link back to 2018):

https://falloutbird2014.blogspot.com/2019/06/longleaf-trail-butterfly-count-2019.html

- Catahoula NWR Count 2020 (with links back to previous years' counts):

https://falloutbird2014.blogspot.com/2020/08/2020-catahoula-nwr-naba-butterfly-count.html

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Kisatchie Longleaf Trail NABA Butterfly Count, 2021

Natchitoches Parish

July 18, 2021; 9:30am-3:00pm; hot, sunny, some light breeze

7 observers; count compiler: Jeff Trahan

Count circle has a 7.5 mile radius and is centered at the junction of FS Rds 321 and 380.

Areas surveyed: numerous locations in the Kisatchie National Forest Kisatchie Ranger District in southern Natchitoches Parish.

Habitat Shots:

Longleaf Scenic Vista Rec. Area

FS Rd 360

Caroline Dormon Trail

FS Rd 360

FS Rd 360 near Bayou L'Ivrogne (or one of its tributaries)

one of the many creeks along FS Rd 360

FS Rd 380

the spring at FS Rd 380

spring-fed hillside pitcherplant bog - FS Rd 380

view along FS Rd 365

FS Rd south off of FS 365

Kisatchie Bayou at campground

Kisatchie Bayou Campground

Kisatchie Bayou

Longleaf Scenic Byway

Butterflies:

Southern Cloudywing - 21

Southern Cloudywing - near the spring on FS Rd 380

Northern Cloudywing - 12

Northern Cloudywing - FS Rd 360

Horace's Duskywing - 27

Common Checkered-Skipper - 1

Tropical Checkered-Skipper - 1

Swarthy Skipper - 17

Swarthy Skipper - Longleaf Scenic Vista Rec. Area

Clouded Skipper - 1

Least Skipper - 2

Least Skipper - FS Rd 360

Fiery Skipper - 4

Whirlabout - 8

Whirlabout - FS Rd 360

Little Glassywing - 1

Little Glassywing - FS Rd 360

Dun Skipper - 2

Pipevine Swallowtail - 29

Zebra Swallowtail - 1

Black Swallowtail - 2

Black Swallowtail - FS Rd 365

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail - 1

Spicebush Swallowtail - 6

Palamedes Swallowtail - 2

Orange Sulphur - 1

Cloudless Sulphur - 41

Cloudless Sulphur nectaring on Liatris -- Bayou Camp Rd

Little Yellow - 8

Gray Hairstreak - 2

Gray Hairstreak - FS Rd 365

Eastern Tailed-Blue - 1

Pearl Crescent - 17

lynx spider eating a Pearl Crescent - FS Rd 321

Question Mark - 1

Common Buckeye - 5

'Astyanax' Red-spotted Purple - 6

Hackberry Emperor - 1 (new species for this count)

Southern Pearly-eye - 4

Gemmed Satyr - 8

Carolina Satyr - 18

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Birds I recorded during the Kisatchie Butterfly Count:

Mourning Dove

Turkey Vulture

Pileated Woodpecker

American Kestrel - 2 on FS Rd 360

White-eyed Vireo

Blue Jay

Carolina Chickadee

Carolina Wren

Bachman's Sparrow - 2 on FS Rd 360, 1 on FS 321; all singing

Hooded Warbler

Pine Warbler

Northern Cardinal

Indigo Bunting

Bird activity was pretty poor.

My father and I saw a Greater Roadrunner on LA-119 by the turn-off to the Longleaf Scenic Byway (entrance into KNF).

...Some other wildlife observed (listing from memory) during the count included Coachwhip (snake), Prairie Lizard, Common Five-lined Skink, and White-tailed Deer.

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Catahoula NWR NABA Butterfly Count, 2021

La Salle and Catahoula Parishes

July 24, 2021; 9:30am-3:30pm; hot; sunny; some light breeze

5 observers, 3 parties; count compiler: Craig Marks; total party hours: 20.5; total party miles on foot: 4

Count circle has a 7.5 mile radius and is centered at the Catahoula NWR HQ Unit info kiosk.

Areas surveyed included parts of: Catahoula NWR's Headquarters, Willow Lake, Bushley Bayou, and French Fork Units; Little River/Archie Rec. Area, Blade Loop, and Dewey W. Wills WMA.

Habitat Shots:

CNWR HQ Unit

CNWR HQ Unit - north end of Duck Lake (photo taken on 7/23 while scouting for butterflies)

CNWR HQ Unit - Mosquito Bend Rd (7/23)

CNWR Willow Lake Unit (7/23)

Blade Loop - numerous Silvery Checkerspots in this area

ditto

impoundments/levees near Minnow Ponds Rd (flock of Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks in flight) - CNWR Bushley Bayou Unit

Dewey W. Wills WMA - walk-in area (7/23)

CNWR French Fork Unit

Butterflies:

Silver-spotted Skipper - 7

Horace's Duskywing - 19

Horace's Duskywing nectaring on Brazilian Verbena - Muddy Bayou Rd, CNWR French Fork Unit

Common Checkered-Skipper - 18

Common Checkered-Skipper nectaring on Brazilian Verbena -- Blade Loop

Tropical Checkered-Skipper - 15

Clouded Skipper - 5

Southern Skipperling - 2

Fiery Skipper - 17

Whirlabout - 3

Whirlabout nectaring on Ironweed sp. -- Blade Loop

Dun Skipper - 8

Pipevine Swallowtail - 5

Pipevine Swallowtail nectaring on Brazilian Verbena - Dewey Wills WMA

Black Swallowtail - 6

Giant Swallowtail - 3

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail - 2

Southern Dogface - 6

Southern Dogface nectaring on Brazilian Verbena - CNWR Willow Lake Unit

Southern Dogface - Willow Lake Unit

Cloudless Sulphur - 48

Little Yellow - 4

Sleepy Orange - 6

White-M Hairstreak - 1 (new species for this count - found by Craig Marks at Blade Loop)

Gray Hairstreak - 1

Red-banded Hairstreak - 4

American Snout - 1

Gulf Fritillary - 1

Variegated Fritillary - 4

Silvery Checkerspot - 34

Silvery Checkerspot - Blade Loop

Phaon Crescent - 33

Phaon Crescent - CNWR HQ Unit

Pearl Crescent - 30

Question Mark - 10

Question Mark - CNWR HQ Unit

Eastern Comma - 1 (new species for this count - found by Jean & Jeff Trahan)

Question Mark (left) and Eastern Comma (right) - Dry Bayou Rd at Green's Creek bridge, CNWR Bushley Bayou Unit (photo taken on 7/23) -- I took this photo while scouting; Jeff and Jean Trahan relocated the Eastern Comma during the count.

Red Admiral - 3

Common Buckeye - 49