Josh shows us how to get a butterfly out of the net.
Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont engages in various Citizen Science projects. I profiled their bird banding in June. In early fall, they tag Monarch butterflies migrating to their winter refuge in central Mexico. I am pleased join this effort on my last day in the Smokies. Josh Davis, the Citizen Science Coordinator at GSMIT, and nine enthusiastic volunteers head for Sparks Lane in Cades Cove on a sunny and soon to be warm morning.
Josh explains the process, demonstrates the net capture technique, and sets us loose in the meadows. There are various goldenrods, asters, thistles, and a few other plants in flower. The thistles in particular attract several species of butterflies. Too bad we aren’t tagging Pipevine Swallowtails. There are scores of them nectaring in the fields. Other species, including Gulf Fritillary, Great Spangled Fritillary, Viceroy (a Monarch mimic), and Buckeye, are seen and recorded for the ATBI (All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory) database in the park.
How to hold a butterfly
Parts of the fields are not hard to wade through even though the meadow plants range from chest to head height. However, several areas are full of brambles too. Both dead and live stems snag clothing and skin. I wound up with several pulled threads and lots of scrapes and scratches on my legs and arms. Just as Monarchs manage to find their way to wintering grounds they’ve never seen before, many of these wily butterflies seem to know to fly down when a net is positioned over them, swooping under the hoop. If they escape the first attempt, they are nearly impossible to catch as they quickly head straight up and away beyond the reach of the long-handled net. Monarchs can fly as fast as 12 miles an hour, and we are no match running through tall weeds.
This young butterfly lover helps on all the tagging dates in the park.
Overall we catch and tag 24 Monarchs at Sparks Lane. After lunch, we move to Hyatt Lane, where we find just a few Pipevine Swallowtails, a Black Swallowtail, some Pearl Crescents, and several large Argiope Garden Spiders. I nearly become intimate with two of them, spotting their sudden movement across the web just as I am about to walk right through it. Fortunately for them and me, I do no damage and they stay put. Having one of these guys perched on my shoulder would have frightened both of us senseless.
In the fields I find at least one recognizable goldenrod species, Wrinkled-leaf Goldenrod. Canada Goldenrod is likely another. There is Old Field Aster in flower, as well as some Lobelia, an Agalinis sp., seeding stalks of Blazing Star, and the Tennessee State Wildflower, Passion-flower (Passiflora incarnata). There are several species of Thistle in the park, and I don’t determine which ones are flowering.
A pretty Monarch rests briefly on a pretty little volunteer.
We wrap up about 2:00 p.m., and I head home. On the way out of Cades Cove, I drive into a bear jam. Park volunteers are on the scene to help manage things and protect both bears and visitors. While driving slowly along the loop road, window down and sunroof open, I hear crashing noises from the trees around my car. Looking through the sunroof to see if I can spot a bear in the branches, I realize that I’m hearing acorns dropping!! From start to finish, this trip is all about acorns. I’m actually going to miss them!
Passion-flower, Tennessee State Wildflower, in Cades Cove
One of the large and fiercely beautiful Argiope Garden Spiders we find in the fields off Hyatt Lane.
Preparing to tag a Monarch
I caught a fresh and lovely female and placed this tag on the underside of her left hind wing.
Viceroys mimic Monarchs but are easily distinguished by a black line running across the hind wings.
Monarchs are easy to sex. Males have two black dots on their hind wings; females don't.
By tradition, tagged Monarchs are released on the captor's nose.
An excellent young naturalist shows the Great Spangled Fritillary he caught.
This Pipevine Swallowtail loves hanging out on my hand. Photographing him left handed is a challenge.
ok – this is bizarre, but I know those 3 little kids… the two boys are in the Cub Scout Pack that I lead, and the little girl is the sister of one of them.
sounds like you had a great time!
Yep, you do. We talked about hiking in the park and your name came up! It’s a small world, Randy!!
Glad we met you Margie! These are wonderful pictures! We had a great time and plan to make it an annual event.
Hi Margie,
Just found your blog yesterday when I did a search for “Old Sugarlands Trail.” I ended up reading the entire blog yesterday and absolutely loved your hike reports. I was so disappointed when it came to an abrupt end last October. I truly hope you have not given up your quest and more reports are coming. I live in Knoxville, am a young retiree and a hiker who loves to hike solo or with others. Would love to hike with you sometime! I’ve bookmarked your site and hope to see a new post soon! Sharon