On June 3 fourteen budding or professional lepidopterists met at Waneta Mall for the first official Butterfly Survey in the Pend d'Orielle Valley. Brenda Balaam received notice from the FBCN in February 2006 that they were recommending local clubs participate in identifying local butterfly species and populations due to increasing threat to their habitat and food sources -- wild flowers. Brenda gave me notice but the field trip schedules had already been drawn up in December of 2005. The kerfuffle that ensued by trying to accommodate the good intentions of the Provincial association and our own local plans for the year were probably a bit comical if you weren't involved personally. Needless to say, there were heated exchanges in our regional meetings when we dared to schedule the first WK Butterfly Survey on the same weekend as the WK Summer Bird Survey! I don't know if it was the publicity (possibly me) that built the butterfly count up as promising revelation of 'secret' locations in the Pend d'Orielle, or the fact that the Club membership had never had to make a choice between two popular outings in one weekend. But when the day came and the assembled lepidopterists were all standing around a piece of dried bear poop in the middle of the road, watching the tiny crowd of butterflies gleaning needed minerals... I had to laugh. Some 'secret' location... In spite of the brouhaha, fourteen Nats and interested members of the public showed up for this first survey, including one from as far away as Eugene, Oregon. They were:

We could tell by Jon's excitement that something notable was happening. Twenty two species were found on that first count -- eight more than are found in the typical West Kootenay location. Jon says it is an indication of how important this valley is as a butterfly habitat. Some important steps have taken place as a result of this first survey. (1) The West Kootenay Nats were approached by Jon to assist in conducting a monthly survey in the Pend d'Orielle Valley once a month from April to September this year. Butterflies have a two to six week life span. Monthly monitoring is the only way to ensure that all these ephemeral species are counted.
(2) An email hot line and a web site have been established: Emails should be sent to:
WKButterflies@yahoogroups.com.

Go to the following link to join the group:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WKButterflies
(3) Jon will be submitting our data to the North American Butterfly Association and making it available to the FBCN as requested.
(4) Plans for a single high alpine survey at Idaho Peak are still in the works. (5) Jon is presently gathering photos from our surveys to compile a local identification print-out to aid all the participants. If you are interested in learning more about these beautiful insects and their habitat requirements, come on the first Pend d'Orielle survey trip in 2007, on April 15. Note that the surveys will be held on Sundays so as not to conflict with Saturday WK Nats’ field trips. Jon will be the contact for the surveys: Ph: 250-352-3028 or email shep.lep@netidea.com

Viewing highlights: A lovely crescent Moon, Venus setting in the west, Saturn rising in the East, and the last hurrah of the spectacular winter constellations Orion, Taurus and Auriga and all their associated nebulae and double stars. I will be bringing my laser pointer to help guide viewers around the sky. All observers should dress very warmly and bring binoculars if possible. We'll meet, as usual at the viewpoint on the Bombi highway (also known as the Mel DeAnna trailhead). Because such events are so weather dependent, if March 23rd is a no-go, we'll try again one night later, March 24th -- same time, same place…………..Brian d’Eon