I've been told to head either to Cedar Fort or Johnson Pass between 5/1 - 5/10. Since I was at Cedar Fort on 4/26 I decided to go to a new place.
Johnson Pass (`6400 ft) is in the Stansbury Mts. I've actually never been there but they are the western most range from Salt Lake followed by the nearer Oquirrh Mt Range and then the Wasatch Mts to the east. Just like Cedar Fort, it's a Pinyon/Juniper habitat.
This morning is not the perfect butterfly weather as it is overcast (high clouds) with peeks of sun/blue sky but it is warmish at around 70 degrees (80 degree high).
I head west on I-80 around 8:30 am. Only a few miles outside the SLC airport I see what looks like a small herd of Pronghorn but not totally sure. But in about another mile, I confirm that they were Pronghorn because I pass another herd closer to the road. (Hey, I don't need to go to Antelope Island anymore!!)
As I pass the Great Salt Lake State Park, I see quite a few Yellow-headed Blackbirds (Red-winged Blackbirds too).
I exit south at the Tooele exit. I'm in between the Oquirrh and Stansbury mountains and this is all new territory for me. And once out of the city, it's so pretty. Besides the views of the two mountain ranges, there lots of open space filled with cows, horses, farms and sagebrush. (And the lone coyote I see standing in one of the fields.) Love it! (Hey, there's a coyote in that field!)
At Hwy 199 I turn west heading to the Pass. Within 10 miles, the windy road takes me to Johnson Pass. The official lot is on the south side of the road but the coordinates I'm given are on the north side. I park off a dirt road on the north side and it's time to wander.
I'm not out of the car but a few minutes, I see a White flying by. Don't know if it's my butterfly but I assume it is. But I need to keep looking for one that's more cooperative.
As I walk around through the Junipers and sagebrush, there's not many sources of nectar but I do find a few Indian Paintbrush
Puccoon
Balsamroot
Milkvetch, and Parsley but the species that most prevalent are the Forget-me-knots.
I also see a few lizards.
Finally, I see a White land and he's playing nice!
But he doesn't look like what I remember a Desert Marble should look like - he has a thin forewing bar, I remember a wider one. But I have no butterfly book and no cell service so I'm assuming it's a Desert Marble. Yea!
I've walked around the north side of the road enough so I head over to the south side. Definitely more nectar over here with Phlox
and these tiny yellow flowers.
And I get lucky the sun is out (for now anyway).
I see a couple more of those Whites flying. I'm about to give up when I decide to try the SE corner of the gravel parking lot and there flying is a small white butterfly. It's small than the other ones and I know I've seen a Desert Marble. He's flitting a bout but finally stops and I see that wide wing bar!!
While he was nectaring, a larger white butterfly flies in and they swirl a bout before the larger one lands. He's definitely Marble and he sure looks like a Large Marble but the two usually fly in different habitats.
I'm confused but happy. I watch for 10-15 minutes before losing both of them.
Time for a very happy drive home!!
(When I get home, I post my photos to the local Lep group and ask about the larger white butterfly. The reply I receive confirms that they do fly in different habitats -- Large Marble typically deciduous river canyons at higher elevations and Desert Marbles in lower elevations in drier Pinyon/Juniper habitats. But the Large Marbles will sometimes come down to lower elevations to nectar. They even believe that the larger ones are Large Marbles. Very cool!!)
