54 birdsandblooms.com AUGUST I SEPTEMBER 2020
gardens, but they also flit about
the prairie and forest landscapes.
Some feed on grass pollen; others
key in on tree sap. Many get
nutrients from animal waste.
Butterflies are also reliant on their
host plants, from which males
patrol in search of mates and
where females lay eggs.
All Day, Any Day
The early bird may get the worm,
but butterflies prefer the brunch
hour. Butterfly-viewing heats up
in midmorning. The stunning
insects are most active under
sunny skies and temperatures
above 70 degrees Fahrenheit.
The evening roost period can be
productive for butterfly seekers,
too. Marianna suggests looking
for clusters of zebra heliconians
roosting together.
While in South Texas butterflies
are found any day of the year, they
appear in booms responding to
bursts of flowers after rainfall
events. March, October and
November tend to have consistent
action, although drought can
impact this. For nature lovers,
there is no wrong day to visit the
borderlands of South Texas
for birds and butterflies.
Tw o - b a r re d
flasher
Ken Keffer, author of Earth
Almanac (Mountaineers Books,
April 2020), spotted his lifer blue
metalmark butterfly on his first visit
to the Lower Rio Grande Valley.
South Texas
Hot Spots
The Lower Rio Grande Valley
is a fertile hub for agricultural
production. Viewing nature is
best in patches of protected
lands. Together these parcels
create a corridor of wildlife
habitat along the river’s
flood plain and preserve 11
ecosystems, including tidal
wetlands and brushland scrub.
The North American Butterfly
Association has an extensive
list of regional hot spots, with
these as highlights.
National Butterfly Center
A project of the North
American Butterfly
Association, the center hosts
the Texas Butterfly Festival
each fall. Bentsen-Rio Grande
Valley State Park is just up the
road and worth a visit, too.
Sabal Palm Sanctuary
Numerous butterfly gardens
make this a top destination.
Beyond the gardens, the
center has trails through a
variety of habitats.
Laguna Atascosa, Santa Ana
and Lower Rio Grande Valley
National Wildlife Refuges
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service administers a number
of refuges in the region to
provide extensive habitat
for a variety of wildlife, from
alligators to ocelots.
FIELD GUIDE
L
ARRY
DITTO