Applegater Spring 2019
13
BIRD EXPLORER
Difficult ID of juvenile Bald and Golden Eagles
BY PETER J. THIEMANN
Eagles are more visible in late winter
and early spring as they often congregate
near open water where waterfowl is
present. In southern Oregon, there are
two species of eagles: the Golden Eagle
and the Bald Eagle, our National Bird.
A mature Bald Eagle is easily
identified by its white head and tail.
There is nothing “bald” about our Bald
Eagle, which is really a misnomer. A far
more appropriate name would be Sea
Eagle due to its association with water.
Juvenile Bald Eagle (left) and mature Bald Eagle (right).
Photo courtesy of peterjthiemann flickr photo stream.
Juvenile female Bald Eagle (top) with male Golden Eagle (bottom).
Photo courtesy of peterjthiemann flickr photo stream.
Butterflies benefit
from native herb
BY LINDA KAPPEN
When I think of stinging nettle
(Urtica dioica), I think of its many uses.
This herbaceous flowering plant has long
been used as a source for medicine, food,
tea, and dyes for fabric. Nettles make
excellent companion plants, helping to
produce healthy herbs and vegetables.
They also serve as a larval food plant,
almost exclusively, for three species of
Pacific Northwest butterflies and for
other lepidoptera in locations all over
the world where nettles grow.
In our region, stinging nettle grows
in the understory of forests and near
rivers, creeks, or wetter meadows
in mountains and valley bottoms.
The stinging nettle has needlelike hairs
that, if brushed against, can sting your
skin much like a bee. This is a defense
against herbivores.
The three butterfly species found
locally that use the stinging nettle almost
exclusively are the Red Admirable,
Milbert’s Tortoiseshell, and Satyr
Anglewing. All three belong to the
butterfly family Nymphalidae, and all
three overwinter (hibernate) in our area.
Red Admirable
The wingspan of a Red Admirable
(Vanessa atalanta) can reach up to two
and a half inches. This very beautiful
butterfly is black with bright scarlet
bands and white spots at the tips of
its forewings. Eggs are laid singly.
Stinging nettle (oureverydaylife.com).
The Bald Eagle is a closely related cousin
to the Eurasian Sea Eagle, which looks
similar, but without a white head.
The ranges of Bald and Golden Eagles
overlap, so it is possible to see them
together and competing for prey. I have
Larvae feed on stinging nettle, making
shelters of folded leaves for protection
while they feed. Older larvae will make
nests tied together with silk. The Red
Admirable will overwinter as an adult
depending on seasonal weather. If
overwintering occurs, it sets a good
chance of numerous broods. I have
witnessed a third brood toward the end
of summer in the recent past.
I have seen the Red Admirable fly
during warmer days in early February
to later dates in early fall. Mostly we
see it in flight from May to October.
The butterfly will use many nectar
sources, including sap, bird droppings,
and flowering plants, such as hyssop,
rabbitbrush, fireweed, and many more.
Its range is the entire Pacific Northwest,
from sea level to high mountains. It can
be seen in moist woods, fields, meadows,
and mountain seeps.
Milbert’s Tortoiseshell
The wingspread of the Milbert’s
Tortoiseshell (Aglais milberti) reaches up
to two inches. Its wings have a chocolate-
colored base with two-toned bands of
orange to yellow and blue crescents
toward the edge of the hindwings.
It lays its eggs in masses. The behavior
of the larvae is like that of the Red
Admirable. This butterfly will also break
hibernation on warm, late-winter days
and can be seen in April and throughout
the summer. The Milbert’s Tortoiseshell
will nectar on spring flowers, sap,
Douglas aster, pearly everlasting, and
other plants. In the Pacific Northwest,
it ranges from southern Alaska down
to California and Nevada and can be
seen in wet areas, mountain seeps and
meadows, and moist woodlands.
Satyr Anglewing
The Satyr Anglewing
(Polygonia satyrus) can reach
a wingspread of two and a
quarter inches. Its open wings
display a bright yellow-orange
color with black spots and a
triangular black spot on both
hindwings. Eggs are laid singly
or in stacks or groups. The
Anglewing larvae make shelters
by eating the leaves of the
stinging nettle, pulling them
down and fastening the edges
with silk. This butterfly also
overwinters and can be seen in
flight from February to early
November. Adults nectar on tree
saps, rotting fruit, lilacs, many
thistles, and other flowers. This
butterfly can be seen in many
habitats such as parks, fields,
valley bottoms, openings in
riparian woods, canyons, and
near streams. The range is all of
the Pacific Northwest and also
the Great Lakes states.
Native stinging nettles or
other nettles should be saved
in our parks, water ways,
woods, cities, and surrounding
countryside. Eliminating the
nettles would decrease the
chances of seeing all three of
these beautiful butterflies in our
towns and parks.
Interesting facts
The name “Red Admiral”
is a corruption of the original
name, “Red Admirable,” which
has been in use for over 250
years. The Red Admirable is
of the genus Vanessa, but other
admirals, like Lorquin’s Admiral
and Weidenmeyer’s Admiral,
belong to a different genus
called Limenitis.
Linda Kappen
humbugkapps@hotmail.com
seen them both
on winter kills
Peter J. Thiemann
in Yellowstone
National Park. Here in southern Oregon
I was fortunate to capture a unique
image of a large juvenile female Bald
Eagle with a male Golden Eagle. A close
look will show the head size difference
with that enormous beak on the Bald
and larger talons on the Golden. This
comparison is very helpful, as juvenile
Bald Eagles are often mistaken for
Golden Eagles because they don’t yet
have a white head or tail, which come,
for both sexes, around age three to four.
I posted the juxtaposition of the two
eagle species online and received many
comments, including some from viewers
asking about cross-species relations. It
certainly is a unique photo; however,
the explanation may be simple. The
pole they are sitting on is not a power
pole but rather a pole specifically
erected for raptors near water and large
concentrations of waterfowl. So, it may
have been just competition for a prime
perch that brought the two together. We
will never know.
Peter J. Thiemann
peterjthiemann@yahoo.com
Red Admirable. Photo: Linda Kappen.
Milbert’s Tortoiseshell. Photo: Linda Kappen.
Satyr Anglewing. Photo: Linda Kappen.