Applegater Summer 2019
13
BIRD EXPLORER
The Raven
The Raven is a very
charismatic species and
may be the most successful
b i rd o n t h e p l a n e t .
Common in the West, it
can be found in cities, the
country, and wild places
from the Mexican border
to the arctic. In places
like Yellowstone National
Park, Ravens sometimes
gather on carrion in large
numbers, alerting bears,
wolves, coyotes, and foxes
that easily obtainable
food, such as roadkills or large mammal
carcasses, is available.
In old Norse mythology Ravens appear
as mystical birds transcending natural
boundaries. Odin, one of the principal
Norse gods, had a pair of Ravens, described
as very intelligent. Their existence in
these tales of the far north illustrates
the success of this species to live in
almost any environment. However,
Ravens have now become rare in Europe.
Here in the Applegate Valley, Ravens
are everywhere. I have a pair nesting
in a large Douglas fir tree on my land. During
courtship they have been performing
spectacular aerial displays; now they are
often patrolling their home territory. With
all the Raven activity in the air over my
land, I am somewhat concerned about
thistle, phlox, and many other native
species of plants. Males will mud-puddle
to gather important nutrients.
I have fond memories of a time a friend
and I tried to outsmart this species of
swallowtail while trying to net some for
observation. They were so fast we tried
driving ahead of them as they flew down
the roads. Then we would stop, jump out
of the car, and try to net them as they flew
past us. Although it was challenging and
fun and might have worked a time or two,
it wasn’t a practice we kept doing.
Enjoy these beauties this summer even
on a shady creek road!
Pale Tiger Swallowtail
The Pale Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio
eurymedon) is also in the Papilionidae
family of butterflies. It is a large butterfly
with a wingspread of up to three inches.
It is very white to creamy white with
black stripes and a broad black border
with blue and red-orange caudal (near the
tail) markings.
The Pale Tiger Swallowtail can be
seen in flight from mid-April to October,
with the peak of its flight period April
through July. It frequents open woodlands,
foothills, chaparral, streamsides, ocean
habitats, canyons, or any other spot with
flowering shrubs and plants from sea level
to higher mountains. Its range is from
British Columbia to Baja California and
mountain regions to New Mexico.
Host plants for this
swallowtail are mainly buckbrush
(Ceanothus cuneatus), snowbrush
(Ceanothus velutinus), and other
mountain shrubs.
Males perch in trees on the
lookout for females. Females lay
eggs singly on the host plant’s
leaves. This species will produce
one generation. The pupae
hibernate over winter months.
Adults will nectar on flowers
of yerba santa, Columbia lily,
chokecherr y, penstemons,
and many other native
plants. They will use garden
favorites such as zinnias and
sweet Williams, and they
will visit sprinklers for
waterdrops. Males will mud-
puddle, often with other species
of swallowtails.
Once while scouting in the
Kalmiopsis Wilderness for a
route for the Siskiyou Field
Institute butterfly class, I saw
a Pale Tiger Swallowtail on a
ceanothus plant next to the road.
It stayed there only briefly, but
long enough for me to walk
almost right up to it to get a
look. That was when I discovered why it
was allowing me to approach for a couple
of seconds: she was laying an egg.
Pale Tiger Swallowtails are wonderful
butterflies. Though they are large, their
flight is graceful and strong.
Linda Kappen
humbugkapps@hotmail.com
BY PETER J. THIEMANN
A tale of two tigers
BY LINDA KAPPEN
Western Tiger Swallowtail
The Western Tiger Swallowtail
(Papilio rutulus) is in the butterfly family
Papilionidae. It is a large butterfly with a
wingspread of up to 3.5 inches.
The Papilio rutulus is bright yellow with
a broad black border, black tiger stripes
on its wings, and two large tails. With its
wings open it displays metallic blue spots
with orange crescents on the margin above
the tails.
This butterfly can be seen, gliding
and flying swiftly, on roadways next to
creeks and rivers from mid-April through
September. During this time it is fun to
walk on country roads that follow creeks
in wooded areas and watch the males
patrol up and down the corridors looking
for females, who fly higher in the wooded
canopies. Some favorite habitats are flower
gardens, parks, and canyons. Its range
is western North America, from British
Columbia to Baja California and east to
New Mexico and Colorado.
In southern Oregon two or more
broods per season are possible. Host
plants are broad-leaved trees such as big-
leaf maples, willows, aspens, and black
cottonwoods. Females lay eggs singly on
host plants. The caterpillars feed on the
leaves. The pupae overwinter and emerge
in the spring.
Adults seek nectar from blackberries,
sweet William, rhododendron, native
the nesting
songbirds there,
a s R a v e n s a re
known to raid the
songbirds’ nests.
Peter J. Thiemann
So it is
important
not to encourage the Raven species
to overpopulate our environments
by controlling garbage stored outside
and reducing litter on our roadways
and in city parking lots. Birds thrive best
when living on natural food sources,
and that includes the beautiful black
Common Raven.
Peter J. Thiemann
peterjthiemann@yahoo.com
Photo courtesy of peterjthiemann
flickr photo stream.
Western Tiger Swallowtail
Pale Tiger Swallowtail
Note: If you would like to learn more
about our region’s butterflies and moths,
Siskiyou Field Institute is offering a course,
Introduction to Butterflies and Moths
of the Siskiyous, on June 14 - 16. For
more information, call 541-597-8530 or
visit thesfi.org.
Photos by Linda Kappen.
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