Trip report: Colonel Devin Trail, 20 May 2023 by Marceline VandeWater:
What a perfect weather on Saturday! Finally, after a couple of rainy days the sun came out and even though it still was only 63 degrees when we started up the trail, the butterflies were in a frenzy to find nectar.
Nothing ultra rare was found, but besides a solid list of 32 species of butterflies, the scenery and company made it a super nice morning.
Thank you all for coming up to Payson and exploring this in my opinion underappreciated area.
Species list: Two-tailed Swallowtail (7), Checkered White (25), Orange Sulphur (4), Southern Dogface (5), Sleepy Orange (3), Dainty Sulphur (6), Western Green Hairstreak (3) (old name: Bramble Hairstreak), Gray Hairstreak (2), Western Pine Elfin (1)(pictured), Marine Blue (3), Reakirt’s Blue (2), Spring “Echo” Azure (10), Acmon Blue (8), Western Tailed-Blue (5), Zela Metalmark (3), Variegated Fritillary (1), Mylitta Crescent (4), Field Crescent (3), Satyr Anglewing (Comma) (3), Painted Lady (1), Common Buckeye (14), Red-spotted Purple (2), Arizona Sister (4), Mourning Cloak (3), Silver-spotted Skipper (7), Northern Cloudywing (4), Pacuvius Duskywing (2), Meridian Duskywing (1), Rocky Mountain Duskywing (1), Com/white Checkered-Skipper (6), Northern White-Skipper (2), Orange Skipperling (1).
Plants and flowers are behind this year, so in a few weeks, this place should be even better!
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