Friends of Mason Neck State Park October 2020 Newsletter

October 2020 Newsletter OWL MOON OCTOBER 17th  7:00PM It's nearly time for the Friends of Mason Neck State Park's annual presentation of OWL MOON! This year, we will be bringing the event to you right in your own home using Zoom. You will meet and learn about all the owls from raptor rehabilitator Secret Garden Birds and Bees, our favorite presenter. A special treat will be the introduction of Phantom – a beautiful barn owl. Find out what makes him unique as you also explore the life of a barred owl, great horned owl, and screech owl. You will be able to ask questions about all the raptors in the program. Get the whole family together.  This event is appropriate for all ages and is open to the public.  Registration is only $10 per person or family, which will help to offset the cost of the program. Don't miss it!  After you register, we'll provide you the instructions you'll need to join the program.  Register now here.  __________________________ Mason Neck State Park Critters of the Month: Butterflies in the Park By Randy Streufert                          Cabbage White                                            Red Admiral Of all the wildlife attractions Mason Neck State Park has to offer, insects are usually at the bottom of everyone's list.  Butterflies, however, are an exception. Seeing these colorful little winged jewels flit from one flower to another grabs everyone's attention. Every parent knows that children are especially drawn to them.                  Monarch on Pickerel Weed                             Little Wood-Satyr Seeing butterflies in the park used to require taking a hike. Butterflies prefer open areas like meadows with plenty of sunlight and flowers. Since the bulk of the park is forest, they would only typically be seen on the flowering native plants along the Belmont Bay shoreline and on flowers of marsh plants (like Pickerel Weed) from the Bay View Trail boardwalk that extends over the water. A few years ago, the opening of the Meadow View trail created another place to see butterflies, but it's a longer hike through the forest to walk to the meadow. Pearl Crescent Starting three years ago, visitors could see butterflies around the Visitor Center and nearby parking lots. Grants from the Garden Club of Virginia, the Garden Club of Alexandria, and the Garden Club of Fairfax funded not only the recent renovation of the gardens around the Visitor Center, but also the pollinator garden immediately next to it and the large garden not far from the site of the old park office building. In 2018, the Yacht Haven Garden Club provided a grant for the pollinator garden in the traffic circle next to the lawn area in front of the Visitor Center. Additional funding from the Friends of Mason Neck State Park enabled the purchase of native plants and trees needed by butterflies and other pollinators. The park staff planted the gardens and now maintains them along with help from dedicated volunteers.                                               Eastern Tiger Swallowtails                       Male                                                           Female When can you see them?  A few of the 53 butterfly species native to Northern Virginia come out in March, and the rest appear in April and May. Many of the species can still be seen in October, and a few species hang around into November until it gets too cold.               Great Spangled Fritillaries                            Zebra Swallowtail Most adult butterflies feed on flower nectar, but some feed on tree sap, rotting animal matter, and other organic material. Eastern Comma                                     EasternTailed Blue                                                             (less than one inch long) Most adult butterflies live about a month. That brief time is often shortened because of the dangers provided by predators, disease, and large objects, such as automobiles. The smallest butterflies may live only a week or so, while a few butterflies, such as Monarchs, can live up to nine months. Most of the species have two to three broods from spring to fall. When you see a butterfly with battered and damaged wings, that's a clue that it is nearing its end. Female Eastern Tiger Swallowtail nearing the end of her life Most butterflies are two-toned. The color of the bottom side of their wings – the side seen with the wings folded closed – can be very different from the top side, the side seen when the wings are open. Gray Hairstreak If you'd like to learn more about the butterflies in the park, the website for the North American Butterfly Association contains a wealth of information.  Two other highly valued sources on local butterflies are the field guides Northern Virginia Butterflies and Skippers, written by Robert Blakney, and Butterflies of the Mid-Atlantic, written by Robert Blakney and Judy Gallagher, who are self-taught naturalists living in Northern Virginia. ____________________ Order a Friends of Mason Neck State Park 2021 Wall Calendar The Friends of Mason Neck State Park are offering a unique wall calendar for 2021 showcasing the wildlife of Mason Neck State Park. The calendar will feature photographs of a wide variety of birds, mammals, amphibians, pollinators and others that can all be found in Mason Neck State Park; all were taken either in the park or in the immediate surrounding area. The photographs were taken by the Friends' own Randy Streufert, who recently won the Grand Prize in the National Wildlife Federation's "Garden for Wildlife" photo contest and whose photos have been featured in "Virginia Wildlife" magazine and other publications.   The calendar is printed on heavy stock, high-quality paper. This is a unique, limited quantity publication that can be a great holiday gift for friends and family.       The calendars are available only by prepaid orders and can be ordered between now and November 15. We'll mail them to you in time for you to use them for holiday gifts. We're charging only the cost of printing and mailing the calendars -- $25.00 per calendar. You can order a calendar here. ___________________ A Fresh Perspective by Hillary Clawson, President Living on Mason Neck, I feel fortunate to be able to begin most days with a long walk through the park.  Walking among the trees, and listening to the sounds of rustling leaves, calling birds, and chirping insects is restorative.  While the serenity may be punctuated by the sound of a vehicle driving past, that also brings a smile to my face.  In these most unusual times,  I'm delighted that Mason Neck State Park serves as a welcome refuge for so many folks. In fact, it was the desire to spend more time outside during the pandemic that led me to begin my daily walking routine back in the springtime. During these months, I discovered that the park is filled with more surprises than I had ever imagined.  Today's walk brought new sounds and splashes of bright color as the first leaves of fall spun to the ground.  There is something new to see every day.    On your next visit, take some time to look for the hidden treasures. On the forest floor you might spot a neon orange fungus, a large pink mushroom, or a white one that looks like a fuzzy snowball.  Happy hunting! __________________ Please Help Us Support  Mason Neck State Park! If you are already a member of the Friends of Mason Neck State Park,Thank You! Your membership dues and donations help us to support the Park's activities, and also enable us to fund special events such as our Owl Moon evening each fall and the annual Swanfall Holiday Program at the Jammes House each December. We've had to suspend our activities for the past couple of months, but we're hopeful of being able to resume our many activities at the park in the near future.   If you aren't a member, or your membership has lapsed, you can become a member at Join the Friends of Mason Neck State Park. You can also donate to the Friends here.