Question mark, fall color, Galway Kinnell, monarchs, swallowtails: Notes, Chicago outdoors

A question mark butterfly. | Provided by Dr. Elizabeth Pector

Notes come from around Chicago outdoors with the help of readers.

WILD OF THE WEEK

At Steward Park in Plano on Sept. 4, Dr. Elizabeth Pector photographed this question mark butterfly, which are notable for he underside of the wings looking like a dried leaf. There is a bit of theme this week in the notes related to butterflies and moths.

WOTW, the celebration of wild stories and photos around Chicago outdoors, runs most weeks in the special two-page outdoors section in the Sun-Times Sports Saturday. Send nominations to @BowmanOutside on Twitter or Instagram, to Dale Bowman on Facebook or email BowmanOutside@gmail.com.

FISH GATHERINGS

Tuesday, Sept. 17: Jon Winsor of Toothy Critters Guide Service, Libertyville Fishing Club, Libertyville Township Center, 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Sept. 17: Capt. Doug Kloet, ``Milwaukee Harbor Winter Trout,’’ Arlington Anglers, Poplar Creek Banquets, Hoffman Estates, 6:30 p.m.
Thursday, Sept. 19: Capt. Doug Kloet, ``Catching Brown Trout from Lake Michigan,’’ Fish Tales Fishing Club, Worth Township offices, Alsip, 7 p.m.

HUNTER SAFETY

Oct. 11-12: Dyer, Ind., (219) 515-2197
Oct. 12-13: Joliet, (815) 727-4811

WINGSHOOTING CLINICS

Saturday-next Sunday, Sept. 21-22: Des Plaines State Fish and Wildlife Area, Wilmington. (815) 423-5326

DUCKS UNLIMITED

Thursday, Sept. 19: Lake Forest banquet, Onwentsia Club. Contact Bryan Wiesner, (847) 226-9662, or Steve Worth, (847) 846-0259

ILLINOIS PERMITS

Through Sept. 30: Applications to lottery for bobcat permits, $5 non-refundable fee, il.wildlifelicense.com/start.php.

DALE’S MAILBAG

Swallowtail.

``I spotted this eastern tiger swallowtail butterfly feeding on a Buddleia plant in my new butterfly garden. I retired from CBS June 1 and began landscaping our old back yard. After reading the many articles in your column I decided it was time to do my part to create habitat for monarchs. And while the monarchs are daily visitors, this swallowtail caught my eye.’’ Edward Marshall

A: Monarchs and other pollinators have become a significant thing, which I find encouraging for the sake of humanity and our world. (I do occasionally think that large.) Of course, it helps that butterflies are so varied and beautiful.

BIG NUMBER

20: Percent of color reported Monday at Waupaca County in the Wisconsin Fall Color Report. https://dnr.wi.gov/education/educatorresources/fallColors.html

LAST WORD

``the rest of my days I spend
wandering: wondering
what, anyway,
was that sticky infusion, that rank flavor of blood, that poetry, by
which I lived?’’

Galway Kinnell, poet with the concluding lines to ``The Bear.’’