Out & About

OUTSTUDY

Butterflies tagged for research

Since 2002, scientists have been tracking movements of up to 26,000 monarch butterflies at their wintering grounds on California’s Central Coast by attaching tiny tags to their wings and tracking their movements.

The tags include identification and a toll-free phone number for sharp-eyed people to report should they find one of the specimens.

From tag recoveries, researchers have learned:

“Drought seems to be the culprit in recent monarch declines.

“Monarchs move only short distances to new nesting sites in winter, but a few days of warm, dry weather can trigger a premature mass exodus in January or February.

“One monarch tagged in Monterey County defied the norm by showing up 870 miles away in Pueblo, Colo.

OUTSTANDING

Million dollar banquet

The Colville Chapter of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation is reaping rich rewards for elk habitat.

At its Saturday evening banquet, the group celebrated raising a total of more than $1 million in annual fundraisers.

“Colville is the 25th chapter out of almost 500 chapters in the country to achieve this goal,” said Doug Marsh, RMEF regional coordinator. “They’re the first in Washington while being one of the smallest chapters.”

OUTFIELD

Snowy owl isn’t dainty eater

Coeur d’Alene Auduboner Kris Buchler enjoyed insight in the lifestyle of birds of prey earlier this winter as she helped rehabilitate an injured snowy owl.

After five days of treating the injured and underweight bird by tube feeding and injecting fluids, vitamins and iron, the owl was taken to rehabilitator Jan Cantwell’s aviary for the final transition to being released back into the wild.

The snowy owl enjoyed the hospitality, eating at least 20 mice in one day.

OUTFISH

Rods by the bagful

Nearly two-thirds of the 1,000 anglers questioned in a recent industry survey said they own seven or more fishing rods.

“That’s not at all surprising,” said Rob Southwick, an economist and president of AnglerSurvey. “Golfers carry as many as 14 clubs to play just one round, and anglers need a rack full of rods to defend themselves against everything from sunfish to sailfish.”

OUTLOOK

Best fishing times

Lunar tables from the U.S. Naval Observatory list peak fishing times. Be fishing at least one hour before and one hour after given times. Applies to all time zones.

(* indicates best days.)

Through Jan. 28

Today

2:40 a.m. 3:05 a.m.

Monday

3:30 a.m. 3:55 p.m.

Tuesday

4:15 a.m. 4:40 p.m.

Wednesday

5:05 a.m. 5:30 p.m.

Thursday

5:55 a.m.5:25 p.m

* Friday

6:50 a.m.7:20 p.m.

* Saturday

7:45 a.m.8:15 p.m.

Next Sunday

8:45 a.m. 9:15 p.m.

See Fishing-Hunting Report

every Friday in Sports