Lecture: Thursday, April 17 (7-9 pm) Woodend Nature Sanctuary
Field Trip: Saturday April 19 (10 am-2 pm), location TBD (rain date April 20)
Leader: Rick Borchelt
Lecture only: members $24, nonmembers $32
Lecture and field trip: members $48, nonmembers $68
Early spring in the mid-Atlantic is the prime time for our half dozen species of azures and four expected elfins.  After May you’re down to a single azure (Summer Azure) unless you happen to be in the mountains with black cohosh around to entice Appalachian Azures. Compared to azures, elfin identification is a piece of cake. Azure ID is usually more a complex calculus of habitat, flight time, and physical characteristics. Join us for an evening lecture about elfin and azure ID and biology, and then come with us into the field to see which elfins and azures are on the wing. Field trip location will depend on progress of the spring and what is flying. The likely location is Green Ridge State Forest, about 2 hours from the Beltway near Hancock MD, which at this time of year can offer Henry’s, Pine, and Brown Elfins, and Summer, Spring, and Northern Azures depending on altitude.  An added bonus is likely to be a chance to see some MD species of conservation concern, Silvery Blue, Olympia Marble, and possibly Cobweb Skipper. This is the first of three Butterfly Boot Camps: we hope you join us for Hairstreaks (June 18 and 21, registration open now) and Confusing Fall Skippers (September 11 and 13, registration opening in May)!REGISTER.