Lep Log

2013 Flight Season Master Calendar

Once again for 2013, I’ll be attempting to compile a mid-Atlantic-wide calendar of counts, field trips, walks, and other lep-related field activities for the 2012 flight season.  Please use the comment form below to let us know of additions or changes to the list, or email me at leptreks@gmail.com.  In addition to regular field trips, a number of us in the DC Metro area and around region often plan impromptu “Lep Treks” when interesting butterflies or habitats pique our interest.  While most of these will be day trips originating from the DC area, some of them might be overnights to areas like Dolly Sods WV or Buzzard Swamp PA.  Unless otherwise noted, LepTreks are free although some of the areas we visit may charge an admission fee.  Overnight lodging and meals of course are on your own.

The philosophy behind our LepTreks is that we really lack a strong field trip program in the MD-DE region, despite some very savvy lepsters interested in spending more time in the field.  As a group we’re more field naturalists than butterfly gardeners, and we’re committed to better understand some of the unique environments and landscapes in the mid-Atlantic and the butterflies they support.  Generally, they’re places that normally don’t have scheduled butterfly walks during the summer, nor are they easy quick checks for a last-minute drive by.  I’ll add notices here on LepLog of those kinds of easier trips, too, but the LepTreks generally are a little more ambitious, or explore unique habitats.  As much as possible, we’d like to use these trips to help flesh out Dick Smith’s Butterflies of Unknown Status Project.

If you’d like to volunteer to organize any of these trips, or a trip to one of your favorite places, email me at rborchelt [AT] gmail [DOT] com.   Check back regularly for updates!  And if you’re leading or know of dates for other lep activities, be sure to let me know.

LepTreks are informal affairs, usually impromptu walks or hunts for a particular species or in a particular unusual habitat.  They’re rather loosely organized by the person whose idea the trip is in the first place and may be more difficult terrain or access, or are a trip one of our members is making and for which s/he would be glad of company.  If you’re going to be out in the field on short notice, let us know so we can tag along!

Rules of the road: These aren’t collecting trips per se, but unless the regulations of where we are visiting don’t permit them participants are welcome to bring and carry nets for catch-and-release observation.

Rain dates:  Unless noted otherwise, we don’t usually do rain dates.

Hours:  Day field trips are typically 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. with a short break for lunch.  Overnight trips usually begin at 10 a.m. Saturdays to allow folks who really don’t want to spend two nights on the road to drive out early that morning.  Participants are welcome to join one or both days, and there will be a group dinner on Saturday night and breakfast Sunday morning.  Participants are responsible for arranging their own overnight accommodations, although we can facilitate both shared hotel rooms and carpools here or through the various area listservs.

The field season usually begins in April (but a warm weekend in March might see us out looking for anglewings!) and ends in October (although 2011 had sulphurs flying well into December). And we could show up anywhere within 4-5 hours’ drive, although more likely we’ll stay within a 2-hour radius of Washington for most trips.  The calendar, though, contains listings from throughout the mid-Atlantic.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

JUN 15 [NABA Count] VA:  Maidens.  CONTACT:  Carolyn P. Henly, cphenly@comcast.net

JUN 25  [NABA Count]  NJ: Belleplain.  Center = 2 miles sw of the town of Belleplain or 1/2 mile west of junction of Routes 347 and 679 (Mosslander Road). Count circle is partly in Cape May County and partly in Cumberland County and includes: CMBO’s Center in Goshen, Jakes Landing, Dennisville, Woodbine, Belleplain State Forest, western end of Tuckahoe River along Weatherby Road, abandoned cranberry bogs, s. corner of Peaslee WMA, e. corner of Bevan WMA, Port Elizabeth, Delaware Bay salt marshes between Dennis Creek and Bivalve/Port Norris, and the Maurice River from East Point to Laurel Lake. CONTACT:  Teresa Knipper via cell phone at (609) 558-0582 or e-mail at teresa.knipper82@gmail.com

JUN 26 [NABA Count]  NJ: Cumberland Co.  Center = Cedarville, NJ. Count circle includes extensive salt marshes along the Delaware Bay from Hansey Creek and Dividing Creek/Maple Avenue/Turkey Point west to Sea Breeze, Bear Swamp, Natural Lands Trust fields, Bevan WMA, Union Lake WMA and western Millville, Newport Landing, Nantuxent WMA, Dix WMA, and Cohansey River from near Greenwich to Bridgeton.  CONTACT:  Pat Sutton via e-mail at patclaysutton@comcast.net or home phone at (609) 465-3397 (be prepared to leave a message); cell phone (609-425-3434) will be on the day of the count but otherwise rarely used.