Massachusetts Butterfly Club

In 2006 the Massachusetts Butterfly Club hosted the NABA Biennial Members' Meeting from June 1 to June 4. Participants came from all around the USA and from as far away as Britain. The weather was rainy and cloudy for much of the conference, but the attendees were intrepid. Many hours were spent in the field and participants were able to find several species that are rare elsewhere. The Early Hairstreak, the Bog Elfin, and the Arctic Skipper all made cameo appearances in addition to the more usual suspects. This page shows some of the conference participants in action and some of the beautiful things we found that were not butterflies.

Here is a link to an article about the meeting that appeared in the July 2006 issue of Quabbin Valley Voices (a publication of The Recorder) - Butterfly Buffs.

Butterfly photos from the conference have been incorporated into the existing MBC butterfly photo pages. If you have fun photos from the conference that you would like to see here, e-mail them to the webmaster.

Many thanks to Sherry Cartwright, Sue Cloutier, Jim Davidson, David Henderson, Wendy Miller, Dale Rhoda, and Rita Venable for the photos that appear here.

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MBC President & Meeting Host, Carl Kamp

Follow that butterfly!

Tom Gagnon leads a foggy walk at Mt. Greylock

The suboptimal butterflying weather did not dampen our spirits.

The paparazzi surround a single Pepper and Salt Skipper at Tom's Swamp.

Some trip leaders let their groups actually stop for lunch...

No cushy lunch breaks for Bill Benner's group...

A rare moment of sunshine at Myles Standish State Forest

Tom Gagnon may walk softly, but he carries a big stick...

A bad day butterflying is better than a good day in the office...

Dolores Price searching for the elusive Hessel's Hairstreak

Dale Rhoda & Barbara Walker literally beat the bushes (okay, bumped the bushes)
until they found a single Hessel's Hairstreak beside the Ponkapoag Boardwalk.

Kathy Malone in the field

This Early Hairstreak was found in the road, barely alive, at Mt. Greylock...

Fortunately, Dave Small is certified in mouth-to-proboscis resuscitation!

In addition to butterflies, the meeting attendees saw some terrific flowers, amphibians, birds, and caterpillars.

Here is a Limenitis larva

The Red Eft is the land stage of the Red-Spotted Newt.

Yellow Lady's Slipper - Cypripedium calceolus

Single flower cancer root - Orobanche uniflora

Pink Azelea Buds

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