As we arrive at the apex of the summer butterfly season in Washington, I am reflecting on the wonderful field experiences I enjoyed with the Washington Butterfly Association and thankful to the leaders willing to get us out there and share their expertise! We have some great butterflying in Washington and WBA helps us experience them in the company of other enthusiasts from novice to expert.

Our 2024 WBA Study Weekend, Wings Over Ritzville, had a great turnout and was an enjoyable weekend. I am happy for those of you who were able to join us! Even though the volumes were low the diversity of butterflies was great, the scenery was splendid, and the camaraderie was excellent! Thank you, David James, for scoping the area and finding some beautiful spots.

If you missed it, the festivities began Friday with an evening of “Mothing” with David Droppers. His set up brought them into the light, and he gave lots of details about each of the species. I think he made a few converts to the mothing “dark side” that evening! A highlight for me was the bat that flew to his light, actually, it turned out to be a gorgeous Polyphemus moth, I needed a double take for that one! On Saturday after a day in the field, we gathered at the Days Inn conference room. David James reviewed the butterfly species seen that day, the silent auction got underway as well as the Taco Bar catered by Porky’s, and when the room quieted, we enjoyed listening to Bob Pyle recite and sing his presentation Butterflies in Poetry and Song. Bravo Bob! It was a great day and ended on a high note with Bob and Tan- ya singing Elusive Butterfly, magical! Sunday, we trekked up to Rocky Ford to swing our nets or focus our cameras on some unique butterflies found in the area. It was a great weekend and many thanks to the 2024 WBA Board for pulling it all together. I am looking forward to where we will go in 2025!

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