Oregon Drift

Contributed photo

Stop by Elkton’s Oregon Butterfly Pavilion at the peak of summer, and you’re almost guaranteed to see butterflies in all stages of their life cycles.

The pavilion has enclosed garden areas for viewing and a courtyard area. It is open to the public from Memorial Day to Labor Day, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The North American Butterfly Association sponsors a butterfly count in the weeks before and after the Fourth of July, an insect equivalent to the Christmas bird count.

The NABA Butterfly Count attempts to census the butterfly populations across North America. Volunteers select a count area with a 15-mile diameter and conduct a one-day census of all butterflies sighted within that circle. NABA (http://www.naba.org) organizes the counts and publishes the annual reports. Comparisons of the results over the years monitor changes in butterfly populations and reveal effects of weather and habitat change on the different species.

The large butterflies such as the swallowtails are often seen, but there are a number of small ones, also very pretty, such as skippers and blues.