What’s an odonate, you wonder? Here’s a clue – a large primitive predatory aquatic insect having two pairs of membranous wings. Think dragonflies and damselflies. Those big, maneuverable, and sometimes brightly colored insects we love to watch dip and soar around our local wetlands. Bonnie Ott, our odonate expert, will teach the differences between these two, who look so much alike. We will also keep our eyes and ears open for the local breeding birds which could include Prairie Warblers, chats, orioles, buntings, cuckoos, and sparrows. And let’s not forget those butterflies. Looks like we’ve all our favorite flying creatures in one place with this trip to Howard County Conservancy in Woodstock, MD.
We are planning for a two- to three-hour walk on mowed grass trails with Bonnie. She is a long-time birder, starting as a teenager, and over the years has developed interests in all aspects of the natural world. Bonnie always appreciated Odonates, but in the last few years, they have become her main focus. Bonnie has assisted Odonate researcher Richard Orr with his surveys and has learned a great deal. She has been field trip chairman of the Howard Bird Club since 1990 and has led numerous bird walks for the local chapter of the Maryland Ornithological Society along with field trips during their state conventions and for the Audubon Naturalist Society. Bonnie Ott is a keen observer of nature who gets out almost every day. Bonnie’s remarkable photos are found here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/sparrowbon/
The exact meeting location will be available after registration and payment.
What to wear/bring:
SPACES ARE LIMITED — The tour should take approximately three hours to complete. Full refunds will be honored when you cancel more than 7 days before the start of the event. The exact meeting space will be provided when registration and payment are complete. Please contact Jayne at JAsh@marylandnature.org with any questions
CANCELLATION: Cancellations are allowed one week ahead of the program’s start. Refunds will not be given for cancellations made less than one week before the start of the program.