Volunteers and Black Hill Regional Park naturalists confirm the identity of the male great spangled fritillary butterfly that they caught during the 13th annual Western Montgomery County Butterfly Count on June 23.   Susan Whitney/ The Gazette

"Many of the people are part of the Washington Area Butterfly Club or other local organizations," said Denise Gibbs, a park naturalist. "It is a fun thing to do for people who share the same interests."

This year the event took place on a cloudy day, during which there was a light drizzle and a cold front.

"Lots of people gave up early on in the day," Gibbs said of the 35 or so volunteers who counted butterflies. "However, by four o'clock, the sun came out and lots of butterflies were found after that. Some people stayed out until 7:30 that night."

According to Gibbs, normally 43-53 different species are found. However, she said the inclement weather was responsible for the slight decrease in numbers this year. The most popular butterfly found was the great spangled fritillary.

The event, which is sponsored annually by the North American Butterfly Association on the fourth Saturday in June, is a study to monitor the butterfly population over a long period of time to see if certain species are increasing or decreasing. The study also looks at the effect of certain habitats on the butterflies.

-- Jason Feirman