First Butterfly Of The Season
Judy saw this guy sunning himself on some dead leaves in the driveway bed.
Pretty sure it’s a Mourning Cloak. Any butterfly enthusiasts out there care to confirm or contradict this ID? I read a little bit about Mourning Cloaks here. Apparently these butterflies are one of the few that can live through the cold winters of the American midwest. They do this by going into a kind of hibernation called diapause.
Morning Cloaks have a variety of host plants. One of them is the common hackberry (Celtis occidentalis). I have a hackberry growing in my parkway. I’d like to think this Mourning Cloak was eating the leaves of my hackberry when it was in its caterpillar stage.
gardeninacity 
That is indeed a mourning cloak…I hope to see some butterflies and bees soon as the weather warms again. Nice catch!
I hope you do! Thanks for the confirmation.
Yes, it looks like a Mourning Cloak to me. Wonderful!
Thanks. Though it looks a little worse for wear.
Very pretty, we saw a few the other weekend.
I’m not up on my butterflies yet, still figuring out the birds.
Jen
I’m trying to figure both of them, at least a little.
I was thrilled to see two butterflies this weekend, the first of the season. The first was a lovely yellow Brimstone, the second flitting past so fast as I was coming out the door that I dont know what it was but I was pleased to see it anyway
Never heard of yellow Brimstone – I wonder if it is the same as our Clouded Sulphur?
Awesome! I think butterflies whose underside looks so completely different from the top are fascinating. Mourning clocks are very good at camouflage.
You do see those dramatic differences sometimes, don’t you? You’re right about the camouflage, I really had to crop this picture to make him stand out.
The first butterfly sighting of the season is always special. I’m still waiting for mine here in CT.
I hope it comes soon!
I saw one just like it last week, but it wouldn’t land so I could get a photo.
Why are they so damn uncooperative?
That’s what I wondered as I followed it from plant to plant! Probably thought I was a bird.
I saw a Cabbage White a couple of days ago. Like you, I had to get a photo even though I did not post it. It really surprised me since we just had snow same as your area. I guess they are anxious for spring just like gardeners.
I was surprised to see this butterfly, we are not seeing many pollinators generally. Bees are few and far between.
Yes, Spring and its “firsts” are thrilling every single year. 🙂
I’ve never seen a Mourning Cloak in person, and knew little about them save the name. Thank you for this informative post.
You’re welcome. I also read that you are most likely to see the Morning Cloaks early in the season, later on they are living up among the tree tops.
oh no way!! 🙂 thanks for this update!
You are lucky to have such a beautiful butterfly so early in the season.
Yes, I do consider myself lucky to have seen this guy.
Yet another reason to love one of the finest trees, the hackberry. Beautiful bark, lovely branching habit and now, host to this fantastic flutterby.
Good points. Plus, it is a host for several other butterfly species, including question mark and hackberry emporer.
I also saw the first butterfly yesterday, and some fat bees too. Always nice to have these beautiful creatures in the garden.
It is reassuring when they reappear.
We don’t have Mourning Cloaks here, so it’s interesting to read and learn about them. (I even looked them up!) This poor fellow looks like he could do with some tender loving care!
Must have been that long hibernation. As I said earlier, he does look a bit worse for wear.
Butterflies! it must be spring. we only have flies here right now but soon the rest of the insect gang will join them I hope. (including beautiful butterflies)
I suppose if the flies are around, the butterflies shouldn’t be too far behind.
Our weather bureau says we might be getting 38C today, but 36.6C was yesterday. In these temps which we are experiencing just this year, our butterflies are dwindling from the normal habitats. They are also difficult to photograph now.
Yikes, that is hot (I just looked up the celsius to fahrenheit converter on google). Hope it cools off soon.
Wow, nifty. Very exciting.
Thanks, I was excited.
Wonderful! No butterfly sightings here yet, way too cold. I will have to do a bit of research to see if we have mourning cloaks here.
I doubt that these beauties exist over here. I saw my first ‘proper’ butterfly today too, a peacock. By proper I mean that it stopped long enough to let me admire it. Also, the martins have arrived and I am sure I heard a cuckoo calling. (I am sure our flora and fauna are not only different but observe different time tables)
Thanks for the book recommendations. I know and like Oates already. I’ve already read several Russos, Nobody’s Fool amongst them. But there are quite a few to go. I hadn’t heard of the third writer, I shall explore him.
Hooray for seeing the butterfly, they are easily missed. I just read through your previous posts, you certainly have had a wild spring! I am jealous of your Virginia bluebells, I bought one and it is tiny right now. Hoping mine will survive the season and return next year doubled or tripled in size. I also got a Chionanthus virginicus this spring (Valentine’s present) and while mine isn’t as tall as yours, I am sure it will go gangbusters this spring. Awaiting its blooms (which should be any time now as others in town have started blooming).
Hi Jason, that butterfly merges quite well with the ground! It turned very warm and sunny last week here and I saw several butterflies about the garden, from red admirals to cabbage whites. I’m not sure what they eat at this time of year though, I’d like to plant something for them to snack on right now – do you know of any plants I could use?