Thank you to the person who provided more information on my 'Signs of Spring' blog entry where I identified a moth that is actually a Mourning Cloak Butterfly.
One of the "winter" butterflies, the mourning cloak is often seen flying very early in the spring. Like other tortoiseshells and anglewings, the mourning cloak overwinters as an adult, even in areas with freezing winters. On sunny days, the mourning cloak's dark color and basking behavior allow it to raise its temperature well above the air temperature. The wings act as solar collectors, warming the hemolymph (blood) in the wing veins and returning the warmed fluid to the body until the butterfly reaches a temperature sufficient for flight.
On a weather note, we continue to have temperatures over freezing. With rain on Monday night and Tuesday morning, the snow is melting fast at mid-trail. I was actually able to get to several of the resort outbuilding pretty easily. At least the top layers of soil are soft so this is all good for the Green Up tree planting even starting May 1st.
Lynn
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