My first Mourning Cloak!

From across the yard I saw this "thing" on my fountain. I wondered what it was, figuring my son had put something on it. I forgot about it and saw it again when I went back out later. It was a butterfly! I've never seen one before so I wasn't sure what it was. Funny thing tho, I had this odd feeling that it was going to be a Mourning Cloak. I've always wanted to see one, and haven't. After taking a few pics, it never moved, so I touched it to see if it was dead or dying, and it barely moved then. I put it in a bug hut and it's been opening it's wings some. I'm not sure if anything is wrong with it, but I'm keeping it inside until tomorrow when I can get a good look and a good picture. They feed on rotting fruit so I have some fruit and Gatorade in with it for a midnight snack. It made made day, since just before then I discovered wayyyyy too many bugs and had to start spraying.

Wow that's gorgeous! I love the way it would blend in so perfectly with the rough bark of a tree. :-)

-Julie

How's s/he doing today?

John

A lovely butterfly, I hope yours recovered. When we spent a year in Canada, we were lucky enough to have just one visit to our garden by a Mourning Cloak. It was a particular thrill, because it is also found in England where I grew up, but is quite rare there and I never saw one. In England it is called the Camberwell Beauty but is still Nymphalis antiopa.
Here is a picture I took in my garden in Kelowna in Brotosh Columbia, Canada back in 1998:

Mine did not recover. It was dying, but I was happy that it chose my garden to do it in. I found my first Monarch like this a few years ago. Strange, but nice. I'm glad to know they are in my area, and hope that more will find their way to my rotting fruit.