Mourning Cloak

It was another lovely day today. It started a bit overcast and gray and that happened to coincide with my friendly morning bridge game. (I came in second.) By the time lunch was done and I had done a bit of shopping the day was lovely. Perfect timing for another beautiful walk for me and Arvin.

I don't see very many butterflies near where I live. So when I saw this beauty land within reach of my telephoto lens, I had to take its picture. Then I had to Google "Pacific Northwest butterflies" to find out what it is. It is a Mourning Cloak, one of the few butterflies that goes dormant in winter and re-emerges in spring. I did not know this until I came upon this article in my search to identify this beautiful butterfly. Very interesting indeed. Check the large version by clicking on the L key.

Arvin and I were taking a late afternoon walk when we spotted this beauty. We were checking on the woodpeckers in Big Rock Park but they were not there. Instead we met a large group of young children and their teachers as they explored the natural world just up the path from their school. They saw me aiming my camera at the snag to see if I could see the birds and waited for me to approach them. That was thoughtful not to disturb my picture. When they asked what I was photographing I told them about the two holes and the woodpeckers. We all had a great conversation about these amazing birds. I learned that their tongues are so long that they have a sheath that goes above the brain. I did not know that!