Mourning Cloak

Working outside today, a butterfly came to watch. It flitted by, soared, flit, soar, flit and glide. I bought a field guide to North American butterflies so I thought I'd try and figure out what kind of butterfly was watching me. I think it's a mourning cloak. It was brown with white trim and very large. Like the book says it flies with a series of quick wing beats interspersed with flat-winged glides. I learned their favorite food is oak sap and they'll walk face first down an oak tree sipping the sap. Like most early pupating butterflies, their color is dark to absorb the heat from the sun. Mourning Cloaks live longer than most butterflies - up to 10 months or more. Way cool.