First butterfly of spring

First butterfly field guide of spring

Mourning Cloak Nymphalis antiopa

  On April 13th I went up to the Westmount Summit to have a nosy and see what was kicking about. I guess I'm getting old, because several key spots on my legs were aching by the time I'd made it up the steep hills of upper Westmount. I'll blame it on the jetlag, still, heh heh.
  There was nothing overly interesting at the summit, migratory bird-wise, but I was surprised to see several large butterflies basking in the sun. This seems early for butterflies, with the night-time temperatures still dipping below zero this week, but what do I know. As was the case for mammals, my ignorance of butterfly species angered me a bit, so I went out and picked up a butterfly field guide. Turns out my butterfly was a Mourning Cloak, a kind of Brushfoot known for being an early harbinger of spring. Now I know.