Date: 04/12/2005

Number: 1

Finally saw my first butterfly a beautiful Mourning Cloak, Nymphalis
antiopa for those of you who are "commonly chanllenged", drifting over
the crocus in our back yard. Sure lifts the spirits. A Comptons
Tortoiseshell, Nymphalis l

Was headed down to our favorite spot to find overwintering leps (south
facing slopes of the rivervalley which have trees like Manitoba Maple
(Box Elder) which are starting to drip sap. The butterflies LOVE those
trees. Before I got my act together it has clouded over. Oh well - net
out another day at least it will be soon.

They also like sap from other trees. The highest density of Polygonia
and Nymphalis I ever saw was in an area near Ft. McMurray a coule years
ago where people had come in during the winter and cut a lot of large
birch. The stumps (and there were lots of them) were oozing sap and the
butterflies were thicker than the mosquitoes.

Contributed by Don Davis

Edmonton, AB

Latitude: 53.3 Longitude: -113.3

Observed by:
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