Kip’s Comments - November 22, 2022

This Might Not End Well

During a late afternoon walk to check on trumpeter swans with Canada geese, I was surprised to find a mature Eastern comma butterfly doing a poor job of flying around in the brush along my path. I was unable to determine if the butterfly was doing its first flights or if maybe the butterfly was struggling to do its best to take advantage of today’s “warm” conditions. Regardless, I suspect that overnight temperatures in the low 20’s might doom this butterfly.

Even if the cold tonight does not end it for this butterfly, the calendar will very quickly. Eastern comma butterflies live only six to twenty days in the butterfly stage.

Eastern Comma Butterfly - Image 782442

For those wondering, today there was an adult trumpeter swan moving around among the many Canada geese. The swan was silent…the geese - not so much.

Trumpeter Swan with Canada Geese - Image 782332