A Reason To Build A Wood Pile In The Garden

You can read and know that most butterflies do not migrate so must manage to survive some pretty cold and snowy winters somewhere near where you see them each year,but to actually come across an adult butterfly in a state of hibernation really must be a thrill. Tom, a naturalist, field biologist and nature photographer at Allegany State Park has pictures and just such a story to relate at his excellent nature blog.

Excerpt...
When temperatures reach - 0°F you don’t expect to find any adult butterflies in your back yard. Ok, here is my story . . . Yesterday I planned on starting a fire in the fireplace to help defray the cost of my gas bill (because temperatures are soo cold). I brought my first load of wood into the house and then returned for my second load! I notice in the white snow something that looked exactly like a butterfly standing up! Naa, it had to be bark right? Nope, with a closer inspection it was an Eastern Comma that fallen out of the woodpile and into the snow!

For pictures and the rest of the story visit

mon@rch nature blog