It’s a real beauty, full stop.

Hello sunshine!

Spotted this fast fluttering friend on the porch today. Like the chipmunks who have already begun their zip zipping chaos around our yard, overwintering butterflies like Mourning Cloaks and Commas seize on these early warm days. Emerging from the nooks and crannies and bits of bark where they’ve folded themselves away for the winter. All those winter walks in the woods, we have butterflies quietly around us.

I believe this friend to be one of the Polygonia or “comma” butterflies. So named for the white “comma” mark on the underside of its wing. Though I’m a moth lady through and through, a butterfly that is named after punctuation?? I’m in. Period.

Thanks to the much more insect knowledgeable Dalila for being my insect ID text-a-friend and comma confirmation today!

~Kate