Mourning Cloaks Begin to Emerge

This butterfly is one of the few to overwinter as an adult in this area, and has spent the cold winter months under the bark of trees. During the first warm days of spring you may glimpse one fluttering around CWES. Because it emerges so early in the year when no flowers are available, it relies on tree sap for food.

When this insect’s wings are closed, they are a mottled brown and blend in very well with tree bark. When opened, bright orange and blue wing borders are revealed. The mourning cloaks that we see in early spring have dull and battered wings from their previous months of life. The individuals that we find later in the summer will have just emerged from chrysalises and be much more colorful.

Did you know? This butterfly is one of the longest-lived in Wisconsin with a lifespan of 10 months!

Learn more: Wisconsin Butterflies

Sandhill Cranes Unison Call

This month, sandhill cranes are returning from wintering areas as far south as Texas, Florida, and Mexico. They will soon be searching for food such as grains, seeds, invertebrates, and small animals, as well as a place to mate and raise their young.

We will soon hear pairs of these birds unison calling as they court and re-establish their bonds in areas near Minister Lake. Pairs will also perform complex dances as part of their courtship displays. Nests will then be built in wetlands from plant materials, and eggs will be laid sometime between now and late May. Both parents incubate their two brown eggs for about a month. Pairs stay together year-round and migrate with their offspring who they will care for until they are 9-10 months old. The young then won't breed until they are 2-7 years of age.

Did you know? In spring these large birds, with a 6.5 foot wingspan, actually preen mud into their feathers to help them blend in with nearby grasses.

Learn more: Cornell Lab of Ornithology

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The Opossum Mates

Very soon, the only marsupial in North America will give birth to about 7 naked, bean-sized babies. These little ones will immediately crawl into their mother’s pouch, where they will grow and stay protected for the next 2-3 months. When they are large enough to leave the safety of the pouch, they will hitch a ride on their mother’s back.

The Virginia opossum is a nocturnal creature that eats a wide variety of food: insects, fruit, snakes, small animals, and eggs. In turn, opossums are also eaten by many predators such as owls, coyotes, and foxes, and are lucky if they live 3 years.

Did you know?  It’s true that when threatened the opossum will “play” dead. It will even roll-over, stiffen, drool, and slow its breathing. This coma-like state can last up to four hours, enough time to fool some predators. The opossum got its name from Captain John Smith in 1608. He got the word from the Algonquin name "apasum", which means white animal.

Learn more: Animal Diversity Web

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