I also took a bike ride -- out on the super-saturated dirt trails at 
Paxtuxent North Tract today -- and saw numerous Mourning Cloaks; 
likewise my first butterflies of the year.  Saw the expected birds 
there; bluebirds, robins, chickadee, juncos, but also heard a Barred Owl 
(this was at around 2 PM), and around 3 PM, the cries of a Red-tail that 
was soaring overhead. 

Laura Appelbaum,
Cloverly, MD

>Date:    Fri, 6 Mar 2009 14:14:50 -0800
>From:    Jason Berry <>
>Subject: Mourning Cloak!
>
>Hi All,
>=A0
>I took a bike ride through Rock Creek Park today and saw all the expected b=
>irds, but nothing noteworthy except... a butterfly!=A0=A0 I was surprised t=
>o see a Mourning Cloak (Nymphalis antiopa) butterfly=A0gliding lazily over =
>the deep forest bike path.
>=A0
>Jason Berry
>Washington DC=0A=0A=0A      
>  
>