We observed this fuzzy woolly bear caterpillar today at Fort Stark in Newcastle, New Hampshire. According to the old wives' tale, the width of the brown mid-section of this caterpillar indicates the severity of the winter to come. The wider the brown, the milder the winter. This is the caterpillar stage of the Isabella tiger moth, Pyrrharctia isabella. It will hibernate as a caterpillar over the winter and then spin a cocoon in the spring.
The weather today was certainly mild; about 10 degrees above normal. We enjoyed being outside in the sunshine on the beautiful seacoast. In addition the the woolly bear, we found a neat a skeleton (probably a bird), broke open milkweed pods to watch the seeds fly, took a lot of pictures and wrote our names in the sand.
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