In my profound ignorance, I asked why some were dark.
Well duh you dummy. Those are the ones close to emergence.
I was told that this one was close, so I watched. (Sorry, most of the photos are not sharp. They were shot from a distance and then still required cropping despite my zoom lens being fully extended.)
Watch as it emerges. (Not time lapse or video. Just a bunch of shots.)
Done, but it now needs time to grow before it flies.
This was quite thrilling for me, more so even than the releasing, which was grand enough.
You captured such a special moment in the life of that butterfly.
ReplyDeleteOne of my neighbours has collected monarch eggs on milkweed leaves, kept them and fed them as they grew into caterpillars, and then formed chrysalis, and cared for them until they hatched as monarch butterflies. She does this in her living room mostly using jam jars! She doesn't have a fancy hatching box like you have shown in your previous post. So far this summer she has released over 80 butterflies. A labour of love.
ReplyDeleteOne of our museums does this and I love to watch.
ReplyDeleteSo super to see the birth of the butterfly. Thanks for recording the little ones!
ReplyDeleteWonderful. I was amazed by how transparent the pupae were.
ReplyDeleteYes, ithese are exciting moments. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteBirth of a butterfly! Amazing!
ReplyDeletewow, AC, I'm away from the computer for a week and you go overboard … from spider webs, cats, butterflys and everything in between. No rest for the weary should be your motto. All great photos.
ReplyDeleteOh, I like these a lot.
ReplyDeleteWe got to participate in a monarch lunch at our local library last year. What fun reminded me of a book review I wrote on a Barbara Kingsolver novel about global warming causing the monarchs returning from Mexico in Appalachia. Perhaps a view of the future.
ReplyDeleteQuite a transformation!
ReplyDeleteIt would have been thrilling for me as well, John. Thanks for showing how the monarch "arrived".
ReplyDeleteOh, how beautiful! And every Monarch is a triumph. I've seen only one here this year.
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