After being M.I.A. from the Frogs and Tadpoles Study-group (FATS) for precisely 10 years I rejoined the ranks of amphibian aficionados for a 4-day weekend trip to Smiths Lake on the north coast. 10 years ago I visited the lake during a torrential downpour in an attempt to find the elusive Green-eyed tree fog (Litoria […]
Tag: Monarch Butterfly
Releasing Monarch Butterflies
The last of the Monarch Butterflies have flown away . . . a magical and seasonal ritual comes to an end . . . for me at least . . . until another year. Monarch migration is well under way with millions of Monarch butterflies on their way to Mexico.
All along The Strait
Yesterday the weather started to change, as a low-pressure system came up from the south-west. Rain came in the night which is a pity as it’s our daughter Amelia’s birthday today! There were some insects around as I explored the coastline from Tarifa to Pelayo with father and son, Terry and Gary from the UK […]
Monarch Butterfly Metamorphosis: Part Three ~ Emergence
This is the crowning moment of the Monarch Butterfly Metamorphosis. Seeing the butterfly pushing open its sheer chrysalis casing door and flipping out into the world whole and perfect is a joyous observation and one that causes one to pause and ponder at the marvels of our natural world. While we pause, the Monarch butterfly‘sover […]
Monarch Butterfly Metamorphosis: Part Two ~ Chrysalis
The Monarch Butterfly Metamorphosis continues with the jewel-like chrysalis that might be hanging under any twig or leaf in a field or garden where milkweed grows. Dreams about to become real.
Monarch Butterfly Metamorphosis: Part One ~ Changing Casings
The Monarch Butterfly‘s metamorphosis is a journey through clear casings beginning with an egg. A tiny caterpillar carves a hole in a clear intricately etched dome capsule and exits while entering the hairy leafy landscape of its host plant Milkweed. The teeny caterpillar then makes a meal of the nutritious casing and begins chewing its […]
Glimpses of a Metamorphosis ~ Raising Monarch Butterflies ~ A Sneak Peek
July’s ending finds all of my Monarch chrysalis casings empty. The joy of raising and releasing Monarch Butterflies is not finished for this year, however, for the process begins anew . . . with more eggs and small caterpillars to care for. It has been a fabulous Monarch butterfly season here at Flower Hill Farm. […]
Monarch Butterflies Magical Metamorphosis Begins Anew
Monarch butterflies are leaving Mexico, flying north, reversing their migration from last fall. Bright orange, mosaic clouds are moving towards Texas with females drifting down to lay eggs along milkweed corridors . . . thus fulfilling their destiny. They along with the males will have lived around eight months, which is a pretty long life […]