Even so, I've been surprised at the number of butterflies we still have floating around the garden. We've got Sulphurs, Gulf Fritillaries, Buckeyes and Monarchs.
At the end of October I blogged that we had Monarch caterpillars and chrysalises. Who knew then that I'd be able to report another chrysalis in DECEMBER?
Mum and dad (visiting from England for the Thanksgiving Holiday) were mildly amused as I kept watch over the most recent caterpillar and probably thought I was nuts to get excited over it.
When I went out this morning to feed the birds at 9:51 am, I got even more excited when I noticed the caterpillar had attached himself to the fence and was starting to curl up.
I was totally amazed when I went to check on him later to discover that, in a period of just two hours he had completely transformed into a chrysalis! The photo below is time stamped 11:51 am!
For some reason, I thought it would take longer than that. What a difference two hours makes!
Words and photographs by Jayne Wilson, Green and Serene, Jayne's Country Garden.
3 comments:
great observation. Hope you are around for the moment the butterfly comes out.
How lovely! I had lots of monarchs this year, and caterpillars, but didn't see any chrysalises. Hope you can capture the emerging butterfly. P. x
And aren't monarch chrysalises the most beautiful? Shine like jewels.
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