If These Are Bees... They're Taking a Hit at Chez Shady!

I've been enamored by the number of butterflies seen everywhere, lately. In fact, as I stood looking out my kitchen window yesterday, I saw what I thought were a dozen or so Monarchs fluttering and landing in the Sunny Corner Bed.

So, out came the trusty camera. On went my scuffy garden shoes. And out the door I went.

Look what I found! A Monarch and a Red Spotted Purple (right?). Believe it or not, I didn't even notice the floating cadavers in the hummingbird feeder, so intent was I in capturing the butterflies on camera! (If you can stand the sight of the "floaters," click for a nice large image of each photo!)

Trying to catch them in action.

And attempting to get yet a better photo!

It wasn't until I had finished that I noticed the poor floaters. The butterflies had had enough of my hanging around and left. So I took the feeder down and went back to the house. I considered myself fortunate to have extra hummingbird food on hand in the refrigerator.


Back in the kitchen, as I was washing and refilling the hummingbird feeder, what should I notice . . . but a humongous spider hanging outside the window!

And he was struggling a bit with another one of those ... bees?

Great looking specimen, don't you think?

A "blue bird day!"

It seems these "bees" are having quite a time here.

Eh . . . What's Up Doc?

Enjoy!

:-)

These photos were taken from my (slightly dirty) kitchen window.

Love this new hanger and feeder combination (suction cups)!!



Now, then . . .

The continuing saga of the Monarch Butterfly caterpillar,

and his older brother.

These are the common milkweed plants you can find nearly everywhere! I let quite a number of them grow in our yard this year... thanks to the birds. But it's paying off! Yea! :-)

Shady? Only in selected portions of a plant. ha!

Present-day Miracles

Observation of a nearly complete life cycle, beginning with a Monarch caterpillar that traveled from a milkweed leaf in my yard, to my grandson's yard, and back to my yard! "Around the World" (From a mature caterpillar to butterfly) in 10 days.

Our Monarch caterpillar... eating, eating, eating... just prior to being housed in a mason jar with part of a pantyhose leg under a jar ring on Thursday, August 10.

The chrysalis that was formed in the jar on Friday, August 11.

The empty chrysalis we found in the jar this morning... Sunday, August 19.

The Monarch butterfly in the jar!A transfer to Daddy's hands.

Wonderment...

... and letting go.

New Homes and Food APlenty!

The job is done. I plucked off all the little Monarch caterpillars I could find from my Butterfly Milkweed and placed them on temporary leaves from a common Milkweed. Here are a few of them. They didn't skip a beat... just kept on chewing! (And, as you might notice... pushing the "excess" right through!)

I found quite a few of them... probably 15 or so. I kept one of the larger ones in a mason jar with some fresh leaves. I'm driving to visit my daughter, son-in-law, my 4-year-old grandson and my 1 1/2 year-old granddaughter tomorrow. Perhaps a caterpillar/chrysalis/butterfly experience will be fun and educational!

And, yes, I saturated the entire Butterfly Milkweed with insect spray! I got a little heavy-handed, but assume the plant will be happier in the long run.

I also rescued three fuzzy little caterpillars that I hope to identify later. They eat milkweed leaves, too. You'll see one fuzzy little fellow below. I've discovered that it's a Milkweed Tussock Moth Caterpillar. Check out this image of the Milkweed Tussock moth!

The following photos show how easily they were transplanted. I was a minor inconvenience in the grand scheme of things. I'm not sure they even noticed the move!

If you click to enlarge the photo of the plant, you may be able to see a few of the caterpillars.

A job "well done." I'll check my plant in the morning... within a few days, there should be several new Monarch Butterflies flying from the ditch!