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Last Friday I witnessed a sight I had never seen. As a result of the warmer than usual winter and spring, the insect population has been and will continue to be on the rise this summer. Fortunately, along with the tick and other biting pests, the butterfly population has exploited. Thousands of Red Admiral butterflies hatched and had taken flight. The sky was full of fluttering. I, however, was at work and could only witness this through the windows. I suppose I could have run outside for a moment or two but, wouldn't you know, I did not have my camera with me. By the time my shift was over I find not a one Admiral in the air. Having off yesterday, I drove to the local butterfly garden to see if they had taken up residence there. I did see a few but not many. This monarch catch my attention and was having a grand time flitting among the milkweed and thistle.

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Monarchs are not the only butterfly currently on the move. Plenty of Clouded Sulphurs can be seen fluttering about.

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Spring and the monarchs arrive at the same time. They arrive from Mexico ravenous and will eat until their appetites are satisfied. This king of butterflies generally has a 60 day life span and will be certain to reproduce many times over prior to death. The cycle will continue three to four times over the course of the warmer months. Once the fourth generation emerges from their Chrysalis it is inherently known they are the chosen generation which will make the 2000 mile migration. Their appetites are like no other generation before and their urge to reproduce is suppressed. When the cooling winds of Autumn blow, the monarch will catch a ride back to the mountains of Mexico and wait for Spring to arrive again.

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They arrive at the southern most point of New Jersey by the millions. It is a feeding ground and resting place during their 2000 mile journey, from the northern U.S. to the forested mountains of central Mexico. There is still a great sense of mystery as to how the monarch is capable of making this incredible migratory journey.

Today we watched as the researchers captured data about these beautiful creatures including their sex, weight and wingspan.  They were then tagged and released.  Researchers will continue to tag thousands more this Autumn, and the studies will go on until the secret is discovered.

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I missed a day. Oh no, I missed a day of posting. I can assure you, I did not miss a day of photography. Quite the contrary, I took many, many photos. B and I had a few days off and decided a much needed vacation was in order. We packed our bags, I grab my camera and we drove south to Chincoteague VA, home of the feral ponies. Have you read “Misty of Chincoteague”? The popular children’s book.

More on the trip later, first things first. On the morning of our departure, we released our five painted lady butterflies. They had been successful in completing the metaphoric transformation from caterpillar to butterfly. This one was a bit hesitant to leave the place it had called home.

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My butterfly metamorphosis experiment is progressing nicely. All five caterpillars have now entered the pupal stage, hardening into chrysalids. It is within this housing that their caterpillar body parts will undergo a remarkable change. This transformation will take between 7 - 10 days, at which time they will emerge as beautiful winged butterflies.

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This is not one of the caterpillars I have been raising. I noticed this beauty fluttering around by the bay last evening. I watch for awhile and when it landed on the rocks I took the opportunity to capture a shot. I really like the contrast of the soft colors of the butterfly and the hard break colored rocks.

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Three weeks away I mentioned how much I enjoyed watching a frog transform from polliwog to adult. This had me thinking and the next thing I knew I was ordering larvae. Several days later a box arrived on my doorstep, the contents; five caterpillars, caterpillar food, a culture kit, and a net cage.

The metamorphosis, from caterpillar to Painted Lady Butterfly, takes about three to four weeks. Currently, they are busy spinning silk and getting ready to form their chrysalids and enter the pupa stage.

The photo is not the best, as it was taken through the glass of their home which is now filled with silk fibers. This little guy may be not be the best looking guy on the block but just we wait and see what happens to him.

My World this Week ~

This week afforded me the opportunity to visit an area to which I have not been. It has be on my, long ago made, list of day trip places to explore. Unknowingly, and to my luck, I arrived on the day of the migration of the monarch butterfly. Imagine my delight when we ventured out on the trails to see flowers, trees and bushes covered with 1000s of nectar drinking beauties. I later read, in fact, over 100,000 butterflies had stopped to eat and rest before making the long journey to South America. Rest assure, I have marked my calendar, as I will not miss magical moment next year.

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