Posts Tagged ‘Monarch Butterfly life cycle’
Monarch Butterfly Haiku: Camera Madness
Dot’s Thot: “Butterflies are self propelled flowers.” – R.H. Heinlein
Monarch Butterfly Closeup on Asclepsis Buds
DoT's Monarch Butterfly Haiku #2, "Monarch Butterfly Camera Madness"
Monarch Butterfly Speeding Among the Agapanthus Looks Like It is Pasted In
The Monarch Butterfly Eluded Me, Charmed the Hubby
A few days ago, while I was out in the yard, tending to plants and flowers, I caught a vague glimpse of my hubby moving rather fast for the brand-new medicare guy that he is. He has one of those ridiculously low heart rates — at rest, somewhere in the 40’s (genetic, it seems) — and I am used to him being a genial, ambling sort of guy.
Don’t be mistaken, he can move fast when he has too and that brain is constantly on the go, although.in general, he appears to be relaxed and easy-going, but apparently not when it comes to monarch butterfly pictures.
I looked, but got engrossed again. I was in the back yard and he soon disappeared, headed toward the front of the house. I figured he had something on his mind, as usual. When he gets an idea, he wants to execute immediately.
Some minutes later, he returned all excited — “I saw your butterfly. I think I got some pictures for you for your blog. Come look.” He sounded not a bit out of breath, but somewhat breathless in excitement. As one of those “keeper” kind of men, he was all too happy to make me happy.
Persistence Results in Interesting Monarch Butterfly Pictures
Imagine my surprise when I took the camera in and uploaded the photographs. Some days before, I had tried to take a flip video of a Monarch butterfly and it just made me dizzy. I couldn’t get a good close-up and the flittering, fleeting, fluttering butterfly turned me around in circles.
I can appreciate how he must have run around and persisted to get the photos. I have included some here. Just an amateur monarch butterfly lover, I have tried to attract and journal the monarch butterfly life cycle for myself. I love the unusual pictures he managed to take: one where the butterfly is seen from the top as the wings are folded together, appearing like a sudden sliver of color among the leaves and one where he caught the butterfly in mid-flight as an orange, black, and white big “V” zooming low in the garden.
What shots these are — I can imagine the butterfly for myself. Some pictures look like they could have been digitally manipulated, because of the movement — kind of the surreal feeling butterflies sometimes induce in real life. In some of them, there is a feeling of “Where’s Wally?” as I hunt among the foliage and blossoms for the elusive butterfly.
Unusual Angle of a Monarch Butterfly as a Colorful Sliver
"Coming in Low to Strafe the Ants!"
Finally, as he followed it, the butterfly lighted upon, of all things, the butterfly bush or asclepsis that I have tended to for three years to foster the monarch butterflies. He took a series of shots and the butterfly is as magnificent as any I have seen. What a man — kind of an un-birthday present; therefore, I want to share them with you.
Aloha, DoT
Related Articles or References:
Related Posts:
- Asclepsis and Lantana: Food for Monarch Butterflies
- Scene in Hawaii: Monarch Butterfly Caterpiller in a Supermarket Garden Shop
- A Note on Monarch Butterflies in Hawaii
- Monarch Butterfly Sightings Haiku — the Asclepsis Gardener’s Reward
- Missed the Monarch Butterfly Chrysalis — Found It Empty
- Monarch Butterflies — Caterpillar Faith
- Monarch Butterfly Life Cycle Site Review — go visit
- Monarch Butterfly Egg Hunt — First Report
- Monarch Butterfly Egg Hunt is On
Monarch Butterfly Life Cycle Site Review — go visit
Dot’s Thot: When you see something great, emulate. Oh, and by the way, acknowledge.
Since first just doing my own little observations, I decided to learn more about my Monarch butterflies. In Hawaii, the butterflies had become rather captive on the islands and since the rhythm of the seasons is so gentle, the thought of migration never occurred to me.
The Monarch Life Cycle and Migration are Fascinating
Now, living in Southern California, I have discovered the great Monarch Butterfly migrations. There is a marvelous site we can all learn from. The photo at left is from the site and shows off a magnificent Monarch atop a pretty pink coneflower.
Please do visit the site for more information on Monarchs as we track them in my yard.
According to the site, called MonarchButterfliesUSA.com, my butterflies are part of the 2nd generation which cycles May/June. That correlates perfectly with my experience with my butterflies. So far, I have not found those pretty little white, black, and yellow striped caterpillars. You can see them on the site or wait until I find mine and post their pictures. I just had to tell you about the site, because it is so much fun to visit and very informative and the pictures speak volumes.
I do invite you to track along with me as one of my blogger topics will be to follow the butterfly life cycle in the yard. It’s kind of like being virtual neighbors — Linda next door periodically stops by the check up on our butterfly progress and I do enjoy an excuse to talk to neighbors.
Aloha, Dot
Related Articles and References:
Related Posts:
- Asclepsis and Lantana: Food for Monarch Butterflies
- Scene in Hawaii: Monarch Butterfly Caterpiller in a Supermarket Garden Shop
- Scene in Hawaii: Hawaiian Bougainvillea “Dragons”
- Scene in Hawaii: Hawaiian Snowflakes, Rainbow Shower Tree Haiku
- A Note on Monarch Butterflies in Hawaii
- Monarch Butterfly Haiku: Camera Madness
- Monarch Butterfly Sightings Haiku — the Asclepsis Gardener’s Reward
- Missed the Monarch Butterfly Chrysalis — Found It Empty
- Monarch Butterflies — Caterpillar Faith
- Monarch Butterfly Egg Hunt — First Report
- Monarch Butterfly Egg Hunt is On
