As you know,we have been babysitting three Swallowtail chrysallis,for a week.Yesterday,the first one emerged(you can read about that here).Today,I was determined to photograph the whole sequence,so I was up at 6 AM,in my jammies(bare butt hanging out-bet the neighbors loved that!),coffee and camera in hand,patiently waiting for what I hoped would happen.
The sun was just starting to come up,so the lighting is not too good in the first two pictures.
The photos above and below are the final two chrysallis.
When what to my wondering eyes should emerge ?! A boy AND a girl!!!
(note-the female was more hidden than the male,so there are not many pictures of her.Most of these photos are of the male.)
Note the spent chrysallis below the Swallowtail.
Wings still folded and wet,he crawled to the tip of a pineapple plant.
And hung upside down,to allow the fluid to spread to his wings.
As the sun arose higer in the sky,he started to spread his wings more and more......
Until,fnally,they both flew off.The male first,and then the female.She flew to a nearby palm tree,and rested for a bit,before finally taking off for the last time.
I thought about the newness(is there such a term?) that happens everyday in the garden.
everyday.
Right before our unseeing eyes.
A squirrel shredding cypress bark for a nest,in anticipation of little ones...........
13 comments:
Thank you for sharing such wonderful close up shots of nature at work in your lovely garden!
Chris,
You are a good Momma... getting up with those babies and 'coaching' them to birth. And what a blessing for you to get to see new life emerge. All the newness in the garden continues and you have captured it well. It is so true... so much to see and experience... if we only open our eyes to the simple things in life.
Great post.
Meems
OMGosh your photos of your little hatchlings are AMAZING!!! I, for one, am ever so grateful to you for bearing your butt to the neighbors to capture those shots!
What a MARVELOUS photo series sharing this wonderful experience. Thank you so much ;--)
Hugs and blessings,
What beautiful and touching photos you shared...what aprivledge to see such unfolding and life!
How right you are - we must celebrate life wherever we see it (must remember that next time I find spiders where I'd rather they weren't - ie:indoors!!!)
Chris, your photography is so wonderful! You have such an artful eye - your captures are always stunning. Thanks for being a part of SAGS this week! :) You never let me down!
Beautiful! Thanks for sharing.
Beautiful! Thanks for sharing.
This was the perfect blog to come across first thing on a Monday morning. Your pics of the emerging butterflies were superb. And, your thoughts about the newness happening in the garden everyday is right on. I love walking through my gardens everyday in the Spring and summer. There's always something happening - a new bloom, a little bug, a leaf turning color. All are amazing. Thanks for sharing!
Cheryl
www.cherylkugler.com
Great shots, especially around the pineapple. What wonders you have in your garden.
Late as usual with my comments, but I think it is so cool to witness that. I have been going outside with my camera in hand just to see what I can discover. There is so much living going on in our yards besides the plants, and I love how you have expressed it here.
XOSue
It must be cool to watch those Butterflies form. I have nothing like that in my yard, just Dragonflies.
Jake
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