I noticed it this afternoon outside the south kitchen windows, just before the downpour. Continue reading “First Monarch spotting this season”
Tag: Monarch butterfly
We are both so tired.

I knew one of the nine chrysalides in the “eclosurie”1 would likely open this morning as the chrysalis was a shade of transparent I’ve come to know fairly well.
The question–as always–was…when? Continue reading “We are both so tired.”
Of cats and butterflies.
On one news aggregate site I haunt, there was a link yesterday that led me to an older article about the devastatingly low count of Monarchs in California last year. Continue reading “Of cats and butterflies.”
Guardianship update: 7th September 2018
I awoke today to find the last three chrysalis in the keeper had eclosed. They were two males and a female. Continue reading “Guardianship update: 7th September 2018”
Guardianship update: 31st August 2018
The chrysalis I mentioned last time did not eclose. I finally had taken it out and where the chrysalis had started cracking, I pulled it out just a bit, and as I did, I realized the entire thing felt like it could be crushed to dust in any minute between the fingers I was pressing as lightly as I could through a paper towel I had used to take it out of the keeper. It simply had dehydrated. Continue reading “Guardianship update: 31st August 2018”
Guardianship update: 29th August 2018
So the chrysalis I thought maybe might be a late release yesterday still has not eclosed. I’ve read that after 48 hours of it being this clear, if they don’t eclose, something went wrong and they are likely dead.

Guardianship update: 27th August 2018
Fourth female, and she will be released within a few hours, depending on when she is ready.

Guardianship update: 26th August 2018
Yesterday one of the chrysalis changed color in a way I hadn’t seen before. It didn’t quite match the images I’ve seen, but it wasn’t darkening evenly. Odder still, the “cap” portion was still bright green. Continue reading “Guardianship update: 26th August 2018”
Guardianship update: 23rd August 2018 #4
At last we reach the final installment of the sad day update. Continuing on from the last post, how are the five? One, I recently started posting about in another update, so here’s the rest of Junior’s story. Continue reading “Guardianship update: 23rd August 2018 #4”