The Nature Photography Thread

[GarterGeek]

What a pretty pattern! Have you gotten it to eat anything yet?

[guidofatherof5]

What a pretty pattern! Have you gotten it to eat anything yet?

It eat a pinky last night.

[guidofatherof5]

Our Butterfly bushes have been very busy around the Ranch. I found this Monarch catapillar on a milkweed vine and we've been feeding it for a couple of days. It stopped eating tonight and I told the kids to get one last look at it because in the morning it would be in its chrysalis. I week or so from now we'll have a beautiful butterfly in the house. It will be released so it can continue its southernly journey. I love these visitors, there's something calming about them.

[Mommy2many]

Steve,

When I was growing up, Monarchs were another wonderful thing my Mother introduced us to. I think it was in the summer of 1976, we literally raised hundreds of them at my house and then set them free for their migration. You could find their caterpillars everywhere when I was young. Now, I haven't found any in years to show my kids the wonderful & colorful transformation these butterflies make. From their black & yellow caterpillar stage, to their emerald green and gold dotted chrysallis,to the transparent butterfly right before emerging, it is an awesome experience! We loved to watch them emerge, "drip dry" and let their wings unfold. They would stay a few hours and then leave us for Mexico. You are sooo lucky.

[drache]

I saw a monarch yesterday and I don't think I've ever seen one around here
we used to go to a couple of places in Santa Cruz, CA where they would congregate in big clumps, covering some trees to the point where one can't see the tree for the butterflies - it's hard to imagine unless one has seen it
there's some nice pics on this site
monarch1 pictures from outdoors photos on webshots

[guidofatherof5]

We've been doing Monarchs for the last 10 years here.

We also do Woolly Bear catapillars(Pyrrharctia isabella Pyrrharctia isabella)Pyrrharctia isabella - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[GarterGeek]

Our Butterfly bushes have been very busy around the Ranch. I found this Monarch catapillar on a milkweed vine and we've been feeding it for a couple of days. It stopped eating tonight and I told the kids to get one last look at it because in the morning it would be in its chrysalis. I week or so from now we'll have a beautiful butterfly in the house. It will be released so it can continue its southernly journey. I love these visitors, there's something calming about them.

Ha! I have the same thing going on right now! Except mine are all in chrysalis already. Milkweed is THE place to look for them. I love all of the stages, especially the chrysalis.

[drache]

Jeff thinks this is really disgusting
credits go to Mikhaila for finding them - she thought they were dying, but hey did fly away after they were done dying, and my sense was that they didn't like the camera

[count dewclaw]

What a cool photo! I haven't ever seen cicadas doing that before....

[reptileparadise]

Very cool!
I guess that these guys are bigger then they look?