It is now the end of the butterflies' life cycle. And since it has been warmer at night, it was time to let the last living five go. We took the pavilion out into the backyard and unzipped the top hatch and waited to see which ones would fly out on their own. Two went by themselves and three needed a little help. The last one had a bit of a gimpy wing and hung around the yard a little while, providing great photo opportunities and a chance for the kids to hold it in their hands.
Being the good butterfly mama that she is, my daughter insisted that we put the butterfly down on a chive flower so it could drink its nectar. Good idea! As its proboscis probed down into the bloom, the butterfly enjoyed its snack before taking flight.
Even my son wanted to get into the action. He carefully held out his little paws and allowed the butterfly to wander around for a few moments before it flew out onto the grass. Over time, the butterflies' wings begin to break down, making it difficult to fly very high or far.
The butterfly "nursery" we thought would be better placed outside, near some plants so that the larvae would have something to eat when they hatch. The eggs are such a beautiful shade of cyan, don't you think?
It has been a wonderful experience for us to see these insects from start to finish, to start again. And that made it so much easier for us to let them go.
2 comments:
E looks heartbroken. I remember when I had to let my hornytoad go. I think his name was Harry or was it Harvey?
I've enjoyed reading about your butterfly experience. Thank you for sharing. Yes, the eggs are beautiful!
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