Okay, catching up on more pictures. Sunday I went to MOSI. I was thinking of starting back either last weekend or this weekend. I was leaning toward the latter but the boss asked if someone could come in and water some of the new plantings this weekend so I said, "Sure". Although, I warned I probably wouldn't be able to do much because dragging those hoses around is hard and I knew I would be tired from Joshua House the day before. Fortunately, the area that needed watered was near the hoses. And it rained yesterday and this morning so we're pretty wet here.
I was actually loading stuff in my car yesterday and came back inside to get a second load. As soon as my wet sneaker hit our ceramic tile, I tilted forward and fell. My right knee got the worst of it and my left wrist has a bit of a twinge when I move it. One nice thing about living with your parents is that they still come running when you start howling in pain. Nothing like having your mom there to kiss your boo-boos. I thought my knee would be all black and blue today, but it's just red. Doesn't hurt as bad as yesterday, though.
Anyway, I have pictures. Before I left for MOSI, I checked my White Peacock chrysalis and it had really turned colors!
Once, I got to MOSI, I started checking things out. We still had some Malachites in the flight cage.
There was an escapee turtle I had to throw back in the pond exhibit. Sometimes when the ginger grows a certain way and the water level hits just right, they can climb up and out of the water. And let me tell you, I'm positive that I enjoy throwing them back in way too much! Sploosh!
Back in the flight cage, it's mostly Zebra Longwings. First of all, they're long-lived due to their pollen-eating habit. Also, they mate a lot.
In the lab, someone had set a chrysalis box with a Buckeye in it over by the sink. I looked at it, and the wing was a little malformed, but it didn't look that bad. So I took it in the flight cage and it could fly all right. Kept wanting to land on the concrete, like so many of them do, but we had a talk about that. I think the concrete warms up fast and they like the heat. Plus, a lot of butterflies bask on the ground. It's just that usually I'm scaring them out of the grass.
I got to release some Sleepy Oranges. We only have so many chrysalis boxes and lids so sometimes we pin two in the same box, especially the smaller butterflies. When I walked in, only one had emerged, but when I opened the lid, they were both there!
I had a Monarch that must have emerged right before I walked in because it was still wrinkly and swollen when I saw it. But it smoothed out those wings real fast so I moved him over to dry off in the flight cage.
This Malachite wasn't quite ready to wake up so it was still pretending to be a leaf.
This Long-Tailed Skipper thought it could hide from me after I kept chasing it with my camera.
Only one pair of Zebra Longwings was mating. The rest were just chilling out or nectaring.
I got to release one of the Phaon Crescents I brought from home back when they were eggs!
I saw a Barred Sulphur (alba form) that got loose in the outer enclosure. I didn't want to go back in and get a net because I figured I'd never spot it again. Plus, I'm thinking, "They're small. I should be able to catch it with my hands." They're quick, too, so it took me several tries. The hardest part was unlocking the padlock on the flight cage with my left hand. I'm right-handed but I had the butterfly in that one. I released it and it flew to the top of our Kumquat tree.
I spotted a Gulf Frit outside and told it that it was lucky I didn't have a net. I was just there to water.
I got home and the White Peacock was still in its chrysalis. But it wasn't long before it emerged!
So that brings us to last night. Everything was fine around dinner time (6 pm). I went to Barnes and Noble to buy a bunch of books for the library and I get home about 9 pm. And a Black Swallowtail had emerged! First off, they're in the same container as the Skipper chrysalises so I've been checking it every day and I don't remember any chrysalis turning dark. Also, they're supposed to be overwintering! Bad Swallowtail! Naturally, it goes in the dark, cool bathroom for the night. I wake up about noon (up late reading some of those books, naturally) and I see the Swallowtail now has a Long-Tailed Skipper friend!
What kind of butterfly emerges in the dark? I mean, even at noon my bathroom is pretty dark because it has no windows. The one window I have in the bedroom faces the north so it's not like I get a lot of light in here. I released them both this morning. Crazy butterflies.
While I'm outside, I see there's a package from Barnes and Noble so I bring it in. I had a store coupon and a website coupon! I had to use them both!
I open the box, check out the books, and then put them in my room. I glance at the container again and see that another Long-Tailed Skipper just emerged! How did I miss that? I know - I was looking at books.
Hooray! Now, I'm all caught up!
Yesterday, I had to put down a Long-Tailed Skipper whose wings didn't form properly and I swear that seconds after I used the guillotine (scissors), there was a lizard with the head in its mouth! I was feeling bad enough. Jeez! But that's one reason I give them a "quick death" over the alternative. It's still pretty depressing.
