The chrysalis eclosed!

 I found a butterfly that hadn't eclosed properly, and was damaged somehow. It is a complex process.

This chrysalis fell off the bench swing canopy, and decided to keep it safe.  It takes a couple of weeks to hatch or eclose. 

I taped it to the inside of a vase. That proved to be a mistake!

I began by setting it on the arm of the chair. It was awkward to use the camera tripod. I moved it to the railing.

When it begins to go dark, you know it will eclose in 24 hours. Then, as I watched, you could see the three dots on the orange wing as the butterfly separates from the outer shell. 

After darkening the day before, in began getting lighter as the butterfly pulls away from the shell.

I was sitting watching, and taking photos and videotaping it. I totally missed the event. This is because it fell off of the chrysalis, into the bottom of the vase. I felt terrible. 

Eastern question mark from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Putting my hand in, it latched onto my fingers. It took an hour, but eventually it lifted off of the chrysalis. What a relief!

Eastern Question mark butterfly (Polygonia interrogationis) Caitlin took this photo for me.

They need to hang from the chrysalis, with wings hanging down to straighten them and dry off. 

You can see the question mark on its outer wing here. It successfully took off. WHEW!

There are more under the eaves. They are difficult to see with the bright sunshine.

Beginning to video it, which was tricky, as the sun was blocking my view finder and my arms were getting tired, it flew off just as I stopped filming.

Polygonia interrogationis from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

A few days later one visited and landed on the deck railing. I said hello.

Birds, butterflies, Bugloss and Bambi

UPDATE: Burlington is still fighting naturalization. 

‘You want to fine them $10,000 a day?’ The City of Burlington fought this family’s natural garden — and then razed it anyway June, 2023 

 "As a penalty, the city had threatened an astonishing $10,000-a-day fine until the yard was remedied to their standards — a notice the city also sent to the Barneses’ mortgage company." 

 "Donnelly also represented landscape ecologist Nina-Marie Lister and her husband, Jeremy Guth, in 2020 when the City of Toronto said the front-yard meadow of their sprawling Wychwood-area home needed to be cut back. "

  ‘What kind of barbarian would mow buttercups?’: The city tried to rip up a local ecologist’s natural garden. Now she’s fighting back – Oct., 2020

"Nina-Marie Lister and her husband Jeremy Guth turned their lawn into a wildlife and pollinator paradise. But complaints from neighbours led them to lawyer up and ask the city to rethink its rules for gardens."

🥀 🥀 🥀 🥀 🥀 🥀 🥀 🥀 🥀 🥀 🥀

 I had a man visit us, asking if our house was for sale. His wife drives into Perth for work, and she  notices a lot of deer roadkill. I explained that the deer have a large range, and wander a lot. It's safer if predators don't know where they are! Deer are crepuscular, and move around dawn and dusk.

backyard doe from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Said stranger also wondered why we aren't cutting the lawn. I love the wildflowers, and cut them down judiciously after they bloom. It isn't cool to have a natural lawn in many areas. A Toronto resident fought and won in 1996. Smiths Falls, for example: Couple's win forces Smiths Falls to revisit approach to 'naturalized' lawns. Where they are from, in Seattle, it is common. You see them from time-to-time in cities, but not often. They had a neighbour report them:

Last October, the couple noticed their yard was an item on the council agenda, accompanied by a 17-page report that detailed neighbours' complaints and recommended they be required to tame their yard. Council agreed, and an order was issued.

Many people have a war with dandelions. Not us! There are lots of lovely 'weeds' that bring the critters.

Viper's Bugloss (Echium vulgare) – many insects like it, even Monarchs! They consume lots of varieties of pollen, but only lay their eggs on Milkweed. The Bugloss buds are pink, then lavender-coloured. 

I was sitting on the back deck and noticed a butterfly. 

question mark butterfly from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Eastern Comma vs. Question Mark you can tell them apart from the three dots and a dash on the Question Mark. When the wings are closed, there is a question mark.

They love our Hops vine, and often lay eggs on it. The Hops are climbing up to the roof.

 

Don't forget the birds!

There was wild splashing in the bird bath!

bird bath splash from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

tree sparrows from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

The hops vine, et al!

It's been fun watching it, again. There are so many critters that avail themselves of the vine. Well, perhaps it's just that the vine climbs up to the back deck, and I can easily see them!

White-marked Tussock Moth
Orgyia leucostigma

This is the little moth that came out of the cocoon (above, right).


This caterpillar hasn't gone into cocoon, yet.


Question mark butterfly larva, we just have to wait! There are now two in this corner!

Aug. 14

Next thing I knew... pupa


And another! I found a gall on a weed, too.

Then, under the front deck: two more monarch have gone into chrysalis.

 Then, I looked out at the goldfish pond and saw this! A big moth in the goldfish pond. I haven't ID'd it yet!
  \
moth from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Then, in the front, the monarchs are doing their thing. This one is about to hatch. We were going away, so I couldn't watch it.

Turns out, it hatched the morning before we left for our anniversary trip to Gananoque! (More on that later!)

10 days to the day!

We had two, and now two more.

What a month it has been!

JB went to the dump, taking our old laundry umbrella and the mouse-eaten kiddie pool. There were vultures keeping a close eye on him! (Not to mention the ubiquitous gulls!)

A Good Giggle

This was really funny. I watch Your Morning in the morning, whilst sipping coffee. Anne-Marie, in the middle, abruptly finished her piece about wine and book clubs, and then dumped her coffee. Now, I cannot imagine what it is like, getting up at 4 a.m., or whatever hour, for a 6 a.m. start to their day, but I'm sure she thought the cup empty!!!

#Mondays... am i right??! @AnneMarieAMK... you've lost all mug privileges. 😩😩😩☕️🍼 pic.twitter.com/3rPQxEwl8f

— Your Morning (@YourMorning) July 22, 2019

What was peculiar, is that the incident (can we call it an accident?!) was followed closely by a paper towel commercial!


The heat wave, with the humidity, is over for now.


That said, my topsoil pile isn't getting any smaller.


Perhaps, that is due to someone spending her time in the kiddie pool?! Even the lilac leaves are wilting in the heat.


Down at the frogpond, there is poisonous blue-green algae. It develops in the heat. There are issues with it and dogs, for example. You have to avoid it.


The bugs aren't as bad as they've been. Ten on a trek to the frogpond, compared to 35!


 Happy goldfish after I feed them the bugs.
goldfish from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

From my deck chair, a chrysalis.


They love the hops vine, and I watch them every summer! Both comma and question mark butterflies.


What floats my boat is playing Angry Birds. Sadly, I seem to be better at 2nd place and 3rd! My competitors, daughter Caitlin, and acquaintance Tom, are much faster and more clever than I am. It takes my mind off things.


The trailcam revealed a coyote, raccoon, and, I think, a flying squirrel.


This is a bit of fun. First a coyote roars by. Then, watch the upper left corner!
Trailcam from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.