Yesterday, we were visited by a lovely Monarch butterfly. This is the first one of the season!! She spend quite a bit of time gliding around the yard, spinning circles and fluttering from flower top to flower top!
Spotting our first monarch means it's time to go butterfly egg hunting. We love to collect monarch caterpillars and the eggs and raise them inside. We went for a hike, and scoped out all the milkweed along the road.
The county mowers will come and mow all of this down. So we like to rescue all the caterpillars and eggs before that happens. Many people think milkweed is just a weed.
We think it's beautiful!
We think it's beautiful!
The kids checking for caterpillars.
We flipped up every leaf, but didn't find any caterpillars or eggs. We did however find this guy.
A little red-backed jumping spider.
We also found this pretty little Haploa Moth - Haploa lecontei (i think)
A little red-backed jumping spider.
We also found this pretty little Haploa Moth - Haploa lecontei (i think)
and a female Eastern tiger swallow tail...
and blackberries!
We found just a few ripe, oh...but what a treat!
Gorgeous pictures from your walk.
ReplyDeleteDid you end up finding any caterpillars or eggs?
I agree...gorgeous photos!!!
ReplyDeleteWe've been patiently waiting the arrival of the Monarch caterpillar!!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful pictures of your "hunt"!
xo maureen
Milkweed is pretty. Will most butterfly caterpillers eat it ?? I haven't seen any. These swallowtails keeps coming from across the street...but all I can find is miller moths. We read Velma Gratch and the Way Cool Butterfly yesterday...and thought of ya'll.
ReplyDeleteWe didn't find any this time, but it's still early. We'll find some eventually.
ReplyDeleteVal, milkweed leaves area really poisonous to most things. Monarchs caterpillars are one of the few things that can eat it, and it's the only thing the caterpillars will eat.