Butterfly Eclosion

I've been monitoring about eight chrysalises for the past several days. With great anticipation I make my rounds every morning, hoping that today will be the day I will see one hatch. Usually I'm too late and all I see is an empty chrysalis. But today... I noticed one particular chrysalis that looked almost see-through. I knew it could eclose at any minute and I didn't want to miss it. So, I settled down to watch and wait.

A light mist was falling... a hummingbird buzzed by and hovered for a second to look at me... cardinals, blue jays, and chickadees hopped around in the branches and sang their morning songs... and still I waited. An ant crawled up my leg... a spider caught my attention as it hung on its sparkling web... the hummingbird came back, puzzled that I hadn't moved... still nothing. I was about to go inside, when a slight movement caught my eye. I looked closely, and sure enough, a crack had formed along the tip of the chrysalis. It was eclosing (hatching, for those not sure what eclosing means). I was so excited!


I was glad I took the time to watch and wait, because it was over in about 40 seconds. Here's the proof:

 

About 10 minutes before it eclosed

After, when it was still drying its wings

Here's another one that also hatched this morning

Change is not comfortable

Come see! Come see! I called to my housemate's kids, and they came running. Slowly I turned around and revealed a beautiful orange Passion butterfly (also known as Gulf fritillary) hanging from the underside of my hand. It had hatched moments before and was still drying its wings. They gazed in amazement and excitement at seeing a butterfly so close and so still. A dozen questions poured forth, and their curiosity and wonder mingled with mine. All too soon the butterfly flew away, but I suspected that where there was one chrysalis, there might be others and so we started looking.

Next to where I park my car, there's a beautiful Purple Passionflower vine. The long tendrils of the vine have slowly crept over the fence, the bushes, and even a small tree, but I've enjoyed seeing the large, intricate flowers in bloom. As we were walking along the fence looking for possible chrysalises, I noticed some bright orange caterpillars with rows of black spines munching away on the Passionflower leaves. We saw one... two... five... ten caterpillars... There were so many!

Looking around some more, I spotted a chrysalis hanging from the fence, then another and another. While I was intently examining the vine, a Passion butterfly landed on a Passionflower leaf in front of me and deposited a tiny yellow egg. I was thrilled! We are studying insects this week with the kids and I wanted to discuss the butterfly life cycle. However, I had not expected to be able to SHOW them the life cycle...this was so much better than just talking about it.

We found one of the caterpillars climbing up the side of the house and I decided it would be the perfect specimen for observation. The kids and I carefully placed the caterpillar in a large container with some twigs for it to climb on. By the evening, it had selected a spot on the twig to begin spinning a white, silk-like spot. I was sure that by the next day it would have transformed into a chrysalis, but the next morning it was still there, hanging upside down on the white silk anchor. By noon, the caterpillar's color had changed from bright orange to a grayish color. At various intervals throughout the day we observed its skin contracting as it slowly prepared itself for its transformation into a chrysalis. It seemed to be taking forever. Finally, about 24 hours after it had created its silk anchor point, the caterpillar metamorphosed into a chrysalis. The change happened within the span of about 1 minute and I was so excited to be able to watch the whole process. (I apologize for the poor quality of the video. I was taking pictures through a plastic jar full of scratches).

Metamorphosis means change or transformation. Did you know that the Bible also talks about metamorphosis? In Romans 12:2 it says, "And be not conformed to this world, but be ye TRANSFORMED (the Greek says metamorphose) by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." Also in 2 Corinthians 3:18 it says, "But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are CHANGED into the same image from glory to glory..."

Observing the caterpillar's complete transformation process has really made me wonder at the transformation God wants for us to go through. While the caterpillar changed into a chrysalis, it struggled and squirmed from side to side; as the butterfly emerged from the chrysalis, it too struggled to push itself out. It appears that change is not a comfortable process. But once the old self has been done away with, what joy and beauty will we experience? That is something I can only wonder at!

What happened to my roses?!!!

It's that time of year again where the Japanese beetles have emerged and are voraciously feeding and mating in large quantities on our once beautiful rose bushes. Once one appears, it seems like hundreds follow. I found out there's actually a reason for that. As it turns out, as the beetles eat, they release a pheromone that attracts other adult beetles. So, yes, where there's one there will soon be hundreds.

 Japanese beetles don't live very long (about 30-45 days), but during that time the females will lay eggs every 24-48 hours. If the conditions are right, those eggs will hatch in about 2 weeks into grubs that will feed on the roots of grasses and other plants until the following summer. In other words, these beetles do damage above and below ground at all stages of their life. They are considered one of the most destructive garden pests.

Check out their life cycle:

Our specific beetles particularly enjoy our rose bushes and our grape leaves. However, they will not limit themselves to these plants. Japanese beetles will feed on the leaves and flowers of over 300 plants. Studies have shown that their favorites include roses, hibiscus, grapes, raspberries, sassafras, and Japanese maple.

It has been said that in order to control these destructive Japanese beetles, one must understand their life cycle and have a plan for attacking both the grub stage (which is hidden underground) and the beetle stage (which is visibly destructive). I believe there may be a lesson in there for us. In order for us to blossom into what God wants for us, we need to have His help in destroying/ getting rid of the obvious sins and the secret/hidden sins that can and will destroy us. Just as the plant cannot rid itself of the beetles on its own, so we too must have our Heavenly Gardener's help.

80+ Outdoor Summer Activities

Need a list of outdoor summer time activities? Well, here are a few. No more excuses! :)

1. go on a picnic
2. skip rocks

3. visit a local nature area
4. take a hike
5. make mud pies
6.  start a nature journal
7. set up your tent and have a camp out in your backyard
8. go on a bike ride
9. go on a nature scavenger hunt
10. search for animal tracks
11. make a nature craft
12. go fishing
13. watch the sun set
14. find figures in the clouds
15. visit a lake or river
16. go canoeing
17. make a treasure hunt with clues
18. build an outdoor fort or a tree house
19. learn about 5 new plants
20. find and count bugs

Patent-leather beetle

21. create a backyard obstacle course
22. do a photo scavenger hunt
23. identify the night sounds you hear
24. watch and learn about birds
25. create a dandelion chain necklace
26. play games (freeze tag, capture the flag, hide-and-seek, sardines...)
27. stargaze
28. climb a tree
29. press flowers
30. jump in puddles
31. make homemade bird feeders
32. build a terrarium
33. plant something in the garden
34. catch and release some frogs
35. examine a fallen log
36. preserve a spider web
37. learn bird language
38. learn a new skill (swimming, fire building, orienteering..)
39. go geocaching
40. learn about edible plants

Dandelion fritters

41. learn about wilderness survival or take a course
42. go backpacking
43. visit a zoo
44. make a boat out of nature materials and float it in the creek
45. make your own rainbow
46. make a homemade sundial
47. build your own weather station
48. build a mud or sand castle
49. make your own cattail doll
50. find a sit spot and observe nature
51. visit an aquarium
52. explore somewhere new (a new trail, a new park...)
53. go on a micro safari
54. start a nature collection (rocks, seeds, feathers, shells...)
55. collect lightning bugs
56. catch and observe crayfish   

catching crayfish

57. raise butterflies
58. have a bug race
59. make and bury a time capsule
60. create a nature table to display nature treasures you find
61. read a book under a tree
62. make and fly a kite
63. walk in the rain
64. go swimming
65. walk barefoot
66. sketch a map of your backyard
67. make a wicker basket or a honeysuckle basket
68. make a sound map
69. make bannock over a campfire
70. take the tourist test and find out what you still need to learn about nature
71. design and implement a backyard wildlife habitat
72. visit a natural history museum
73. learn how to make a Willow whistle
74. create a solar oven
75. sleep out under the stars
76. clean up an area in a park or along a trail
77. start a compost pile
78. make a wind chime out of natural materials
79. build a survival shelter and if you are brave enough, sleep in it
80. feed the ducks at a local park (good options include: cracked corn, uncooked oats, birdseed, grapes cut in half, cooked rice, spinach, duck feed pellets. Bread, chips and crackers are unhealthy for ducks because the food has little nutritional value.)


Also check out this site that has many nature activities and experiments
Or find more nature activities at Nature Rocks

If you have any other fun outdoor activities you did as a kid, I would love to hear about them.

Hustle and Bustle and Noise

Summer has come and gone and now the cool mornings of autumn are here. With the change in season come other changes in nature as well. Squirrels are frantically scurrying around gathering walnuts and acorns and burying them around our yard. Unfortunately, it seems that they are so focused on gathering in the harvest, that on my drive to work I notice they often don't look before crossing the road and I find my heart beating wildly as I do my best to avoid a collision. Thankfully they have been quick and with a flick of their tail, as though to say "that was close", I see the squirrels scamper off in search of more nuts.


Crazy, distracted squirrels are not the only changes I have noticed. Leaves are slowly changing color, though this year many leaves seem to be falling off the trees before even turning colors, which is kind of sad and puzzling. I'm hoping that a couple of weeks and a few cooler nights will change that. Here's a link to the current fall foliage peak areas.

 
Yesterday, I wandered out by the creek and enjoyed the peacefulness. Leaves crunched under my shoes which startled a flock of 5 or 6 cardinals. Two male cardinals stopped for a drink further down the creek and I paused to watch them. Though it was peaceful, the woods were definitely not quiet (if that even makes sense). I could hear leaves rustling in the breeze, acorns falling through the branches and hitting the forest floor with a thump, a woodpecker hammering away at a tree, a squirrel gnawing on a walnut hull, chickadees and other birds twittering as they hopped from branch to branch, and the creek trickling around rocks. How is it that nature can be so calming despite the hustle and bustle and noise? Could it be that true peace is not the absence of noise, but rather the presence of something... the presence of God in our hearts, in His creation...?

"You will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you." 

Isaiah 26:3

Complex Engineering

If you spend any amount of time near a body of water, you are sure to see dragonflies. Like tiny helicopters they hover... darting here and there... flipping and twisting... straight up or nose dive... reaching speeds of up to 36 miles per hour (though not all of them are that fast), then stopping in an instant. Their flight is fascinating to watch, if you can keep track of them! Did you know that they can move their four wings independently of each other?

Then they land and you get a brief opportunity to admire the colors and patterns on their wings and bodies. God must love being creative. I found out that there are more than 5,000 known species of dragonflies and damselflies worldwide, with 155 species in Tennessee alone!

Also, did you know that dragonfly eyes take up pretty much their whole head and that each eye is composed of as many as 30,000 "lenses"? They almost have 360 degree vision which means they can see in all directions at the same time! They can also see a wider spectrum of colors than humans, such as being able to see ultraviolet (UV) light. Their multifaceted eyes allow them to be acutely sensitive to movement, which helps them catch other flying insects for diner such as mosquitoes, flies, gnats, and bees.

Here is a brief look at their life cycle.

Dragonfly nymph (the shell that remained after the dragonfly emerged)

A Widow Skimmer

A female Common Whitetail (one of the most frequently seen dragonflies; they are perchers, which means they often rest on logs, rocks, low plant stems, or on the ground, as in this case; They can also tolerate low quality water, so you may see them even around polluted water.)

I have no idea what species this is, but it had just emerged from the nymph stage

Sunning itself on a rock

The stunning complexity with which the dragonfly was designed leaves me a bit humbled and in awe. Truly, "Great and marvelous are Your works, O Lord God..." Revelation 15:3.

Amazing Natural Fireworks

Throughout the last several hundred years we have used fireworks to celebrate special occasions. Today, the 4th of July, as we celebrate Independence Day I would like to share some of nature's incredible fireworks. The Japanese word for fireworks is "hanabi": hana means "flower" and bi means "fire". So here are just a few of nature's hanabi or "flowers of fire."

(environmentalgraffiti.com)

(environmentalgraffiti.com)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(environmentalgraffiti.com)

(gardenstew.com)

redbubble.com)

(lejardinetdesigns.com)

(myturksandcaicosblog.com)

(photo.net)

(flickr.com)

(freidafroo.wordpress.com)

 

 

We could add pictures of awe-inspiring lightning storms, dazzling shooting stars, stunning firefly displays, radiant sunsets, dancing northern lights, swaying sea anemones... God has created an incredible celebration of color and variety for us to enjoy!

Happy 4th!