BaileyNagai

  2. Photos 2
  3. 2012

Butterflies

We studies butterflies again this year, with wonderful results from Nana's gift to Venice. 5 Painted Ladies.
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  • Jiichan's four grandkids all brought their cameras and took lots and lots of pictures. The love of photography lives on!
  • During our study of bees and butterflies, this guy lands on our window and lets us take a few photos from the "safe side" of the glass.
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  • Then, we find this fallen hornet's nest! What great timing, again! We studied it and saw that there were larvae and pupae inside (in several stages). At first we thought it was a dead hive, as it had fallen. But, while the "mama" hornet was out foraging for food, it must have fallen, as the larvae/pupae were moving (somewhat creepy!). So, we took some photos and then disposed of the nest. We like our honeybees, but we're not quite there for the hornets...
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  • So, the end of our butterflies' lifespans. We've enjoyed them for almost three weeks in their butterfly form. We've debated allowing them to live their whole life in our pavilion, not able to fly free, but safe from all predators and cold weather. Or, set the free so they could fly, fly, fly, knowing they may not make it for long. Out of our five, one had already passed. So we planned to set 4 free on a very sunny, warm day. Here, you can see the blurry-flurry that is the first one to leave our pavilion (right hand side of the photo, mostly out of frame.)
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  • The others couldn't find the opening, so Venice took out their food, in hopes it would encourage them to fly out.
  • Number 4 butterfly didn't make it to freedom. It has one wing that is compromised, so it couldn't fly. Venice rescued it from the grass in order to return it to our pavilion. You can see the mixture of emotions we all felt. Sadness to see them fly away, sadness that one couldn't make it, sadness it will never know freedom, sadness that it is injured, yet happiness to be able to keep one longer. <br /> <br /> It has been a great two months!
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  2. Photos 2
  3. 2012
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