Showing posts with label black swallowtail. Show all posts
Showing posts with label black swallowtail. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Carpenter Wildlife
Even though winter does not officially begin until Sunday, December 21st, winter is in full swing here in Minnesota. Having quite a few mild winters consecutively in the late 90's and early 2000's has kind of spoiled us. But it seems as though 2008, like 2007, will be reminiscent of the Minnesota winters that I remember from my childhood. Temps the past couple of days have been below zero with a windchill factor down in the 30+ below zero. On days like these it is hard to spend much time outside taking pics, although if it is sunny I will go out, so the next best thing is to go over pics that I took this summer that I have not yet posted.
When I look at these pics I realize how much I miss the color green. During much of the year Minnesota is a very green place but during the winter everything is white and gray. 
These pictures where all taken back at the beginning of August, 8-1, at the Carpenter Nature Center. The first pic I believe is a powdered dancer damselfly but it is hard to tell for sure since I did not get the tip of the abdomen. The pic above is some type of a clubtail but it is not identifiable from the pic.
Carpenter was one of the few places that I found any black swallowtail in 2008.
Back in 2007 a friend from work, Mary, found all sorts of black swallowtail eggs on her parsley plants. She took in some of the eggs and raised them up until they were butterflies and then released them. This year she did not find any black swallowtail eggs.
Hummers were another thing that I did not see much of in 2008. I only spotted 3 ruby-throated, typically the only type of hummer that we see, through out the summer and this was the only good pic that I got of the three.
When I look at these pics I realize how much I miss the color green. During much of the year Minnesota is a very green place but during the winter everything is white and gray. 
These pictures where all taken back at the beginning of August, 8-1, at the Carpenter Nature Center. The first pic I believe is a powdered dancer damselfly but it is hard to tell for sure since I did not get the tip of the abdomen. The pic above is some type of a clubtail but it is not identifiable from the pic.
Carpenter was one of the few places that I found any black swallowtail in 2008.
Back in 2007 a friend from work, Mary, found all sorts of black swallowtail eggs on her parsley plants. She took in some of the eggs and raised them up until they were butterflies and then released them. This year she did not find any black swallowtail eggs.
Hummers were another thing that I did not see much of in 2008. I only spotted 3 ruby-throated, typically the only type of hummer that we see, through out the summer and this was the only good pic that I got of the three.
Friday, September 7, 2007
Another Swallowtail release.
Yesterday the black swallowtail that I have been watching emerged from its chrysalis. Since I was at work I ran over to the Como Zoo, over my lunch hour, and released him in their butterfly garden. Here are a couple of pics that I took to commemorate the moment.
While I was at the butterfly garden I found a black swallowtail caterpillar in the parsley.
This little guy better hurry up. It will not be too long before the cold weather gets here.
While I was at the butterfly garden I found a black swallowtail caterpillar in the parsley.This little guy better hurry up. It will not be too long before the cold weather gets here.
Saturday, August 11, 2007
Another swallowtail
With the Mary's first black swallowtail hatched and released the second chrysalis looked like it was ready to hatch also. Mary had me take the chrysalis home with me because it was starting to wiggle on it's own and looked like it would hatch at any minute. 
So I found it this nice flowering bush. I took a couple more shots and then left it on it's own to be free. Mary still has 4 more caterpillar so I will prolly have more pictures to share in future posts.
I wanted to get a picture of the butterfly bursting out and so I hurried home and put the cage next to my couch where I could wait with camera in hand. Unfortunately I was tired and soon fell asleep for a short time and the butterfly sensing that I was not watching decided to come out. Since we live in a townhouse we don't have much of a yard so I decided to go to my parents house to release the butterfly and visit. No one was home but I decided to go into the back yard to release the butterfly and snap some shots anyway.
At first I placed the butterfly on one of the flowers in the garden. It sat for a while drying it's wings.
Then I decided that the flowers might be too low. Placing it on something higher would give it some height to fly from and would make it less vulnerable to ants.
So I found it this nice flowering bush. I took a couple more shots and then left it on it's own to be free. Mary still has 4 more caterpillar so I will prolly have more pictures to share in future posts.
Monday, August 6, 2007
It's a butterfly
Today one of the caterpillars that my coworker Mary has been raising hatched into a beautiful black swallowtail butterfly. Before it hatched the chrysalis started to get dark.
We left the chrysalis for about 5 minutes and when we came back the butterfly had emerged.
The husk of the chrysalis was still in place.
After a little while we took it outside and placed it in a tree so that it could dry it's wings and then leave when it was ready.
Mary has found 4 new caterpillar in her parsley so now we will be able to watch more butterfly grow.
We left the chrysalis for about 5 minutes and when we came back the butterfly had emerged.
The husk of the chrysalis was still in place.After a little while we took it outside and placed it in a tree so that it could dry it's wings and then leave when it was ready.Mary has found 4 new caterpillar in her parsley so now we will be able to watch more butterfly grow.
Saturday, July 21, 2007
Black swallowtail update
So I was kind of disappointed in the first set of pictures that I took of my friends Mary's caterpillars. I got some great suggestions in the comment section from Scott about macro filters and tips and decided to do some reading. After I read a couple reviews I decided to order a Canon 100 2.8 Macro lens. I received it a couple days ago and decided to try it out on Mary's future swallowtails. As you can see the results were much better.
Besides the change in lenses we also took the caterpillar outside into the sunlight since fluorescent lighting is really bad for taking pictures.
Mary brought in a second caterpillar that had fastened itself to the top of it's container.
The next morning it had already shed it's skin and formed it's chrysalis.
So far I am extremely happy with the pictures and happy with the lens too. I can't wait to take it out and shoot some macro in the field unfortunately it has been very hot and humid the past few days with the heat index hitting over 100 degrees.
Besides the change in lenses we also took the caterpillar outside into the sunlight since fluorescent lighting is really bad for taking pictures.
Mary brought in a second caterpillar that had fastened itself to the top of it's container.
The next morning it had already shed it's skin and formed it's chrysalis.
So far I am extremely happy with the pictures and happy with the lens too. I can't wait to take it out and shoot some macro in the field unfortunately it has been very hot and humid the past few days with the heat index hitting over 100 degrees.
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