Small White - Day 12 - Butterfly no. 5 Emerges - Video

Finally, I have managed to capture a butterfly emerging from its chrysalis!!

Unfortunately this poor little fella ended up being deformed, having only half a wing on one side. When I released him I walked down the road with him cupped in my hands until we got to a huge patch of thistles (a small white favourite). I placed him on the plant and he strolled about on the plant. I'm sure he didn't last too long, but I did my best!

Small White - Day 12 - Butterfly 2, 3, 4 & 5!!

It was chaos in the caterpillarium today!! Four butterflies emerged within hours of each other

First to emerge was the pupa on the ceiling:

Then came the pupa at the bottom of the glass:

You can see the web on the glass that he was clinging to 

Then came the one above him:

They were both on the glass quite close to each other:

This was the best shot I could get of the top side of their wings, as there was so much going on it was hard to capture:

Then came the last one at the top of the glass (while the others were drying out and beginning to fly for the first time). This little fella has his own post as I finally managed to capture him emerging on video!! See above.

Small White - Day 10 - Butterfly One

Just had to post this gorgeous photo....

Taken yesterday before release

Small White - Day 8 - Butterfly One

This afternoon I noticed that the first Small White Butterfly had emerged from the first pupa.

Resting on a thistle before release

Unfortuately, this little fella's wings haven't straightened fully yet fingers crossed!

Small White - Day 2 - Pupa

That was quick! The other 4 caterpillars are all pupa, 3 are in formation attached to the glass of the caterpillarium, the other is on the ceiling!?!

I can't get a good photo but this is of the 3 on the glass, before they turned:

All very odd!

Small White - Day 1 - Caterpillars

Today I collected caterpillars and a pupa from a lovely couple we visited this afternoon who grow cabbages, amongst many other things. Their cabbages were being munched on by some Small White caterpillars, we removed them all and I saved 4 caterpillars and a pupa to bring home.

Small White Caterpillar

Small White Pupa

The pupa was attached to the cabbage leaf with its webbing.

Red Admiral - Day 16 - Release Day

Release day! Here are just a couple of shots of this lovely butterfly on my hand just before flying off to his new life

Look at those beautiful wings

Steadying himself in the breeze

Video to come! (As soon as the weather is not too good for a few days, I will do it soon!)

Red Admiral - Day 15 - Emerge

I can't believe this!!!! It's been a week since my Red Admiral became a pupa and to my surprise, I was just about to cook dinner and I noticed this:

What are you doing here already?

It has been so hot this week, temperatures of 32 degrees (reaching 27 degrees indoors) which is the only explanation for this little monkey emerging a week earlier than I expected! So this must have happened during the day, while I was around, but I just missed it again aaaggghhhhhhhhhh!!!!

Rant over!!

This butterfly is just so gorgeous and this is just his underwings as he was drying out

What a stunner!