Monarch Caterpillar - Possibly 1 More Day

This morning I was thrilled to be able to see more orange and black and white spots. The following pics were taken around 7 a.m. It's dark now in the morning - so I had to use a flashlight to get the following pictures.

Good thing my neighbors are still in bed that early - they missed me standing on a metal folding chair, in a dress and heels, holding a flashlight in one hand and a camera in the other. What must the poor caterpillar / butterfly be thinking of his peeping tom.

The rest of the day I was at working - texting and emailing my husband for updates since he was home. I talked him into taking the next few pictures. Not much change.

I just checked again - 9 p.m. - not much more change. Just glad to be able to see the butterfly now. I was beginning to worry it wouldn't happen. Maybe tomorrow we'll have a birthday.

Monarch Caterpillar - Soon Maybe?

Still no butterfly...

Most of what I am reading on cocoons say approximately 10 days. I did find one website that said 10 - 14 and another that said 12. This fella has been fully cocooned for 2 weeks today - 14 days. I keep thinking it looks more shear - that there is a bit of black and orange inside. Wishful thinking? Or really changing?

Maybe tomorrow.

Monarch Caterpillar - Still Waiting

Still waiting for the Monarch to emerge. I keep thinking the cocoon looks a little thinner - and maybe I can see a bit of orange or black inside. I do know there are a few dark spots along the top of the back that weren't there before - but it's hard to get a detailed enough shot of them with the shadows.

I took a few pictures this morning....

The following two pictures were taken around 5 p.m. Not much (if any) change from this morning.

I spent a good part of today at Shawnee Prairie (part of our Darke County Park system). They had Prairie Days. Inside their building they have a room with wildlife to help educate children. One of their current displays was an aquarium that had 4 Monarch cocoons inside. Three have hatched - there was even a monarch still residing in the aquarium. The 4th looks about like my cocoon - still pretty green.

I hope for some change tomorrow. Hoping for a Monarch birthday.

Monarch Caterpillar - Not Quite Yet

We still don't have a butterfly. I thought Thursday would be the day. However, he chose well to stay cocooned - it was cool and dreary and rainy. The pictures turned out dark - the first two were taken mid afternoon. They are a little blurry - but wanted to get the raindrops hanging off the cocoon.

The next two pictures were taken around 6:30 p.m. The cocoon seems to be getting shiny. Hopefully we'll be able to see thru it today or tomorrow.

I am hoping the caterpillar waits until Saturday to make his entrance as a butterfly. Then I'd be able to watch and take pictures.

Monarch Caterpillar - Getting Closer

I am guessing we have one day left for our caterpillar. Today is the 10th day he has been in his cocoon. The shell is getting transparent - you can easily see a silhouette within the cocoon in the last two pictures.

And, I am really hoping I don't miss this. Most likely though I will be at work. Maybe he'll be a late bloomer and wait for me to get home.

Monarch Caterpillar - Day Six

Slowly but surely we are getting closer to having a beautiful Monarch butterfly.

No change today - but I took a few pictures from different angles.

Monarch Caterpillar - Day Four

I didn't post yesterday because nothing appeared to have changed.

This evening however, I got up close and looked at the chrylsalis (cocoon). The green seems less glossy. The black dots less defined. And the yellow dots look more gold and appear bigger.

I took a (what I consider) front view (with the black and yellow dots) and also a back view (just yellow - now gold dots) picture.

Front view....

The lighting from the back seems to make an x-ray effect. My Day 2 picture from the back looks like a thin line of something inside the cocoon. Tonight you can almost think you see the outlines of a wing.

Monarch Caterpillar - Day Two

This morning (day 2) I checked on the caterpillar only to be disappointed that nothing had changed overnight. Still hanging and no start of a cocoon.

However, when I returned home I found a very different story....

The caterpillar had formed his chrysalis. How very neat to see.

Monarch Caterpillar - Day One

Saturday evening I returned home to discover a caterpillar along the edge of the carport. Out of curiousity I looked up the type and discovered it was Monarch caterpillar.

Sunday morning (aka Day One) he was still there - but he was hanging by webby type threads from the carport.

I hope to be able to follow the process from caterpillar to butterfly. Taking pictures at each stage.

Starting Out

I created an account in Blogger a week or so ago, but am just now getting the chance to look into starting a blog. The hardest part was coming up with a title. Now to figure out the rest of it.

I have so many pictures and stories I share regularily with friends and family I thought this would be a much easier way to communicate it. Plus I get a chance to make new friends.