While at Balboa Park I was stopped by a grounds keeper who wanted to show me what was happening on a bush just outside the Arboretum.
I know I wouldn't have noticed what was going on if he hadn't pointed it out.
But once it was shown to me...I suddenly saw the signs of butterfly life all over the bush.
The above picture shows a spent chrysalis behind a green inhabited one.
I can not recall ever seeing spent chrysalis before.
It surprised to me to see all the stages of a butterflies life happening on one bush.
The butterflies were fluttering about in the still cool March morning.
I had to wonder: Did a butterfly that looked like this.....
Recognize the way they looked in their former state?
The butterfly populated bush swung out over a reflecting pond that
was home to other colorful creatures such as a small turtle...
and koi of various sizes and hue.
I suppose a few small caterpillars had fallen to feed the turtles and fish...
Knowing how many eggs butterflies lay...if all had hatched and become caterpillars, and used the bush for food there would scarcely be a bush leaf left by now.
Ah the Circle of Life.
The flowers overhead seemed to trumpet praise for the glories of springtime.
Or at least praise for springtime as seen in San Diego!
Or at least praise for springtime as seen in San Diego!
4 comments:
Just recently visited a blog, wish I remembered which one, where the chrysalises were as lovely as the butterflies. They looked like little jewels just as that green one does. Odd how little we notice, isn't it? I needed you to tell me that there was a spent chrysalis back there and if I had seen the other spent ones, I'd not have given them a thought. They'd just be part of the structure of the plant or something. So thanks for waking me up a little. Now I wonder what I missed on my walk yesterday when I took the camera and came home without having taken one photo. Not even one.
What amazing things there are to see if one knows where (and how) to look. I'm enjoying your photos from the most recent posts - the clarity and colour are lovely.
I always liked those striped yellow and black caterpillars. I wonder if that green chrysalis is one of theirs? And then an orange and black butterfly emerges? If so, how wonderful of God to let this little creature enjoy being so many different colors!
How marvelous! What a great photographer you are.
Thanks for stopping by my blog and for going so deep into the archives!
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