Just a butterfly...

I'm missing my mojo today.  I looked everywhere for it, even taking a long hike in hopes it would join me.  But, no, the mojo just wasn't there. I wandered around the garden, searching in vain.  The hummingbirds even helped me look, but nothing... no mojo.  So I am going with an easy image today - a very cooperative, if somewhat tattered, Great Spangled Fritillary nectaring on a buddleia in my garden.

Reasons for the missing mojo... missing my hubs, sad that summer is coming to an end, and totally bummed at having not one, but TWO Epic Failures in the Monarch Nursery today.  

In fairness, one of the failures was not unexpected.  My very first chrysalid had developed an odd discoloration about 5 days ago, one that I thought might signify that it was infected with OE (Ophryocystis elektroscirrha) a parasite that infects monarch and queen butterflies worldwide.  Sure enough, when the butterfly tried to eclose (emerge) this morning, it was unable to do so.  I had no option other than to euthanize it as it would 1) not survive, and 2) potentially infect other butterflies.  Ugh.

And if that wasn't bad enough, one of my more recently-rescued caterpillars changed into a chrysalis this morning...and immediately began oozing green goo which quickly became black goo.  No idea what that was, but suspect some sort of larval parasite.  It is shocking how many things can befall monarch eggs, caterpillars and chrysalides before they ever make it to being butterflies.  I'm still optimistic that I'll have some successful eclosures, but it is still sad to loose some.  

On a positive note, however, there were at least a half-dozen beautiful monarchs nectaring on my buddelia this afternoon.  No doubt migrants, heading towards Mexico.  One by one, they soared high up in the air and left.  I'm posting one of them in Extras if you'd care to look, and three other shots on Flickr, starting HERE

Thanks very much for stopping by...

Debbi