U-turn

How to make a U-turn, when it gets too crowded on the road(branch).

green coat

Its interesting to see, that the color of the caterpillars coat is getting more green.
If you look at the two on one branch, the upper has still a whitish coat,
the one underneath..is more green.

front view

Front view, see how they hold their little feet!
Its kind of funny,
the more I watch the little caterpillars, the more I gone love them.
Seing their behaviour and how they live,
How these little lives, once become the most beautiful butterflies,
is a mistery to me, and though you know it all from the books and other info,
to see and follow their lives...is a kind of wonder.

I don't know when they are big enough to go into cocoons.
Because they eat their old skins,I don't know how often they already changed their clothes.
I have made a bigger tent for them to live in and be able to go into hibernation during winter, without being too much disturbed. there are now about 12 caterpillars!
As it are more South-European caterpillars they cannot stay outside during winter.
So I dig out a foeniculumplant (sweet fennel), put it in a pot and made a kind of tent(vitrage) around it, so I can put them in the garage, during hibernation, when it is freezing.
they have definitely grown and become bigger... and maybe soon big enough...for cocooning !

trojan horse attack

Yesterday I had to reinstall my hard disc, of my computer.
A program refused to function, due to my own mistake,
and I decided to clean the whole thing out.
After reinstalling my C-disc, updating all virusses and what more,
suddenly my computer froze into a panic, and nothing worked anymore.
even not Ctr-alt-del buttons...!

I unplugged the power..and fortunately the thing defrosted.
Norton made a comment that he had spotted a trojan horse attack! ,
he had to take his breath again, and fiercely put the horse under fire!

Then after an hour or so...Another attack happened..again the whole thing frozen.
nothing but.... all dead...and freezing.
Again Norton announced a second failed attempt of a Trojan horse.
who was hijacking, stalking my computer!

pffft...!!!!!!!!!

pass or embrace

The caterpillars wanted to eat from the same branch...
passing and embracing each other.........

caterpillars droppings

Isn't it neat, that caterpillars also do have their needs...
The upper one is just dropping his droppings!
(click images for more view)

swallowtail caterpillars

The caterpillars of the Swallowtail, are only eating, resting, sleeping
....little eating, resting...than sleeping again...
little growing now and then.
But this morning one did his daily 'stretching-and-bending' exersizes.

save the Queen 6

One week ago I created bigger bags,(textile fabric) for the caterpillars.
to roam about more freely,
having enough plant to eat,
and free from being eaten themselves

save the Queen 5

when I had another look, how the caterpillars were doing,
they were just having breakfast.

save the Queen 4

Then a few moments later, an amazing thing happened!
He started eating his old coat!
Till it was all gone!

save the Queen 3

This morning while having a peek, how the caterpillars are doing...

I just noticed that one of them, just had removed his old coat
which had gotten him too small.
He then turns, to have a look at his old coat.
(click image for better view)

surprise-package

Recently my neighbour came along,
huge smile on his face....
I could see, he couldn't hardly wait to tell...

He said: he had made a 'surprise-package' for Pelle.
(Pelle is their cat)
Both are aging..he is about 77 , Pelle 17 or 18 years, (which is not so young anymore for a cat.)

He had fixed from his bread, a little cheese, a little bit of meat. a piece of fish,
put it all on a plate...
and gave the surprise-package to his cat!

Lucky Pelle!

save the Queen 2

The caterpillars of the Swallowtail (Queens-butterfly) have grown !

Now you can see great difference with the previous ones, which I took 5 days ago.
(See post 12 aug).
They have much more color now, and the stripes and spots are coming through.

In the beginning they look a kind of nothing, these caterpillars.
They sit and eat, no more, no less, and normally I would overlook them..being so small and only being food for the birds.
But now I know that these are the small beginnings of such a beauty butterfly, I have new eyes to look at them.

Maybe many things in life are like that, that you don't see the full potential of something, and you look at it as being a no thing, of no value and not important...
It somehow it is a secret, in appreciating the small things in life.

save the Queen

I am thinking and pondering, how to save the caterpillars from the birds.
(see post: 12 august)
I would love to follow the whole process of the growing caterpillars, maturing, and then go into cocoons...make photo's.
Oeps!........and then maybe the Queen-butterfly coming out!
Cannot wait to see!
The butterfly of the swallowtail is rather rare in Holland .
I myself had never seen this butterfly real life, only on pictures.
Checking on the web, I found that this truely is a not a so common butterfly.

So I pondered about my new project,
which I will call ' save the Queen'.
The name in dutch, for the Swallowtail is 'Queen-butterfly' (Koninginne page)... so I call it for short..'save the Queen'.

I found now 9 caterpillars... !
First days I wrapped the caterpillars and plant in a little sachet which I recently got from a friend. It was used for wedding-sweets..on her sisters marriage.
It fits perfectly, yet it is too small, for if the caterpillars grow... but it will do for now.
I am thinking about making a kind of tent , made out of cloth, to shelter around the plant.
So they can grow undisturbed and feed themselves fat and big.

bubbles

bubbles

caterpillars of swallow tail

A few weeks ago, 27 of july. I posted a photo of the swallowtail butterfly,
who was sitting around on the foeniculum plant.. .

Today I noticed some peculiar caterpillars on the plant.
and to my surprise they are the caterpillars of this beautiful butterfly!

Would that be great to watch the caterpillars grow... go into little cocoons
and watch them come out one day?
But how can I save them, from being lovely snacks for the birds?
This struggle for survival will be not so easy...
maybe someone knows?????
Advise will be very welcome.!

yellow, red & blue

Led-lights in yellow, red & blue......

on my computer.
everyday lights, brightening the day.

smiling dragonfly

A big dragonfly sat there for about an hour resting in the sunshine.
For me a great opportunity to take him from all sides.

meanwhile it looked at me, as if he had a big huge smile on his face.