*Happy Discovery*

well a real cause for celebration Lori. that is great news.

Nice to know they are back after such a long time ... :)

What a smart chap. You really have something to look forward to Lori!

He is a big one Lori lovely to hear of their return lets hope they continue to come back for you.

What a happy discovery. A stunningly beautiful caterpillar...as lovely as the butterfly itself. :)

It looks HUGE! I hope you post images as it transforms.

(Wouldn't mind a thunderstorm here to clear the air!)

Wow Eirlys....its only 20 in my greenhouse today!! Its max 14C here. Unbelievable difference in such a small country isn't it.

here in New York i have not seen any Monarchs , a few white, and earlier a few black/yellow ones now nothing you must have them all.

I've been hoping to post a pic of a crysalis but no luck I'm afraid. I wonder... Have since seen a butterfly but it was too soon for it to be the product of the larva that I saw. It is encouraging all the same. Last summer there was a major public effort to plant milkweed in an effort to help the monarch. I had a small patch of Asclepias that managed to produce some seed pods... interesting things which split open to release paratrooper seeds... fluffy and airborne they seeded another part of my meadow! Now I have a lovely smelling patch of pretty pink flowers and I also have Monarchs! Hurrah. isn't it great when you get it right? Thanks for all the encouragement GoY folk.
I hope they're coming your way Vjd. It's been very cool so far this summer..
The larva change a few times after hatching from an egg which is not very large... I think this larva is about to pupate. (I think that's the process..) The crysalis is a beautiful thing, Jade green with metalic gold spots usually hanging on the underside of the milkweed leaf.
Hope you get some warmth soon Karen... Mid July marks the end of the high arctic summer... it only gets colder from here on in. What happened to the southerly summer flow, I wonder?

Please do not mention the cold word!

just read, on the CBC site, that an ice shelf the size of Prince Edward Island had broken away from Antarctica... Wonder what that will do to the temps of the Atlantic currents? especially the Gulf Stream.

All very interesting, thank you everyone.

Lori! Brrrr!