Monarch Chrysalis

Watching a butterfly break open and emerge from its chrysalis is very cool.  Within seconds this Monarch Butterfly's abdomen drops. One of the butterfly's first actions is to zip the double proboscis into one tube. It takes about an hour for the fluid from its abdomen to get pumped into the wings, and another 12 to 24 hours for the wings to dry hard so the butterfly can fly. Can you see the scent pouch bulge on the third wing vein from the body that identifies this as a male?

Tiger Swallowtail

Hooray! It's my first post! Thanks to my son Siah who helped (basically did it all) set up this site.

This is a Tiger Swallowtail butterfly.  The female of one of Minnesota's two species has a black morph.  I see them fairly often in late summer at Springbrook Nature Center.  The more common yellow color phase is below.

I intend to use this blog site to display pictures of the many aspects of nature I am constantly given opportunities to see.  Many people bring things to Springbrook to be identified and I photograph as much as time allows.