Circle of Life
Since ever I watched Disney’s Wings of Life, I’ve been trying to create a pollinator’s garden in my backyard. I love flowering plants and I plant as many as I can. I rarely pluck flowers. I believe leaving them on the plants will serve our pollinator friends better than in a vase.
Few years ago, I visited Monarch butterfly sanctuary near Natural Bridges State Park in Santa Cruz, CA. When I learnt, Monarch butterflies exclusively feed on Milkweed plant, I wanted to plant Milkweed in the backyard and someday provide much needed support to these delicate creatures.
I came home with few packets of Milkweed seeds and planted them in the backyard.
It wasn’t up until October 2020 when I saw a pair of Monarchs hovering around the milkweed plant. I was excited to just see them in the backyard. Little I knew back then what I’m going to see in near future.
Few days later, to my surprise, I found monarch caterpillars on the milkweed plant. This was an exciting development.
Over next many weeks (through December), I saw them feeding and getting bigger and bigger. One strange thing though — the timeline seem very extended.
Initially I saw about 20 caterpillars feeding, but as time progressed numbers dropped. Cooler temperatures of winter in Bay Area must have affected their survival. Slowly the numbers dropped. I also learnt, monarch caterpillars leave the Milkweed plant when they are ready to enter pupal stage. It’s very hard to find what ideal place they will find to transform themselves. I looked around backyard quite eagerly but couldn’t find any.
It was someday in January 2021, I found one chrysalis hanging off of the leaves of beetroot plant. I could clearly see golden dots on outside of the chrysalis.
This stage continued for almost two months and I saw butterfly taking shape inside. Black and yellow colors became very obvious looking from outside.
and It was after two months in this stage, on March 20, 2021, the new life is born.. !
Here is a short video showing new born Monarch’s attempt to spread its wings!
It wasn’t a happy ending, and I think, the elongated cycle (October to March) was probably indicator of something is not right. The butterfly couldn’t spread its wings. They remain folded. It fell down and tried hard to get up. It couldn’t.
I was heart-broken. But it was encouraging as well, I actually witnessed the full circle of life, right in my backyard and I’m grateful for that. I’m hoping my backyard will still support our pollinator friends for years to come.
Looking forward to hosting these new friends!
