I'm not gone, just very frustrated with this platform repeatedly throwing errors every. time. I. post. photos. It shouldn't take numerous tries and 5+ minutes to 1 pic to post. So until that resolves, you can catch me on Insta (where I do most of my thing): www.instagram.com/elfndragon/

Wander around the area and check. They do prefer the tender and newly emerged leaves, but they will make their uber concealed chrysalises on the branches below, too. They are sneaky and much smaller than you think, too. So far, our four are doing well. Just replaced their food with fresh tips.

The poofs are getting big. They're already integrated into the main flock and are even going to roost in the coop at night on their own. Granted, they haven't quite figured out the roosting bars and roosting pecking order yet, but they're well ahead of the curve, already, so not complaining! 😁

Day 2 of reared wild monarch releases from the 5 year moth-balled (because no one showed up to breed) from Elf & Dragon Wildlife Refuge & Monarch Respite #monarchwaystation. 😁🥰 #becurious #natureiscool #getoutside #monarchbutterfly

Check the smallest, youngest, tenderest leaves first. 👍

The monarchs were sunning on the corn leaves this morning before taking wing over the common milkweed and spreading dogbane patches in the adjacent fields and breaks. This pretty girl actually let me get close. 🦋 #becurious

We may have collected sap from some gooey pine trees of various species (always carry vessels of collection, because you never know!). Why? Retsina-style mead making, of course. 🌲🥂

I've seen them once in a great while (probably because they are so smol) over the years, but never actually tried rearing them before. They're like wee little leeches when they move, too. 🤣

Oh, and the zebra swallowtail pids are also doing well, though OMFG they are so smol (compared to the monarchs and the BSTs. One of their parents egg bombed my paw paw tree saplings on the front porch, the beautiful, rotten, stinker. 🤣💚 #zebraswallowtail #becurious #getoutside #natureiscool

Dorito would like to remind you that these five are doing well, integrating with the rest of the flock well, and still looking like 4 out of 5 are pullets. #backyardchickens #chickenlife #hatchyourown #homesteading

I did not expect this fatty #yellowbear catty to come running at me out of one of our patches of purple top grass while I was planting a spotted joe pye weed by one of our drainage ditches. Sorry, folks, it's my favorite season and the caterpillar wins. 🐛😎👍 #virginiatigermoth #becurious

The boys are back in town! Look at all these beautiful paper wasp bois (this is an old hornet's nest; their actual nest is probably in the soffit). If I start posting pictures of me holding wasps, remember, don't be alarmed. These cuties are harmless. #becurious #getoutside #natureiscool

A new (to me) little moth in the backyard (that made itself all apparent on the garage door for a moment. A yellow-fringed dolichomia moth. That's a bit of a mouthful, so I'm just going to call her Steph. 😝 #becurious #natureiscool #getoutside

Ok, I've been piling a lot of Lepidoptera in your feeds, lately, so I'm going to mix it up and remind you about our thicc cuddle noodle, Jerry, who is shyly trying to eat the ass-end of his dinner. 😑😒 #ballpython #royalpython #snekfren #snekfamily

Do you know about or have the #milkweed that doesn't look, smell, or grow like a milkweed (other than the seed pods!)? It's not a monarch's favorite, but they absolutely can and will use it. Meet the #honeyvinemilkweed (Cynanchum laeve). 😅 #savethemonarchs #becurious #getoutside #natureiscool

Not sure without knowing the species; I've definitely seen big ones (and close relatives of these that are ginormous).....and then there are the plants inside our house. 🤣 All the beeg plonts, yay!!!

Found another two of these fancy f*cks in the garden this evening. I THINK I got them all now; sneakin' thieves. Also have one saddled up and ready to find its chrysalis form, and another two fatties were on walkabout and will be following close behind. #bst #blackswallowtail #becurious

A brief shower left some drops on the #Colocasia we have at the edge of the rain garden. I like big leaves and I can not lie, so you're getting photos of it.... 😜

#becurious #getoutside #natureiscool

We can't forget the magnificent air shrimps of the day time moth world, either, and we had both of our local species about all day; hummingbird clearwing and snowberry clearwing moths. 🤎♥️

#clearwingmoth #becurious #getoutside #natureiscool

He was too cooperative not to pause & grab a few shots of. Male #easterntigerswallowtail butterfly.

Also, if you don't have Phlox paniculata ‘Jeana’, then you don't have Phlox for your butterflies & moths. They have been blooming for weeks & get pounded by sooo many proboscis, daily. 🤯 #becurious

The faded, rough-wing female monarch was in the backyard most of the day, but so was this younger lady & a rather fresh looking male. This is in addition to the mant skippers, eastern tiger swallowtails, black swallowtails, zebra swallowtails, and who knows what I missed laying eyes on. #becurious

We fought SO hard for these carrots; had rabbit problem and then a groundhog problem and replanted twice to get to today, AND, holy $h!t, we got a bonus with them. Black swallowtail caterpillars!!!!!

#blackswallowtailcaterpillar #bst #blackswallowtail #becurious #getoutside #natureiscool

Good thing we have over two dozen paw paw tree saplings going, because I found a trio of these fine zebra swallowtail cats in the backyard this morning! 😄

#zebraswallowtailcaterpillar #becurious #getoutside #natureiscool

Just a mix of dark clouds and bright sun on our power walk and bird survey through the community this evening. 😊 #becurious #getoutside #natureiscool #gobirding

One of, now many, of our halberd-leaved rose mallows blooming. We collected some seed pods from a few growing on the margins of the Shenandoah River and brought them a few hundred feet uphill to our rain garden. They aren't mad (and leave their offspring EVERYWHERE)! 😁 #becurious #getoutside

BAAAIIIII..... Ah, yes, the orneriness of birbs. 😆

She's an old, worn girl who is probably approaching the end of her few weeks of life, but for now, she's still flying strong and hanging around the backyard. Her offspring will be the generation that heads for Mexico for the winter & live up to 7-8 months. Nature is pretty wild. #becurious

A butterflyweed (milkweed) in bloom and a leaf cutter bee visitor that I almost caught in focus (but it saw me first and bombed right on out of there!)

#butterflyweed #milkweed #leafcutterbee #getoutside #becurious #natureiscool

This female green darner dragonfly was just exquisite (and I still can't believe she sat still for so long and even let me get away with this). 😍 #dragonfly #becurious #getoutside #natureiscool

A big morning stretch for Mr. Red-winged blackbird. #redwingedblackbird #pabirdatlas #pabirdatlas3 #pba3 #getoutside #becurious #natureiscool