Our Peacocks have emerged!

I was glad it didn't happen on Monday - the day of rain. It happened yesterday, or rather it started to happen - the first of our Peacock chrysalises hatched and the beautiful imagos (butterflies) emerged. I allowed them to rest and dry their wings yesterday and today have put them out to enjoy the sunshine and fly off when they are ready. There are still a few left to fly!
Becky

Peacock butterflies resting on the pavilion

News from the Visitor Centre

It's always exciting to come into the Centre and see that some of the chrysalises have turned into butterflies. Altogether I have released seven Small Tortoiseshell and there are still a lot to go. I leave them for several hours in the pavilion to give them a chance to dry their wings and then release them. You never see them better than when freshly emerged from their chrysalis; they are so beautiful and pristine.

Our Sea Hares are breeding like their land counterparts and new eggs keep appearing in their tank. They graze ever so elegantly on a variety of seaweed.

Meanwhile in the big tank, one Beadlet Anemone has found a way to stop being pestered by the Piecrust Crab at feeding time - stick to its back!

Small Tortoiseshell in the pavilion

Beadlet Anemone on a Piecrust Crab

Becky

Our caterpillars turn into chrysalises

Lorna reported yesterday that at least one of our Small Tortoiseshell caterpillars had turned into a chrysalis and that several others were hanging by a thread from the roof of our pavilion. This morning there were three chrysalises altogether and I was excited to catch a caterpillar mid-weaving, although it's a bit like watching a clock - you don't seem to see it happening and then you realise it has! I managed to take this photo of the action! It shows several caterpillars in various stages of metamorphosis.

Small Tortoiseshell chrysalises

Becky