Limping Butterfly, Creeping Deer
Yes, my life is like a Chinese art film sometimes. Without all the cool martial arts and flying through the air.... Or the beautiful clothes.... Or the Oscar nominations...
There's been a wounded, monarch butterfly clinging to a dried wreath we have hanging up on the side entrance door for a few days now. It hasn't moved in a while and I kept checking to see if it's dead, but it always moves a bit if I get too close. My husband noticed it first and saw that its wings had gotten wet and one was damaged, probably during all the heavy rain we got on Saturday. Anyway, it hasn't budged in a while and I was feeling badly for it and thought perhaps I should try and feed it. I got a 1/2 teaspoon and filled the reservoir with a pinch of sugar and some water and picked up the butterfly with its face pointed toward the sugar-water mixture. It was one of the coolest things I'd ever seen. It moved its little head downward and its long probiscus uncurled, then dipped into the water, drinking with gusto. Yes, I could see it drinking with gusto. The thing must have been starving and that really seemed to help him bounce back. After a while of feeding him I kept trying to place him back on the wreath but he wouldn't get off of my finger. Ironic since I spent so many hours as a child trying to get these things to land on my finger. I was finally able to send him off and he flew as far as the garbage/recycling shed. Guess I'll have to go check on him later and see if there's anything else I can do...
Later this morning I spotted a grazing deer up on the hill. I had the video camera on the kitchen counter, right near the window but remembered that the battery needed recharging and I tried to plug it in and almost got it in time when David hit the window with his hand, scaring the deer back up the path. One of these days I'll get it on film. Then I will tell my story...
There's been a wounded, monarch butterfly clinging to a dried wreath we have hanging up on the side entrance door for a few days now. It hasn't moved in a while and I kept checking to see if it's dead, but it always moves a bit if I get too close. My husband noticed it first and saw that its wings had gotten wet and one was damaged, probably during all the heavy rain we got on Saturday. Anyway, it hasn't budged in a while and I was feeling badly for it and thought perhaps I should try and feed it. I got a 1/2 teaspoon and filled the reservoir with a pinch of sugar and some water and picked up the butterfly with its face pointed toward the sugar-water mixture. It was one of the coolest things I'd ever seen. It moved its little head downward and its long probiscus uncurled, then dipped into the water, drinking with gusto. Yes, I could see it drinking with gusto. The thing must have been starving and that really seemed to help him bounce back. After a while of feeding him I kept trying to place him back on the wreath but he wouldn't get off of my finger. Ironic since I spent so many hours as a child trying to get these things to land on my finger. I was finally able to send him off and he flew as far as the garbage/recycling shed. Guess I'll have to go check on him later and see if there's anything else I can do...
Later this morning I spotted a grazing deer up on the hill. I had the video camera on the kitchen counter, right near the window but remembered that the battery needed recharging and I tried to plug it in and almost got it in time when David hit the window with his hand, scaring the deer back up the path. One of these days I'll get it on film. Then I will tell my story...
posted by Kristen @ 1:06 PM
9 Comments:
At 7:15 PM,
John O'Brien said…
That is so cool. Hope the little guy bounces back!
I'm surprised a deer sighting is so rare up there. My mother is OVERRUN with them. A whole herd of them come down from the mountain and line up at her bushes like it's a buffet. She's even had a couple of moose sightings over the past few years...
At 9:49 PM,
Kristen said…
Yeah, I'm feeling badly for the little monarch. He's actually inside the house right now, feeding off a flowering plant we have. I don't know why I think I'm going to be able to help him, and I don't know if his wing will heal, but I don't want the poor thing to starve to death. I don't think at this rate he's going to make it all the way to Mexico for the winter, though...Actually, we've had deer here before and I think they're here far more often than I see them. There are lots of woods for them to hide in...we see the majority of them in the winter-probably because they stand out more easily then.
At 11:12 AM,
Beezil the 1st said…
Wow, amazing butterfly story!
My friend John is a very earthy, calm type. I've hiked up Greylock with him for years. On more than one occasion on these hikes butterflies have just come right up and landed on his arm or shoulder. Wildlife seems drawn to him, his calmness.
It's good having a friend like that because that sense of calm is very contagious. :-)
At 10:34 PM,
Alyssa said…
You're nursing a sick butterfly? You've been in Vermont for too long.
At 8:26 AM,
Kristen said…
Yes, clearly!
At 9:09 AM,
Abue said…
Well, because Saint Stephen's does holidays differently from the rest of the world, I have today off (while the rest of the country got last Monday for Columbus day) and with a day off I got to read up all the articles you've posted since my last day off! (Labor day!) It is actually good that I don't read them all as they're happening because I would be hysterical with worry over the yellowjackets, for example. Somehow when Ernie calls and calmly tells me you've got an exterminator coming, I don't get the same chills I do reading your more much more lively and personal narration! I'm just wondering what you'll use for material when you move back to suburban or urban life? No rusty fence wire, no wounded butterflies, no mud? But I'll bet you'll keep finding topics...Got kids, got topics! I love all your pieces & pics!
At 11:05 PM,
Hector said…
Kristin,
first time at your blog. That was a great story. I wread it aloud to my wife. Very tender...
At 11:40 AM,
Sun Shine said…
Dear K, You are funny!!! First time posting on the blog....One time I rescued a butterfly from the waterfall, he had pitch all over it's wing and could not fly, so I calmy scraped off the pitch and he crawled all over me in thanks for a few minutes, and then flew away in health and happiness...another time I begged Chirs to recue a flapping butterly form a spider's web (King of Pain anyone?) anyway it's antenae were tanlged and Chirs managed to get them apart and he was able to fly away. No good deed, is ever wasted, No act of tenderness, or genorosity of spirit is ever wrong. Whatsoever you do to the least of my borthers.... I am so glad you listened to you heart! (maybe the butterfly was calling to you? and then got through? )Love, Ana
At 5:30 PM,
Anonymous said…
I am also a stay at home mom with three little ones. I took them on a nature walk today and found a wounded butterfly. I don't know what kind, it's just beautiful and black with some blue and orange markings. One wing is completely shriveled. I have no idea what to do with it but when I punched up a search engine on wounded butterflies I came up with yours. I'm trying your sugar water idea. I have some homemade hummingbird mixture left in the fridge. I don't know any good will come of this errand of mercy but I can't seem to not try. There is a butterfly sanctuary about a half hour from here. If she lives through the weekend maybe I'll see if they want her. Anyway, it's nice to know I'm not the only one out there that can worry about a butterfly. Hopefully, it will impart something to positive to our little ones.
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