One of our joys at the beginning of lockdown was to be home to watch the life cycle of monarch butterflies. I bought a few swan plants and put them in pots on our deck and over the summer we watched them multiple. My daughter mothered them, checking on the caterpillars, chrysalises and butterflies every day to see how they were doing.

I set out to capture some of the moments too in photo and video and we enjoyed the long summer days watching more the process with more than 30 chrysalis on our deck at one time.

Monarch Butterfly Caterpillar hanging on a leaf preparing to form into a Chrysalis Horizontal

Monarch Butterfly Chrysalis Hanging on Leaf Macro, Selective Focus with Copy Space

Macro of Monarch Butterfly Chrysalis Hanging on Swan Plant ready to Emerge, Selective Focus Copy Space

Monarch Butterfly stretching its Wings after Emerging From Chrysalis on Swan Plant

Monarch Butterfly Chrysalis Hanging on Wooden Deck Vertical

Close Up of Monarch Butterfly Chrysalis with Dew Drops

Close Up of Monarch Butterfly Chrysalis as the Butterfly Head Emerges

Close Up of Monarch Butterfly Chrysalis as the Butterfly Emerges

Close Up of Monarch Butterfly Chrysalis and Butterfly Just after Emerging from Chrysalis

Close Up of Monarch Butterfly Stretching Its Wings Just After Emerging from Chrysalis