Butterfly Wars

Keeping butterflies alive is difficult. Wasps are a problem but the real issue where we live is the praying mantis. I have heard the local variety has bred with an aggressive arrival from South Africa and have become not only prolific in number but also voracious. We use netted containers as seen below, where they then latch.

Below is a new butterfly that has had it's body consumed and some wings and only a small part of the body is left. We have seen a praying mantis actually eating large caterpilars and even butterflies before they fly off. We didn't take a photograph of that (too gruesome) but highlights the problem with insects out of control.

We would have these predators flying on to our property every day looking for food. I have seen houses nearby with several praying mantis' on the walls of the house. It was almost in plague proportions. Despite that, 80 new butterflies took to the air from our home.

The Crafty Seal

This seal was trying and trying to get on to a boat moored by a floating salmon farm. After several attempts, it made it. See the sequence below, captured by yours truly.

Yet another attempt

Just about there!

If I just wriggle a little bit more

Finally on deck

I need to find a suitable spot to sunbathe

Ah, I think I've found it 

Now for a snooze

Cat Trap

I was sitting in my car in a residential street when I saw a tabby cat walking along the road near a small wall. Crouching behind the end of the wall was a black cat waiting for the other cat to arrive. I wondered if this was a game these two felines played or was something more serious.

When the tabby reached the corner, the black cat leapt out and challenged the wandering moggy. There was a standoff for a little while, as you see in the picture below. I decided to end the confrontation by getting out of the car and approaching them. The tabby ran across the road and the black cat chased it part of the way before returning to its property.

My camera on my ipad doesn't like darker settings so the picture isn't very good but it does capture the tense situation. Cats are very territorial and will aggressively defend their patch.