Losing the battle...enjoying the view

Anyone who reads this blog even occasionally probably knows of my ongoing battle between the caterpillars and my sweet passion vines. I didn't have much choice but to share this year, having decided I didn't want to dust the plant and cause all that carnage, I settled in to watch for cocoons. This vine is growing up the security bars outside my home office window- and sure enough it wasn't long before I saw the first little caterpillar go topsy turvy and zone out ready for his big adventure.

The next time I checked he was about half covered with cocoon, and looking more and more like a dead passion flower leaf all curled up and brown- isn't nature just amazing? The finished product did look just like an old dry leaf, to keep predators at bay while the magic works. A second one also went upside down a day later, giving me two cocoons to watch from my office.

I figured I had some time to get the picture of the finished cocoon, but time flies as it does, and before I knew it, a mere 9 days later, the butterfly had flown the coop!

I quick glanced over to the second cocoon, and there was the little butterfly, already out of the cocoon, but not yet taken her first flight.

Pictures were taken through my office window- and some with my Iphone. Click them for a better view.