Upwards and onwards

The day after the monarch butterfly emerged from its chrysalis, the weather was warm and sunny once again.  We gathered in the yard near a flowering milkweed plant, thinking that the butterfly might want a drink of nectar to fuel its first flight.  Although the butterfly had been sitting peacefully on the wall of its enclosure, it was ready to go as soon as the glass panel began to slide up.

The monarch butterfly was eager to be free.

A moment later, the monarch butterfly was free and breezing past the flowers we had positioned in front of the enclosure.  Without any of the awkwardness one might expect from a novice flyer, the butterfly fluttered nonchalantly above our heads and circled the garden a couple of times before settling high in a tree. 

The monarch butterfly resting on a neem tree after its first flight.

After a rest in the tree, a few more tours of the garden, and another rest in the tree, the monarch butterfly was finally off, flying upwards and onwards.