By: Michael Fox

Up close with Varied Eggfly Hypolimnas bolina

Traveling in Northern NSW over Christmas?

Consider visiting Coffs Harbour Butterfly House.

I visited the Butterfly House on the way to Sydney in June. I also had the honour meeting the owners Ian & Ros  Bryant, an inspiring pair who share their love of butterflies with visitors young and old.

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Red Lacewing Cethosia cydippe meeting a young butterfly fan

It is amazing to enter this space, alive with colour, wings flashing colour as the butterflies flit from flower to flower.

And seeing kids eyes light up as butterfly alights on their hand is something particularly special. Really getting close to nature.

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Red Lacewing just hatched

Maintaining the butterfly population in this enclosed space means taking delivery of chrysalis and setting them up in special hatching spaces.

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Cruiser Vindula arsinoe feeding on nectar

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Specialised feeding stations with coloured disks allow observation of the butterfly’s proboscis (feeding straw) unrolled and dipped in the food.

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I am planning to try coloured disks with the Puddling Place experiment. The objective is to have way to deliver Water at bushcare plantings and perhaps backyards. The engineering issues are solved with the five litre water supply lasting a month between refills. Now I am experimenting with ways to attract butterflies and bees.

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