Western Monarchs Winter in Santa Cruz

December 20, 2011

Eucalyptus Grove, Santa Cruz

My sister-in-law and I have tried for a couple years to get to Natural Bridges State Park for a monarch butterfly tour.  Monarchs that summer in the northern reaches of the western United States and southern British Columbia migrate to a eucalyptus grove along the coast of Santa Cruz, California each winter.  They arrive in October and used to stay apparently til March, but now are mostly gone by the end of December.  

We came armed with questions and were not disappointed in the display at the Visitor Center nor with our guide.  She wasn't a scientist, but she was enthusiastic and had the answers to most of our questions.  Monarchs are fascinating!  They are the only butterfly that makes a twice yearly migration.
 
Eucalyptus Grove, Santa Cruz, California

Monarchs migrate 50-75 or so miles each day and ours in the west have to go against the wind.  Can you imagine those delicate wings of theirs trying to get through the wind?If it's grey out the butterflies cluster and look like leaves in the trees.  If the temperature gets above a certain temperature they'll fly around in the tops of the trees.

Their favorite food is milkweed and they will lay their eggs on the underside of the leaves as well as under pieces of wood near a food source.

Green Pond, Natural Bridges State park, California

Next year we're going to go early to mid-November to catch them at their peak.  This year we didn't see many and the only one we were able to get a close-up shot of was in a fenced off area near the Visitor Center where they were growing milkweed and the Pincushion Flower that they enjoy.

Monarch on a flower, California