The weather has turned warm and calm, a good prescription for seeing butterflies. In this case, Craig Tooley photographed the king of butterflies, a Monarch.
I reported Craig's sighting to Journey North, a citizen science website where they track the migrations of various animals, including Monarchs. You can participate at this link: https://journeynorth.org/monarchs
To see much more of Craig's nature photography, here is the link to his website: www.ruffimage.com
This is the time of year we see Monarch Butterflies in greater numbers. Richard Oba photographed one nectaring on Pacific Madrone.
The butterflies we are seeing now are the long-lived Methuselah generation. They live about seven months, and they are the ones who migrate south.
Once the winds die down - yes, it's been very windy on the coast - we should be seeing many of these magnificent butterflies in our gardens.
Thanks to Richard for allowing me to share his photo with you here. To report Monarch sightings, and participate in citizen science, go to https://www.learner.org/jnorth/
Tom Eckles saw the first Monarch Butterflies in his garden in Gualala.
The fall migration is just beginning. Journey North is a citizen science project where you can report your own sightings of Monarchs and other creatures. Here is their website: http://www.learner.org/jnorth/
Thanks to Tom for allowing me to share his photo with you here. To see much more of Tom's photography, here is his website: www.tomeckles.com
Ken Bailey spotted this mother/calf pair headed north. The calf here is on the right side of its mother, staying close for protection. Killer whales prey on Gray Whale calves.
NOAA, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, has a hexacopter drone, which can safely photograph marine mammals from above. Here is a recent photo shared on Journey North of a Gray Whale mother with her calf. The photo is courtesy of Wayne Perryman.
Thanks to Ken for allowing me to share his photo. To see much more of Ken's nature photography, including underwater photography, here is his website: http://www.seadreams.org/
To learn more about NOAA, here is their website: www.noaa.gov
And to track the Gray Whale migration, and much more, visit Journey North: http://www.learner.org/jnorth/
A visit from Monarch Butterflies is always a treat. Tom Eckles had two chasing each other around his garden in Gualala.
Here is a photo Tom took last year of a Monarch on a Dahlia blossom.
The fall migration of Monarchs doesn't begin until next month. But we always welcome a visit from these exquisite creatures. Journey North tracks the migration of Monarch Butterflies, along with Gray Whales and various other migratory events. Their website is: https://www.learner.org/jnorth/
Thanks to Tom for allowing me to share his photos with you here. To see much more of Tom's photography, here is his website: www.tomeckles.com