Those are Monarch Buttterflies in the photo, Pacific Grove, California

Tweet

It is hard to believe that these beautiful little insects can fly as high as 10,000 feet and thousands of miles finding nourishment from flowers along the way. Pacific Grove, California, around the bay from Monterey is a winter haven for them. With mild winters and sunny days, the butterflies cling to the pine and eucalyptus trees to conserve and share warmth. When it gets above 55 degrees, they flutter around looking for any sources of nectar. When we were there, the last week of 2014, the weather was sunny but only about 56 degrees or so. Some who tried to fly ended up on the ground. The city has established a sanctuary for them and a special tax to support it. Unfortunately, the Monarchs are endangered. A volunteer I spoke with said the numbers of Monarchs was far down from past years and continues to decline, partly due to destruction of habitat in Mexico. I was glad to see the Monarchs again. (Enlarge the photo by clicking on it) Photo is mine