Posted on 11/07/2022 12:28:19 PM PST by nickcarraway
Monarch butterflies are back in Pacific Grove for the winter. Sunday, people from all walks of life came to witness the beautiful butterflies.
"Pacific Grove calls itself Butterfly Town, USA,” says Natalie Johnston with the Pacific Grove National History Museum.
This year is seen as a symbol of perseverance, especially how they were able to rebound from having zero of them back in 2020. Last year, they saw about 13,000 monarchs, and this year the current number sits at 11,171.
"For four generations, they had good breeding conditions, and with good breeding conditions, they can produce remarkable number of butterflies,” says Paul Meredith, Monarch Sanctuary Docent and former entomologist.
Experts say this second year of positive trends makes them hopeful for the future.
"Which is lovely because monarchs have been experiencing a steep decline over the past decades with a record low,” Johnston said.
Butterflies stay off the coast for the entire winter and migrate back and forth from northern states like Oregon and Washington.
Nevada County man wonders if meteorite destroyed his house'Heard a big bang': Northern California man wonders if meteorite destroyed his house Experts counted each one by hand to keep track of the numbers.
"We learned how they count them, how they all just take estimates of one little cluster,” says Katy, Central Coast local.
But even despite their beautiful orange color, the creatures are poisonous.
"Compress the heart on any creature that has a heart if it eats it. Toxic. Young birds learn to leave them alone. They are colorful. In nature, what does color mean? Danger. Don't eat me,” Meredith said.
Meredith said we have a responsibility as a community to keep the monarchs alive.
"We are the problem. Habitat destruction. Conversation of land from good habitat to bad habitat called new houses it's ag policy,” Meredith said.
Experts say they expect this year's numbers to either meet or surpass last year's numbers.
My milkweeds say you are welcome
:)
Actually, the butterflies don’t, “come back.” These butterflies have never been to Pacific Grove. They are the great grandchildren of the butterflies that left last spring.
Not sure what the connection is between the butterflies and the meteorite. Do butterflies attract meteorites?
Really?
Did they use a Dominion system to count them?
What meteorite?
They do refer to how they count in the video. It’s some estimation method.
Amazing animals. Science does not have a satisfactory explanation for HOW they do what they do.
You can clear a bunch out with a 410 loaded with skeet shot. Use a leaf blower to put them in a pile...
Friend of mine has a place one house off the beach on Long Island NY. In Oct, at anytime during daylight, there is ALWAYS at least one monarch in sight cruising the beach toward the mainland.
“Actually, the butterflies donâÂÂt, âÂÂcome back.â These butterflies have never been to Pacific Grove. They are the great grandchildren of the butterflies that left last spring.*
Indeed. You are correct. Excellent observation. If memory serves me correctly, butterflies typically live between 2 - 4 weeks after emerging from their cocoon. Just long enough to eat, fatten up, mate and then lay eggs.
It’s amazing.
"The eastern North American monarch population is notable
for its annual southward late-summer/autumn instinctive
migration from the northern and central United States and
southern Canada to Florida and Mexico.
During the fall migration, monarchs cover thousands of miles, with a
corresponding multigenerational return north in spring.
The western North American population of monarchs west of
the Rocky Mountains often migrates to sites in southern
California, but individuals have been found in
overwintering Mexican sites, as well."
.
Full Wikipedia Link-
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monarch_butterfly
.
We had dozens of them fly by us headed south a few weeks ago. They have been saved from globull warming.
We haven’t seen the normal late fall migration since the fires 3 years ago.
Again only a few and the ones heading south seem to be smaller.
At a loss as to how that falling rock slipped into the
story. Bugs in the system? Good to see it was not necessarily only this screen on which it was seen.
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