Posts Tagged: overwintering sites

Western Monarch Population Increase: What Does This Mean?

What does the increase in the overwintering Western monarch population along coastal California mean? The number of Danaus plexippus sightings showed a 100-fold increase as compared to last year, according to the Thanksgiving...

Overwintering monarchs at Pacific Grove, California, in 2016. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Overwintering monarchs at Natural Bridges State Park, Santa Cruz, in 2016. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

This migratory male monarch, released Aug. 28, 2016 by Steve Johnson of Ashland as part of the David James' citizen scientist project, fluttered into Vacaville, Calif. on Sept. 5, 2016, on its way to an overwintering site along coastal California. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

This migratory male monarch, released Aug. 28, 2016 by Steve Johnson of Ashland as part of the David James' citizen scientist project, fluttered into Vacaville, Calif. on Sept. 5, 2016, on its way to an overwintering site along coastal California. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A Memorable Year for the Western Monarchs

It's definitely going to be quite a memorable year for the Western monarch butterflies--memorable as in "record low populations at the overwintering sites along the California coast." Matthew Shepherd, director of communications and outreach at the...

Monarchs overwintering in the Natural Bridges State Park, Santa Cruz, in 2016. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Monarchs overwintering in the Natural Bridges State Park, Santa Cruz, in 2016. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A male monarch nectaring on Mexican sunflower, Tithonia, in Vacaville, Calif. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A male monarch nectaring on Mexican sunflower, Tithonia, in Vacaville, Calif. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

How Many Overwintering Monarchs in California?

There's good news and not-so-good news about the Western Monarch Thanksgiving Count in California. Last December the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation released preliminary figures. Now they've announced the final tally: almost 272,000...

Monarch butterfly feeding on milkweed. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Monarch butterfly feeding on milkweed. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Monarch and a honey bee sharing a Mexican sunflower, Tithonia. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Monarch and a honey bee sharing a Mexican sunflower, Tithonia. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A male monarch on a Mexican sunflower, Tithonia. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A male monarch on a Mexican sunflower, Tithonia. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

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