Monarch butterflies, Goleta, California Feb. 5, 2024

Monarch butterflies, Goleta, California

Monarch butterflies, with their vibrant orange and black wings, are found across southern regions, from coastal meadows to urban gardens. Born on fragrant milkweed leaves, their tiny caterpillars store the plant"s essential chemicals for protection. As they transform into butterflies, they embark on a journey soaring south, to wintering grounds in Mexico and California. Those gathered to see the clumps of butterflies in 30-metre-tall trees might confuse them for clumps of leaves, however, as the sun"s rays gently fall upon the insects, their wings will begin to flutter. Bring your binoculars and take the opportunity to witness these winged wonders huddled together, it"s truly a sight to behold!

© Craig Rademacher/500px/Getty Images

palette

Today in History

What are these colourful insects?
Feb. 5, 2025Scottish Blackface sheep, Aberdeenshire, Scotland
Feb. 5, 2026Salt evaporation ponds on the island of Gozo, Malta

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Feb. 26, 2026Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona, United States
Jan. 5, 2024International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival, Harbin, China
May 9, 2026Skradinski Buk Waterfall, Krka National Park, Croatia
Stunning symmetry
Dec. 16, 2025Handmade gnomes at a Christmas market
Sep. 19, 2025Thousand Islands region, St. Lawrence River, USA-Canada border
Bright blue lakes and rugged mountains
Meet an expert on the dog days of summer
Oct. 22, 2023Astoria-Megler Bridge, Oregon
Nov. 20, 2023World Childrens Day
Apr. 15, 2024World Art Day
Jan. 24, 2024Diamond Beach, Iceland
Jan. 2, 2026Aerial view of Venice, Italy
Apr. 14, 2025Atlantic spotted dolphins
Nov. 7, 2024Vancouver Coastal Sea wolves in the Great Bear Rainforest
Walking a rocky rainbow
An oasis in a sea of sand
Dec. 5, 2025Maya site of Copán
Saving and celebrating honey bees
Sep. 2, 2023Allens Hummingbird
Dec. 2, 2025Whistler, British Columbia
Jul. 25, 2024Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee, USA
Jan. 19, 2024Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia
Today, a nation was born
The ‘eighth wonder?’
Apr. 4, 2025Taktsang Palphug Monastery, Bhutan
Mar. 20, 2024Cave Dale and Peveril Castle, England
Eyes on the skies
Jan. 12, 2025Crescent-tail bigeye fish, Great Barrier Reef, Australia
Dec. 20, 2023Val Gardena, South Tyrol, Dolomites, Italy