Monarch butterflies, Pismo Beach, California Feb 5, 2023

Monarch butterflies, Pismo Beach, California

Today we"re in Pismo Beach, California, to celebrate one of the best-known species of butterflies—the monarch. Western Monarch Day marks their seasonal migration to California"s Central Coast from cold northern locations west of the Rocky Mountains.

© Mimi Ditchie/Getty Images

palette

Today in History

Feb 5, 2018Iceberg off the coast of Antarctica
Feb 5, 2019Welcome to the Year of the Pig
Feb 5, 2020Frozen beauty
Feb 5, 2021A sea of swirling stone
Feb 5, 2022Monarch butterflies in Angangueo, Mexico
Feb 5, 2024Western Monarch Day
Feb 5, 2025Scottish Blackface sheep, Aberdeenshire, Scotland
Feb 5, 2026Salt evaporation ponds on the island of Gozo, Malta

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Nov 27, 2025Happy Thanksgiving!
Feb 27, 2022International Polar Bear Day
May 13, 2020Of moose and Maine
May 31, 2026End of American Wetlands Month
Jul 3, 2026Fireflies glowing above a stream, Okayama Prefecture, Japan
Mar 2, 2021Fall for Chile
Jun 16, 2023World Sea Turtle Day
Mar 16, 2021Why does this panda cub look so happy?
Jul 28, 2025World Nature Conservation Day
Feb 18, 2018Great horned owl near Lake Tohopekaliga, Florida
Nov 23, 2025Fibonacci Day
Jun 15, 2026Great Smoky Mountains National Park turns 92!
Jul 4, 2023Happy Independence Day!
Oct 5, 2024World Teachers Day
Dec 13, 2023Svolvaer, Lofoten Islands, Norway
Sep 10, 2018Party like it’s 5779
May 14, 2025Porto Flavia, Sardinia, Italy
Dec 2, 2024Moose, Denali National Park, Alaska
Jun 12, 2018Celebrating Helsinki’s birthday at the Kiasma Museum
May 19, 2020Loud waters
Jul 10, 2019Put your helmet on, we’re going for a hike
Jul 11, 2024World Population Day
Oct 29, 2024Great horned owl
Oct 1, 2025Clark Range, Yosemite National Park, California
Feb 18, 2020Too awesome to be a planet
Dec 27, 2020Turning darkness into light
Mar 24, 2025African bush elephants in Namibia
Dec 28, 2022Maloja, Switzerland
Jul 14, 2024La Geria wine region, Lanzarote, Canary Islands
Sep 1, 2024Totally Thames Festival, London