Western Monarch Day Feb 5, 2024

Western Monarch Day

Western Monarch Day celebrates a stunning natural phenomenon, the annual migration of thousands of flame-colored butterflies to California. Traveling south to escape the winter weather, they use air currents to help them make journeys of hundreds of miles. They descend to gather in large numbers on eucalyptus trees, like the ones pictured on our homepage today in Goleta, Santa Barbara County. Those gathered to see clusters of butterflies in 100-foot-tall trees might confuse them for clumps of leaves at first. However, as the sun"s rays gently fall upon them, 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

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, 2023Monarch butterflies, Pismo Beach, California
Feb 5, 2025Scottish Blackface sheep, Aberdeenshire, Scotland
Feb 5, 2026Salt evaporation ponds on the island of Gozo, Malta

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Feb 8, 2024Mount Hood, Oregon
Jul 14, 2019Nesting season for the leatherbacks
Jun 8, 2020A day for the oceans
Mar 23, 2023World Meteorological Day
Feb 17, 2023Great Backyard Bird Count
Feb 28, 2023Atrani, Amalfi Coast, Italy
May 19, 2026Formentor Lighthouse, Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Spain
Jan 23, 2021A sleeping green giant
Dec 5, 2025Maya site of Copán
Jul 3, 2024World Meerkat Day
Feb 14, 2020Two rocks and a heart spot
Aug 17, 2024International Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend
Oct 12, 2019It s aboat time for the Barcolana
Oct 30, 2018A species worth defending
Dec 22, 2024Christmas tree at Crystal Pier, San Diego, California
Aug 25, 2021Happy anniversary to the National Park Service!
May 12, 2025An iris garden in Tokyo, Japan
Jul 13, 2023International Rock Day
Oct 24, 2021Bavljenac Island
May 31, 2022World Parrot Day
May 16, 2018National Love a Tree Day
May 13, 2020Of moose and Maine
Sep 7, 2018An historic forest
Jun 24, 2022Cenote near Puerto Aventuras, Mexico
Mar 5, 2023Cherry blossom season in Tokyo
May 6, 2025An ultralight aircraft flying over the sands of Namibia
Feb 7, 2020Frozen fun in the Canadian cold
Nov 20, 2022World Children s Day
Sep 13, 2020Super sandy Sweet 16
Jan 21, 2026Squirrel Appreciation Day