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:

Aug 2, 2025Petroglyphs near Fruita in Capitol Reef National Park, Utah
May 22, 2023International Day for Biodiversity
May 10, 2025Minnesota State Capitol in St. Paul, Minnesota
Dec 6, 2020A hidden jewel in Croatia
Sep 3, 2022Skyscraper Day
Dec 7, 2021Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day
Sep 14, 2020Tiny fliers head south
Aug 31, 2023Saguaro cacti, Ironwood Forest National Monument, Arizona
Jan 23, 2026Þorrablót, Icelandic midwinter festival
Apr 30, 2021The Spirit of Harlem by Louis Delsarte
Apr 17, 2024Black bear cub emerging into spring
Jan 1, 2020Napping away New Year s Day
Aug 24, 2019Get the bear facts
May 3, 2023Wildebeests in Maasai Mara, Kenya
Aug 31, 2022Blue linckia sea stars in Papua New Guinea
Aug 16, 2021Let s ride! It s Roller Coaster Day
Apr 30, 2022International Jazz Day
Jan 3, 2026J.R.R. Tolkien Day
Sep 8, 2018It’s oh so quiet
Apr 1, 2020It s Census Day—make it count
Dec 22, 2020A holiday beacon of light
Apr 18, 2020National Park Week begins
Apr 19, 2023Taiwan yuhinas in Alishan National Scenic Area
Jun 14, 2019A perfect day to fly your flag
May 5, 2018Happy Cinco de Mayo!
Feb 21, 2022Presidents Day
Aug 2, 2022Happy birthday, Capitol Reef National Park
Oct 13, 2025Cedar Mesa, Utah, for Indigenous Peoples Day
Mar 6, 2025Desert bighorn sheep in Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada
Aug 9, 2019In the Supertree Grove