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:

May 20, 2025World Bee Day
Jan 2, 2026Aerial view of Venice, Italy
Mar 18, 2021A sizzling summit hides in the clouds
Jan 7, 2020Jupiter and the Galilean moons
Aug 16, 2024International Roller Coaster Day
Feb 22, 2020It s not always sunny in Abu Simbel…
May 17, 2019Work out on your way to work
Jun 10, 2023Porto Cathedral, Portugal
Feb 2, 2023Groundhog Day
Sep 4, 2018What the hay?
Oct 16, 2018Hey, who’s in charge here?
May 14, 2023Happy Mothers Day!
Nov 5, 2020A medieval Moorish gem
Jan 27, 2023Guanahacabibes National Park, Cuba
Mar 28, 2023The Tre Cime di Lavaredo, Italy
Aug 5, 2024Lavender field, Hertfordshire, England
Jun 7, 2021Dressed to impress
Dec 30, 2018Adorably evolutionary sea sheep
Oct 6, 2024Ancient town of Sorano, Tuscany, Italy
May 30, 2022Memorial Day
Jul 23, 2019A state-of-the-art lookout on the Rock of Gibraltar
Jan 18, 2020Sands of time
May 23, 2019Come out of your shell for World Turtle Day
Aug 11, 2018Lace up your hiking boots for Mountain Day
May 31, 2022World Parrot Day
Apr 12, 2023Earth seen from the International Space Station
Nov 11, 2024Veterans Day
Mar 24, 201930 years after Exxon Valdez
Jan 29, 2018Vacuum Chamber 5 at Glenn Research Center
Nov 5, 2022Tigh Mor Trossachs on Loch Achray, Scotland