monarch

I wanted to see the monarch butterflies that overwinter in a eucalyptus forest in Santa Cruz. http://www.santacruz.org/monarch-butterflies
I lived in the area about fifteen years ago and I never forgot how beautiful the forest was with all the butterflies. There are way less butterflies there now than fifteen years ago due to habitat loss. When I last saw them, I was surrounded by a few thousand of them. This year, there were only about 2,000. I read that 35 years ago, there were 10 million butterflies there.

[Moira Squeo]

How sad that these beautiful butterflies are declining in numbers so precipitously :(

[Bep]

A wonderful macro.
I agree with Moira. It's unbelievable...

[Graeme Stevens]

Love the processing

[Jennifer]

beautiful capture and edit

[Richard Sayer]

I can never get my head round the idea of butterflies overwintering... but I'm so glad they do!

[Call me Joe]

Wonderful textures 💕

[Jerome]

It is depressing how much the habitats for the butterflies and many other animals are destroyed. It is a loss of beauty, diversity and also destroys the basics of man.
Monarch - a beautiful butterfly. I have never seen one in reality. It must be a great experience to see several thousand of them.

[HelenM]

Super shot. Love the scratched glass texture.

[Faye Turner]

It's very sad that there numbers are dwindling! Lovely capture!

[kali]

dire

[Karly]

A beautiful butterfly - I like how his wing is tattered a little. Great processing. Fav.

[Krista Marson]

@jerome It's funny how something so common in one place is completely exotic in another.

[Laura]

Wonderful shot. Love the processing.

[Milanie]

Lovely shot and very nice processing.

[Walks @ 7]

Santa Cruz is a beautiful place, any spotting of banana slugs? It is a scary thought that their numbers have diminished so drastically.

[Krista Marson]

@joysabin ah! Those yellow banana slugs! I looked, but didn't see any. There are found in more redwoody forests.

[Krista Marson]

@365karly1 unfortunately, this was a deceased butterfly on the walkway. They don't live the longest of lives.

[Issi Bannerman]

Beautiful image.

[Ann H. LeFevre]

They certainly are beautiful. Lovely capture too!