Natural History Wanderings

The San Francisco Chronicle reports

The migratory western monarchs that were largely absent from the groves of coastal California in 2020 are returning to their overwintering sites this year. The black and orange clumps of congregating butterflies that hang from trees October through March are forming again, drawing tourists and photographers.

The Pacific Grove Monarch Sanctuary, one of the largest monarch sites in the United States, didn’t see a single butterfly last year. On Saturday, 13,708 butterflies were counted, up 4,164 from a week ago. The peak of the season, which usually hits between late November and early December, is still weeks away.

Read more at  After seeing no butterflies in 2020, thousands descend on a NorCal sanctuary