Monarch butterflies, Goleta, California
© Craig Rademacher/500px/Getty Image
Monarch butterflies
Around this time of year, beautiful, flame-coloured monarch butterflies finish their long migration that starts hundreds of kilometres north in October of the previous year. They gracefully descend upon Southern California, gathering in large numbers on eucalyptus trees. The best place to spot these insects is in the city of Goleta, situated in southern Santa Barbara County. Those gathered to see the clumps of butterflies in 30-metre-tall trees might confuse them for clumps of leaves, however, as the sun's rays gently fall upon the insects, 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!
Related Images
Circular agricultural fields in Morgan County, Colorado
Sunset at Counts Point in West MacDonnell Ranges, Northern Territory, Australia
The village of Aguerd Oudad and the larger town of Tafraout in Morocco
Wildflowers in bloom at Lost Dutchman State Park in Arizona
Park City, Utah, for the Sundance Film Festival, which begins today
Shoreline near Tofino on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada
Vinicunca Mountain in the Cusco Region of Peru
Grapes on the vine in Mendoza, Argentina, for the National Grape Harvest Festival
Bing Today Images
Salt evaporation ponds on the island of Gozo, Malta
Feb 05, 2026
Scottish Blackface sheep, Aberdeenshire, Scotland
Feb 05, 2025
Monarch butterflies
Feb 05, 2023
Brighton Jetty in Brighton, Adelaide, Australia
Feb 05, 2020
Maritime forest on Cumberland Island, Georgia, USA
Feb 05, 2018
