Monarch migration to Pismo Beach, CA

Pismo Beach has been a must see destination of mine since I first read about Monarch migrations.  Going to Mexico is not in my budget but coming here was.  My partents and a couple of friends had already been here and in fact I was given a patch, that I can now sew onto my pack and say with confidence, "Yes, I have been, you should visit." I parked across the street and from there is really didn't look like much.

I actually thought the Monarchs had been coming here much longer than 70 years and I was surprised to discover that this is a fairly recent sight.  It gives me hope in their flexibiliby to help them survive.

It was getting late in the day and I had trouble getting my camera to focus well so I apologize for the slight fuzzyness of these photos. You can see one of the clumps of Monarchs hanging down in the middle. There are a few other smaller clumps to the left.

Here is a closer view.  I only saw them in the pines.  The pines were surrounded by the Euclyptus as though they were protecting them.  It wasn't as big as I expected or as dramatic but every one spoke in a quite way as though they were in a temple or sacred space.

Occasionaly they have to leave the group and fly about and I found this one on the ground.  It kept fluttering like it was shivering and was never still.

A few days later while I was birding in the Los Angeles area I found several Monarch flying about as if it was summer.  Just that short distance makes all the difference but I can't help but wonder why the Monarchs as Pismo Beach just don't fly on down a little futher.  If only butterflies could talk...