Solemn news this week from the Xerces Society: during the 2020 Thanksgiving western monarch count, only 1,914 butterflies were spotted in 250 observation sites. In 1997, when data collection began, 1.2 million western monarchs were counted in 150 locales in California and Baja California. Habitat destruction and lack of access to milkweed plants (the sole sourceContinue reading “Western Monarch Butterflies”
Category Archives: Insects
Monarch Butterflies
Stopping by the Pacific Grove, CA Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary on November 9, we arrived with anticipation. On previous visits in the early 2000’s, I had seen the thousands of butterflies clinging to and wafting on the eucalyptus’ columnar branches in this park, located between Monterey and Carmel. This year, we passed numerous trees with no visibleContinue reading “Monarch Butterflies”
Meet a Jumping Spider
Attached to the front door trim, this inch-long spider was hard to miss with its orange coloring. The rest of the body appears striped gray and black. Why are we seeing these spiders now?Phidippus adumbratus is found primarily in southern California, with a few appearances as far north as San Francisco, according to iNaturalist. ActiveContinue reading “Meet a Jumping Spider”
Mashabu 