They are back! Thousands of painted lady butterflies migrating overhead. Right now 72 butterflies a minute are passing over our house and down into the San Fernando Valley. Isn't that amazing! In an hour that will be more than 4,200 butterflies!
The winter rains have created the perfect conditions for masses of these medium-sized butterflies to take to the air.
Where are they coming from? Probably somewhere near the California-Mexico border or down in Mexico.
Where are they going? They are headed in a northwest direction. When this happened in 2012, scientists were trying to follow the painted ladies to see where they went. Michael tells me that they are going to Oregon. What a long way for these butterflies to travel.
Go outside look up or 10-20 feet off the ground. It is a fantastic natural phenomenon, a mass migration of butterflies. Go take a look, who knows when or if it will happen again.
More local butterflies: Butterfly Quiz
Mourning Cloak
Monarch
Anise Swallowtail
Caterpillars
The milkweed and the butterfly bush are blooming and providing nectar for butterflies.
This beautiful painted lady butterfly stopped to rest and eat before continuing on its travels. Some springs we have seen mass migrations of these butterflies.
In the past week I've also seen a mourning cloak, monarch and a checkered white in the yard. I'm hoping that the drift of nectar producing native plants we've added to the front hillside will attract and nourish a growing number of our native butterflies. Creating habitat for wildlife begins with providing natural food, shelter and water.
What a perfect way to mark the first days of spring. It's beautiful and mild. The recent rain has washed the foliage clean and nudged flowers into bloom.
A spring migration is happening and here's your chance to see a wonder of the season. Go outside and stand facing north or east. Look toward open spaces, down the street, over the back yard. See if you don't spot a small to medium-sized butterfly flitting from south to north. It will be traveling, not stopping to feed, so look 10 - 20 feet off the ground.
The painted lady butterflies appear to be migrating through the San Fernando Valley again this spring in numbers easy to notice. It may not be the wave of butterflies that we saw in a few years ago, but there are enough that they are noticeable.
Just stand still and watch the world for a moment; just five minutes. These two-inch butterflies are traveling from somewhere down south toward a specific destination to the north that remains a mystery to mere humans. They're traveling through my neighborhood right now and they are probably going through yours as well.
