sbrobert
I have been visiting the monarch butterflies at Ellwood Eucalyptus Grove in Goleta since the 1980s.
Numbers had gone down over the years, with almost none seen here three years ago. So, it is with great delight to see they are returning this year in good numbers!
Two years ago there was a moderately good return, but the butterflies were not in the Ellwood Main Grove. Then last year they were back in their old home at Ellwood Main Grove.
I biked over there on Monday around 1:30PM and there were several good-sized clusters. Here are my photos.
When you visit the grove, please be respectful of being in a nature preserve. Please do not let dogs run loose in this delicate area.
I hope to be back again in the coming weeks and take more photos, but here are a few for now!
– Robert Bernstein
Beautiful!! My daughter and I found a few other areas where they are at…and in town (SB). I won’t share where they are, not for being rude, just for the sake of the butterflies and the area(s) we found them in. One spot is close to Loma Alta drive. We watched hundreds of them doing their thing. So amazing and beautiful.
Thank you for not outting these spots. I admire that. There used to be many small aggregations of Monarch butterflies in various parts of Santa Barbara and Montecito . . . That is until the Eucalyptus were felled in those areas. Good for you being able to keep a secret. The current plan to groom Ellwood Bluffs is a worry. It’s kind of mind-boggling how few people seem to get that dead trees and dead wood on the ground provide much needed habitat for loads of critters + soil enrichment.
I have been back several times in the past week and there are many butterflies at Ellwood. But probably not for much longer. Christmas to New Year’s is usually the peak.
Karma Bitechu thank you for your comment. Not sure if there is some way to find out these secret spots?