Winter Butterflies in Bolinas

A naturalist essay recounts observations of Monarch butterflies that migrate from high mountain meadows to a sheltered coastal village, describing the local landscape, the butterflies’ life cycle from milkweed-feeding caterpillar to chrysalis and adult, and their enormous autumnal flights. The author details roosting behavior in cypress groves, winter feeding on garden flowers, protection from predators via an acrid secretion, and episodes of storm, drowning, and rescue when drenched butterflies are revived indoors. Occasional long-distance wanderers and the mystery of precise tree selection prompt reflection on instinct and the fragile resilience of these insects.