Warming up

Remarkably, air temperatures reached 70°F (21°C) in Bodega Bay this afternoon.  That's warm for February!  [Daily air temperature records were broken throughout the Bay area today.]

I decided to go for a short walk in the late afternoon to look for butterflies basking in the sun.

I wasn't surprised, but it was interesting to see five species of butterflies today.  I'll show all five below so you can compare them.  (Note: All five species can overwinter as adults in this area, hence their brief appearances on warm days.  In contrast, many other butterfly species overwinter as caterpillars or pupae.)

 

Monarch (Danaus plexippus) 

 

West Coast Lady (Vanessa annabella) 

Satyr Anglewing (Polygonia satyrus)

 

California Tortoiseshell (Nymphalis californica) 

 

Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta)