Air temperatures reached at least the high 60s in Bodega Bay today (7 March 2026). I started seeing butterflies zipping by in the morning, so I went out after lunch for a short walk and took a few photos.
California Tortoiseshells (Nymphalis californica) were the most common butterflies I saw today (photo above), but I also noticed quite a few Margined Whites (Pieris marginalis) and at least one Western Pine Elfin (Incisalia eryphon).
Many of the tortoiseshells were nectaring on willow catkins:
We saw a constant stream of thousands of butterflies streaming by in our South Harbour yard yesterday . They were flying very fast and none landed for us to ID, is this what we were seeing? They seemed a little brighter in orange/red and more black than brown.
ReplyDeleteBased on what I observed on Bodega Head and in the Bodega Dunes, I'm guessing many of the butterflies you saw were California Tortoiseshells. However, there are several other species that could be involved that are also dominantly orange/brown, e.g., West Coast Lady (and other lady species, including Painted Lady and American Lady), Red Admiral, and perhaps Satyr Anglewing. (Monarchs are larger than all of these, and unfortunately aren't as common at this time.)
DeleteNote that the brightness of the orange coloration can vary by individual and with age, as well as with the lighting at the time of the observation.
The aforementioned species overwinter in our area and then emerge in the spring when temperatures are warm enough. They've certainly been warm enough during the last couple of days!
Jackie