Illuminated Beauties is a photograph by Her Arts Desire which was uploaded on August 9th, 2013.
Illuminated Beauties
Pacific Grove is one of the cities in California where the Monarch butterflies cluster to spend the winter months. While most of the clusters have... more
Title
Illuminated Beauties
Artist
Her Arts Desire
Medium
Photograph - Photography
Description
Pacific Grove is one of the cities in California where the Monarch butterflies cluster to spend the winter months. While most of the clusters have thousands of butterflies on one branch of a tree, this image has only a handful clinging the the long dangling leaves of a eucalyptus tree which makes each of the individual butterflies easier to see. The sun has just rising far enough in the sky to begin to gentle warm the butterflies. Often once the sun warms their wings enough they will suddenly take flight which is quite an incredible sight to see.
This is definitely a great image for all lovers of butterflies and Monarchs in particular.
Uploaded
August 9th, 2013
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Comments (3)
Sarabjit Singh
Amazing shot! You've inspired me to see them in their natural habitat.
Her Arts Desire replied:
Thanks so much Sarabjit.I definitely recommend visiting one of the spots in which they cluster during the winter time -- they are something to see. If you are not used to looking for them in the trees, the clusters can be hard to spot at first. What's wonderful is when the sunlight hits and begins to warms up a cluster and suddenly they all take flight and the air is filled with beautiful orange and black butterflies!
Olivia Hardwicke
Great capture! I've heard of this but have never seen it! f/v
Her Arts Desire replied:
Thanks Olivia. It's really something to behold. When you see thousands and thousands of butterflies all clustered together in the branches of a tree it's quite spectacular. Even better is when the sun hits the group and they suddenly all take to the air.
Andrea Lazar
Patricia - I don't know where you took this shot, but it is amazing! Just a stunning display, beautifully captured. v/f
Her Arts Desire replied:
Thank you Andrea. The shot was taken at the Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary in Pacific Grove, California. The Monarchs begin gathering at this spot every year in about October with more and more arriving as winter approaches. They become active in their mating season in late winter / early spring. This year there were about 10,000 butterflies at the time I went (or so the docent told me) although this number is down significantly from years past. I love the look of the Monarchs on the Eucalyptus leaves when the sun finally lights them up and I'm delighted that you found this image enjoyable too! By the way, I was told these beautiful creatures are in danger of going extinct within the next 5 years. If you are interested, go to www.livemonarch.com to find out more about what all of us can do to help save the Monarch Butterflies.
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