March 13, 14, and 15 were magical days. The Painted Ladies were migrating from the deserts of Mojave and Colorado to Oregon, Washington and even Alaska. These orange and black butterflies travel up to 25 miles per day on their journey north. They fly low and straight, and you might be lucky and see hundreds, if not thousands of the little beauties flying north. Not since 2005, when a migration of 1 billion Painted Ladies flew north, has there been anything like it. The reason for the mass migration is lots of rain, and an abundance of vegetation. It's an amazing sight to see.
Scientists say that butterflies are in crisis, that the Monarch, has decreased by 86% since 2017. A wet year like we have just experienced, helps all the butterflies. Only one other time have I seen an invasion of butterflies like I saw last week. That was around 2004 or 2005, when millions of Monarchs invaded Del Mar. The butterflies were so thick they were in your hair and all over your body. I have never seen anything like it. This invasion of the Painted Ladies was not that intense, but it was a magical experience.
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