So. Cal. Monarchs

[Paul Cherubini]

Wanda Dameron wrote:
> 
> LANABA reports clusters of around 5,000 at Big Sycamore Canyon
> Campground and perhaps 8,000 at Leo Carillo State Beach Campground as of
> 11/21.  These are beach canyons north of Malibu and south of Pt. Mugu
> Rock.   Word has it that Walt Sakai reports larger numbers than usual at
> the Elwood St. site in Goleta, Santa Barbara Co.

I wonder if LANABA knows about all the overwintering sites right in the
Los Angeles Basin itself?

On Nov. 8 I saw 175 monarchs clustered at the Woodlawn Cemetary in Santa
Monica
   "    "     "     "    300 monarchs clustered at Wilderness Park in
Redondo Beach
   "     "     "     "   250 monarchs clustered at the Chevron Oil
refinery in El Segundo
   "     "     "     "   100 monarchs clustered at Hartwell Park in Long
Beach
   "   Nov. 11  "  1200 monarchs clustered just above Sycamore Ct. in
Costa Mesa
   "      "     "    "    400 monarchs clustered at Central Park in
Huntington Beach
   "       "     "    "     75 monarchs clustered in Norma Gibbs Park in
Huntington Beach?
   "       "     "    "   400 monarchs clustered at the El Dorado Nature
Center in Long Beach
   "    Nov. 25  "      75 monarchs clustered at Recreation Park in Long
Beach
   "      "      "    "  1100 monarchs clustered at 2817 Via La Selva in
Palos Verdes Estates (in
                                                                       
the backyard of a home)

These urban monarch overwintering sites are located in city parks, golf
courses, cemeteries, and in the landscape plantings found around
residential subdivisions, apartment complexes and industrial plants such
as oil refineries.  The Los Angeles Basin is one of the largest and most
densely urbanized areas in North America, but the monarchs arriving in
such regions in the fall still obviously manage to find suitable
overwintering habitats. This is one reason I fail to understand why some
scientists like Lincoln Brower say the monarch migration is an
"endangered phenomenen" that will probably dissappear by the year 2010.

Paul Cherubini, El Dorado, California









P