Hi there,Due to the afternoon heat we have our back door open. A tortoiseshell butterfly flew in and is trying to leave via the skylight. I have never even heard of these beauties. I live on Day Valley Road, Aptos.Joanne
On Tuesday, May 19, 2026 at 09:05:04 PM PDT, Cliff Bixler <clifford.bixler50...> wrote:
We are yards from the CZU burn. Lots of Ceanothus up here. Sorry for accidentally sending a different picture. Cliff
On Tue, May 19, 2026, 9:00 PM Suzanne Kent <surreykent...> wrote:
Today I identified 2 California Tortoiseshell butterflies in my Westside Santa Cruz yard, nectaring on a (non-native) butterfly bush. I’m very aware of butterflies and plant host plants of various kinds, but I have never seen this species before, even though I have large ceanothus shrubs in my yard.
I agree with Ryan - I was astonished to recently observe the ceanothus mass growth in the CZU burn areas - especially Ceanothus thyrsiflorus (Blueblossom).
On May 19, 2026, at 3:23 PM, Ryan Phillips <norcalbirding...> wrote:
Between Lexington Res and the Summit on Highway 17 it is popping with Tortoiseshells! What an event that I cannot recall a magnitude like this in the Santa Cruz Mountains during my 47 years (my entire life, ha) in the SCM.
Today while driving HWY 17 there was section where we were stopped and to my surprise (of shear number) along the median there were thousands of dead ones. I never thought about a HWY impacting butterflies in volume like that. But many are low flying and it makes sense.
It must be a result of the massive fires years ago where ceanothus (host plant) has now taken over in mass in the burn areas.
Get out and experience this. Who knows when we will see something like this again. Ryan
Ryan Phillips ǀ Owner and GuidePersonal and Group Birding Excursions in Northern California and Beyond
"Everyone likes birds. What wild creature is more accessible to our eyes and ears, as close to us and everyone in the world, as universal as a bird?" - Sir David Attenborough
On Tue, May 19, 2026, 3:16 PM Chris Soriano <soriano151...> wrote:
I went to Mount Umunuhm yesterday to look for birds and saw literally thousands of maybe about a dozen different species of butterflies. I had to drive 5 mph up the road because they were literally covering the entire road. I did see ash-throated flycatchers in a few spots, that was fun. Also a baby mountain lion, but no mama mountain lion (fortunately).
On Tue, May 19, 2026 at 3:07 PM Cliff Bixler <clifford.bixler50...> wrote:
We have thousands of California Tortise Shell butterflies here. They are erruptive and we have never had an outbreak like this in 30 some years. They happen every 8 years or so I am told. Cliff Bixler Bonny Doon
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