Butterflies around SF Bay Aera, when and where.

[hadap]

Hi all,

 

I want to shoot butterflies. I can find out about other techniques.

However, when do I expect them out and are there any places around SF

Bay Area I should go hunting them.

 

Yosemite!!! I think I would prefer gardens, that way I will keep

myself focused.

 

 

Thanks

 

Sunil

[sergey_oboguev]

Natural Bridges State Beach around Santa Cruz may be good for Monarch butterflies approx. this time of the year, but every year is different. Last one was fairly bad (low-density), for example.

 

I'd call visitor center and inquire them on the status.

[Mike D]

About 10 years ago I visited an amusement park in Vallejo (East Bay SF) with lions and seals and they had a great butterfly house. Strange concept but lots of butterflies.

[walter_strong3]

I was over at Big Sur last November and there were butterflys there.

[carol_leigh]

There are "butterfly trees" in Pacific Grove (next to Monterey) where you can see and photograph long strands of butterflies in the morning before they warm up and begin flittering about . . .

 

Here's a website with the information you need:

http://www.pacificgrove.org/butterfly_watching.htm

 

-- Carol Leigh

http://www.calphoto.com

[greg s]

Sunil,

 

One of the best places I've ever seen in the American west for butterflies is the Klamath Basin (Oregon/California border). In our backyard we had about a dozen or so types. The basin is sage brush, Ponderosa pine country on the east side of the Cascade range. The Douglas fir forests were also good for whites and fritillarys (sp?).

 

If you happen to go to Yosemite sometime, keep in mind that the butterflies on the east side of the Sierras will be different than those on the west. There can be a surprising diversity in those more arid locales.

 

Good luck!