Yerba Buena Island Hopping with Monarchs
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Ruth Gravanis had emailed me a week or so back that she’d been out on Yerba Buena Island with Tania Pollack and they’d “seen a good many Monarchs flying about...” Asked her if she’d consider returning there with me to show me where they’d seen this. Told her we were a few weeks away from the Monarch Watch survey count (November 20th -December 3rd) for the Xerces Society. With all the current buzz that folks in the East Bay
are seeing good numbers, it made sense to me that the first place they’d stop on the way to my county would be, naturally, Yerba Buena Island. I told Ruth on the bus ride over ( with her friend Veronica Oliva) that I think this might be the first expedition ever to look for them on the island. This was not one of the historic sites I’d been returning to for years.T
The minute I excited the #108 bus at Clipper Cove, I looked up and had a Monarch.
Then another. More as we climbed up the road near the famous, giant Buckeye trees.
It’s my habit from Butterfly Count Season to
make hash marks near each species. I was
hash-marking away as we walked up the south facing wall of massive eucalyptus -- their known favorite haunt. Within minutes, I had witnessed more Monarchs together in this county than ever in five years afield.
I stopped with the marks after 115 --
clearly Monarch were all over the place, wafting in the high 6o degree weather. We set out looking for the
clusters, but there was so much Eucalyptus and Pine and Monarchs mainly sunning themselves, nectaring on the euc blossoms and not really dropping low, but staying and soaring high in the canopy. Beyond exciting!
Met some Navy guys at the summit wherw the old Victorian watchtower stands (pictured above) Ruth told me it is slated to be torn down...which made me sad...could be converted into amazing wildlife watch spot.
All my photos are from far, but the one above with the three in the shot is the first time I’ve ever had three-in-a-shot in San Francisco! Told Ruth we will return in a few weeks and put some numbers down. Finally, I’m witness to Monarchs in the hundreds in San Francisco.....
They were all over the Eucalyptus above the new Bay bridge project. Seem to be favoring the classic “bowl of trees” that they are know to congregate in. Will return on a cooler day to try to find clusters...
Advice if you are Going to Go See Them There: Though much of the island is open to the public, much of it is not. The #108 bus from Beale St. (btwn Folsom/Howard) in downtown SF is the best way out there. Car parking is limited and even walking around can be confusing and not too “sidewalk friendly”. Be sure to avoid “Restrict Areas”. Stick near the old Buckeye grove, just up from Clipper Cove, and you’ll see them in the Eucs along the road. Enjoy.