Date: 03/26/2005

Number: 1

We live in Otay Ranch in Chula Vista, California; about 2 miles west of the U.S. Olympic Training Center. We're very close to Tijuana, Mexico. I observed the "swarm" of insects, looking out the front of my condo while having breakfast around 9 a.m. Discounted it as termite swarm, I still felt intrigued because they looked too big for termites. An hour later decided to sort out junk at the garage at the back;opened the garage door and there it was again - the swarm. Flying as low as half a foot above the ground to about 15 feet. Moths. Called out my boys and they started chasing them - they kept coming perhaps no less than 15 moths every ten seconds. That's only the count from my garage door to the condo complex fence 20 feet away. They were coming from the direction of the Mexican border and heading North. Fast and strong flyers, I barely discern the orange color on their wings. That's when I realized that these are Monarchs. Never tried catching a butterfly before, the kids and I trie

Chula Vista, CA

Latitude: 32.6 Longitude: -117.1

Observed by: Michael
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