Monarchs and Natural Bridges

     As hopefully you've been able to tell from my other posts, the diversity of this section of the California coast is pretty amazing.  This was particularly true of Natural Bridges State Beach in Santa Cruz.  The park got its name from the mudstone arches that were found there. 

   When the park was first created there were three such arches.  The recurring erosion caused by wind and water caused one arch to fall into the sea in the early 20th century.  The inner arch was taken out by a storm in 1980, leaving only the one above.

    In addition to the arches and its thousands of birds, the park is also the winter home of Monarch Butterflies.  Each Fall the park welcomes home over 100,000 of the Monarchs who have migrated from the Rocky Mountains.  The butterflies nest together in a sheltered canyon full of eucalyptus trees.

     They cluster together in the tree tops and feast on the eucalyptus leaves.  The weekend we were there was the "Welcome Home Festival".  We took a short hike through the Monarch preserve to the beach.  But the butterflies are what made the park special for us.