In Search of Monarchs at the Wrong Time of Year - Walking the Natural Bridges Monarch Trail in Santa Cruz, California

 Hello!  We're back to continue the fun adventure I had in Santa Cruz, California back in April 2025 where I wanted to rediscover my love for photography and see some beautiful flora and fauna in the process.

Click on the links below to see my previous posts from this series:

Flowers! University of California Santa Cruz Arboretum and Botanical Garden

Brandt's Cormorants Nesting Colony on the bridge at Natural Bridges State Beach

After spending the morning with the flowers and the early afternoon with the cormorants, I was ready to take my next walk and discover the Monarch Trail at Natural Bridges State Beach.  

I have been wanting to go and see the monarchs over-winter there which happens from mid-October through early February.   So on this outing, I didn't really expect to see any monarchs...I just wanted to familiarize myself with it so I could come back during winter feeling more comfortable. That pesky anxious thing again.  

But I was doing pretty good as I walked up to the Visitor Center.  I decided to go inside so I could see the exhibits and the little gift shop.  I got to talking to the lady working in there and she told me that it wasn't monarch season but that she had seen two monarchs flitting around a couple days before!  Exciting!

So I headed out...  It is quite beautiful and peaceful there.  The weather was amazing and the walk was filled with trees, birds, and other lovely sights.  First I walked through the little garden next to the VC. 

Couldn't resist a semi-macro shot (using a zoom lens lol) of this lovely yellow flower.  

And I loved these little red flowers on a bush...  Love both of these pictures.

Then I headed out on the trail proper.  The eucalyptus trees surrounded the boardwalk along with lilies and other beautiful foliage.

After walking about five minutes, a Spotted Towhee landed on the fence about 10 feet in front of me!  I love these birds...they are so cool looking.  Love the bokeh made by the leaves in the sunlight too. 

And there were a few stragglers here and there by the fence.

The eucalyptus trees are so gorgeous.  I love their bark; it reminds me of puzzle pieces and the colors are so pretty. 

It's a prettyish kind of a little wilderness! (Jane Austen Pride and Prejudice reference. IYKYK)

Complete with copious amounts of Poison Oak.  Walk carefully!

And then I saw them.  Two bright orange and black butterflies flitting around the meadow.  I was so excited!  I lifted my camera and said a prayer that I would be able to capture a halfway decent shot.  My prayer was answered!  Truly I got halfway decent shots.  lol It was so hard!

I watched, enthralled, as the two butterflies fluttered and swooped around the meadow going in every direction.  I loved it!  I was so happy to just stand there and watch, occasionally raising my camera to try to capture them. 

These photos, as you can see, are nowhere good.  Not clean.  Not clear.  Soft and unfocused.  lol  But I love them.  I was having such fun!

And then they flew over the trees and flitted away.  It was a wonderful visitation and seemed special just for me.  

I kept walking for a little bit.  I only walked a little of the entire trail.  The bit I walked was about .6 of a mile in and out.  There was a little marsh with very cool plants in the water which sparkled like diamonds in the sunlight.  Unfortunately, this picture doesn't fully capture the mystique. 

On my way back to the VC, I saw another Spotted Towhee.  It might be the same one?  But I was happy to see it anyway.  It's flicking its tail at me. 

I went back to the VC and found some birds out in the garden.  I think this is an American Goldfinch but I'm not certain.  Pretty bird and pretty bokeh.  

And there were some finches flying about.  I'm not sure if this is a House Finch or a Purple Finch but I'm leaning towards the latter.  The lady in the VC thought Purple as well.  Whatever it was, it was gorgeous. 

I went inside the VC to tell the lady that I had seen two Monarchs and she was as excited as I was.  lol  I bought a cute little Monarch pin to remember it by. 

Then she told me that there was a Great Horned Owl nest in one of the trees just off limits behind the VC but that I could go try and have a look.  

I saw just a tip of the horns in a beautiful tree cavity nest.  

And then I walked to where my car was parked in the parking lot and saw a beautiful Western Bluebird and a stunning American Crow.  I love Corvids so much. 

Then I headed down to the beach to try to find the tidepools.  Of course I couldn't.  Apparently I didn't walk far enough which I just realized by looking at a map of the beach.  lol  Next time I guess.  Sucks because I timed it exactly right to be on the beach at low tide which was very low.  

I saw tons of By-the-Wind-Sailors washed up on the beach.  Snapped a pic of course.  This was in the little creek that ran down to the water. 

That was about the extent of my "tidepooling".  haha  But I definitely enjoyed my walk and sat by the ocean for a little bit just listening to the wind and waves and looking out at the Bridge rock with the Cormorant colony on it. 

Enjoy a little ASMR video of the waves and wind on the cliffs of the beach!

Then I hopped in my car and drove north on Highway 1 to Shark Fin Cove - an amazing little cove which has two large rocks that look like...you guessed it...shark fins!

It was beautiful of course.  I was hoping to come back at about 3:00 in the morning to try to get some Milky Way shots but I didn't make it.  And that's okay!  I will be going back.  And now I know to walk on the bluffs to the right of the cove for the perfect Shark Fin/Milky Way angle!

And with that I drove to my hotel in Scott's Valley for the night.  

What a lovely day filled with exercise, lovely landscapes, flowers, birds, and butterflies!

Can't wait to go back.  :)

xoxo

Nikon D600 Nikkor 28-300 mm lens 

Shark Fin Cove photo taken by iPhone 15 Pro Max

It's Autumn! Finding Reasons to Live at Apple Hill.

Hello loves.  

I came here to try to get back on track.  And as I stated in my previous post (which I just came on here and found, so I finished it and published it), I have been struggling with my mental health very badly lately.   

Following advice from both my therapist and psychiatrist, I am trying to restore my faith in this ugly world and one of the ways that I do this and heal myself is by road trips into this beautiful gift from God called Earth.  

So last weekend I got up early and headed up highway 50 to Placerville and Apple Hill.  It was a gorgeous morning and I wanted to beat the crowds so I could have some peace and take some photos before doing a small bit of shopping.  :-)

Most of the farms weren't even open when I got up there just before 8:00 a.m. so I decided to drive around and look for Autumn colors to photograph. I drove up past Abel's Acres and went down the road to El Dorado Orchards (I think) since they have a big gloriously colored tree in their parking lot.  I wasn't sure what I was going to do with this information because...well...it's just a lone tree in a parking lot!  Not very photogenic.  haha  

But today, the morning light in the distant orchard highlighted another beautiful green tree and I thought it might look cool framed by the red, yellow, and gold leaves of the parking lot tree.  

From there, I just drove a big circle by heading down to Hassler Road and following it back around to Abel's Acres.  

Oh, such MAGIC I saw along the way!!

I came around one corner and saw an amazing and colorful vista with different shades of green, red, and orange and had to pull over to snap some pics.  And the best thing for my Autumn photos??  There was a wild turkey right there walking amongst the trees!!  Awesome!

I took one photo and zoomed way in (which of course caused some deterioration since this is a small sensor bridge camera) for the turkey.  But fortunately I think it looks kind of cool processed with some AI filters along with a layer of "paint strokes".  

Cool!  So happy.  

One thing I love in rural areas is when people put old trucks to new use.  One of the main things I see done is to use a truck as a flower bed, which I love.  These folks on Hassler Rd multipurposed their truck as both a flower planter and a mailbox!  Cute!

Yes, I had to quickly stop and get a picture of the gorgeous tree line road leading me into the light!   

And then I saw Lava Cap Winery and stopped.  No, not to taste some wine (which I totally would do if it wasn't 8:00 in the morning with me driving alone, etc.) but because the groomed fields looked so beautiful!  

I couldn't park where the vineyards are so I had to walk around a bit (good for me!).  

In the process, I saw a small rubbish (But the rubbish was so beautiful though?) pile and HAD to stop and take some photos.  The purple colors (my favorite) were so lovely that I was very tempted to take some home with me.  Only the wrath of my daughter stopped me. haha

The vista that originally caught my eye from the road...

So while I was walking around Lava Cap, I saw (behind their locked gate) some pumpkins sitting amongst the gardens and I thought it looked pretty cute.  Then I remembered back in the day when I would take a little companion on my trips to be in some photographs.  And by companion I mean a stuffed animal or photo prop of my BTS friends. 

So I decided to go do my little bit of shopping and buy a pumpkin to take some pictures of.  Since it was Halloween and all.  I headed to Abel's Acres but got sidetracked by some horses and birds.  lol 

Yes, the next picture is of a dumpster.  But it's a dumpster with a Western Bluebird on it!!  lol  

And this is a female or juvenile Western Bluebird UNDER the dumpster.  Well, not quite under.  But there is a sparrow of some sort more under.  

Chipping Sparrow!!  So delightful!

Abel's didn't have the apples I wanted, so I headed over to Boa Vista and bought Arkansas Black apples for me and Terrie. They were a disappointment unfortunately.  Most apple orchards in Apple Hill were damaged this year and the apples didn't look right.  But I hoped they would still be delicious but they had a weird texture and didn't quite taste right.  The texture was chalky and was pretty off-putting.

But I had more success in my other purchases of delicious apple cider and two kinds of fudge (chocolate and apple pie).  And a green-striped pumpkin to star in some photos!  :)  I promptly took him over to a lovely red maple tree I had seen by a house down the street from Lava Cap.  

And by this pinecone and cool rock!

And in my beautiful rubbish pile!!

And, finally, amongst the gorgeous flowers in the bed by the Lava Cap Winery logo sign!

And then...my magical morning got even MORE magical!

When I'm going through this crisis of mental health and faith, I'm not afraid to ask for a sign from Father God that he is with me and still carrying me when I need it.  

I used to pray like 10 times a day.  But in the ugliness of this world and what passes in the news for so-called Christianity (from IMO the people who are the LEAST like Christ that I've ever seen), that number has fallen to usually once a day.  Sometimes nunce a day.  

I'm trying to change that.  Because my relationship with the Lord is just that.  MY relationship with the Lord.  And I can't worry about what other people are doing.  Or what they think of what I'm doing.  The hard lesson I learned when my brother died is that the people that I love do not always love me in return.  

I so miss my brother, but to be honest, I'm grateful that they did not live to be a part of this world.  Because I don't know how that would have went and I'm so sad just thinking about it. 

So I seek out God's beauty in God's creation.  I ask questions but also try to rely more on faith, because my over analytical mind just questions everything and runs a million miles an hour - especially lately. 

So on this incredibly beautiful morning full of God's light, love, sounds, and sights, I was feeling His spirit.  

And then came another sign carrying all of the above.  I heard a beating sound.  It was pretty loud and sounded like a Harley coming from down the road.  But nothing came. 

I kept taking photos.  And heard it again.  And again.  

Finally I realized that it was coming - not from the road - but from right beside me.  There were 3  delicate and yet grand hummingbirds admiring the very same small plot of flowers that I was.  

Just after I realized what was making the sounds, a truck came by and they all scattered.  I sat down on a rock.  And said a quick prayer that I may be blessed with the return of at least one so I could try to get a photo.  

And one came back.  Just one.  Just for me. You'll never convince me otherwise.  :-) 

It's drinking!  Look closely and you can see it's long beak going into the flower.  It's body looks a bit weird though.  

And last but not least, I even got a mostly CLEAR PHOTO!  

It was a very good morning that I will tuck away into my memories to pull out when I'm feeling sad or hopeless.  Thank you. 

xoxo

Panasonic Lumix FZ80 bridge camera with Topaz DeNoise & Sharpen AI editing software