Shipley Nature Center in November

It's still beautiful. There are even still bees and butterflies flying around, though in fewer numbers than the summer.

I love this tree. The boughs are just open enough to let light in, just close enough to keep things mysterious.

The docent couldn't help us figure out what these were. She has a thick folder full of pictures she's hoping a mycologist can help her identify one day.

I can confirm, however, they are just as slimy as they look. No, I wasn't quite brave enough to touch them, but I was with a child who was (Don't worry: She was also old enough to understand "Don't stick your fingers in your mouth afterward"). The slime pulled away in long strands, much to her delight.

The fritillaries are hanging in there. There were actually even a few straggling monarch caterpillars, though it's hard to say if they will get enough to eat.

By the way, if you want to know where all the chrysalis are, the person you want isn't the docent. It's her grandson. He gave us quite a tour, telling us not only where they were but what kind of butterfly they would be ("It all depends on what color they are.")

The squirrels were feeling very active that day. They were up, down, and all around.

There are even still spiders.

Butterflies at the Shipley Nature Center

A Gulf fritillary rests for a moment.

A dusky wing stopping for an instant.

A showy Red admiral opens its wings.

A monarch butterfly sits just long enough to be photographed.

The Shipley Nature Center was full of butterflies, lots and lots and lots of butterflies of all kinds flew at one another and dodged around dragonflies (The monarchs, at least, seemed to be troubled by the dragonflies sharing their airspace, and visa versa). They seldom stayed put, however, making catching them on camera more of a challenge than usual, and, in fact, there were at least three other kinds around that I never did get pictures of, and probably more that I never even saw, at least, not properly.

Which, I suppose, makes this as much about "the one that got away" as about the ones I "caught." And, in case you were wondering: I had a marvelous time. I love chasing butterflies, and dragonflies, and squirrels, and lizards, and hawks, and....

It does, also, make me think again about starting a proper butterfly garden. They were all over, but the biggest cluster really was around the area the Nature Center had helpfully labeled "Butterfly garden," so I guess it might really be worth it to cram in a few more, select plants (Like I need encouragement to put more in. It's more figuring out the space that is the problem).

Butterflies

The butterflies are enjoying the Huntington Beach Central Park. I think all the water helps, too.

Gulf fritillaries enjoying the afternoon sun.

A red admiral rests in the light.

The Environmental Nature Center

I just recently found out about and visited the Environmental Nature Center.

It's a gem; a lovely two and a half acre stretch of native plants. I plan to go again, as my friends and I barely scratched the surface, and I'm quite sure we didn't visit all the ecosystems they have. Also, of course, these places change.

I wonder: How many other interesting places around here have I not heard of? 

A monarch butterfly in the butterfly house.