This year seems to be a rare "population surge" year for the California tortoiseshell butterfly. We saw *hundreds* of them on our hike in Carson Valley.
They would come flying through the woods in a straight line, like they were all on the way to somewhere in a hurry. I thought maybe they were migratory, but no- it turns out this is just something that particular butterfly does once every 5-10 years or so for reasons unknown. 🤯🦋
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_tortoiseshell
#SierraNevada #butterfly #insects
