JAUNTS : Monarch Butterflies Return in Greater Numbers This Season : Flocks of these beautiful creatures winter in Ventura County after long migratory flights.

They’re back. The monarch butterflies that is. The migrating orange and black butterflies have begun arriving in Ventura County for their annual winter layover.

Through some unexplainable quirk of nature, the butterflies return to the same few select sites near the coast to laze away the winter. Seeking out eucalyptus trees, they cluster in colonies or flutter about in a mass of brilliant color.

It’s a sight to see--in a good year, that is. Last year’s butterfly show was a bust. Only 10% of the usual migratory flock made the trek from colder climates. Things are looking up for this year, at least a bit.

“For Southern California, it’s not a good year, but it’s better than last year,” said Walter Sakai, a Santa Monica College biology instructor who tracks the butterflies. No one knows why the monarch numbers have dropped. Everything from El Nino to global warming to distant volcanic eruptions have been blamed, he said.

And fire recently wiped out one of the county’s few butterfly haunts, at least for now. The devastating Green Meadow blaze, which burned a swath from Thousand Oaks to the ocean, destroyed the campground at Big Sycamore Canyon in Point Mugu State Park.

The butterflies that have drawn visitors to the campground for years are simply gone. Vanished, a park employee reported. The butterflies have nothing to eat, she explained, because the fire charred all the nearby milkweed, their favored cuisine.

The many recent fires in the county probably haven’t affected the butterflies headed for the other spots in the county, according to Sakai. There are about a dozen layover sites near the coast--most of them small colonies on private property.

But there are a few spots for public viewing. Arundel barranca that borders Ventura’s Camino Real Park, Dean Drive and Varsity Street, is usually a good one. Ventura’s park and recreation department sponsors 90-minute guided walks here for butterfly spotting. Two are scheduled for Nov. 21 and Dec. 4.

Also in Ventura, Barranca Vista Park, 7050 E. Ralston St., has had a few colonies. The biggest site, according to Sakai, is in Goleta. (To get there, take the Storke Road/Glen Annie Road exit from U. S. 101 south to Hollister Avenue, right to Palo Alto Drive, left to Sea Gull Drive, left to Coronado Drive and right to the end at eucalyptus groves.)

Watching hundreds of butterflies cluster in eucalyptus trees or swirl about in the sunlight is quite a sight. And the survival skills of these beauties is astounding.

During the summer, monarchs can be found all over the United States and as far north as southern Canada. In late October or early November, they begin their migratory trek, traveling up to 80 miles a day at speeds that approach 30 m.p.h.

In a typical year, a million monarchs flutter in to the warmer climates of California and Baja. Their cousins east of the Rocky Mountains fly even farther to a small spot of mountainous terrain in Mexico.

After the mating season in January and February, the monarchs begin their long trek back. Since they live only six to 10 months, they make the migratory journey once, puzzling scientists who still aren’t sure how the offspring manage to find the same wintering spots year after year.

Details

* WHAT: Monarch butterfly walk, led by a naturalist with Ventura’s park and recreation department.

* WHEN: 10 to 11:30 a.m., Sunday, Nov. 21, and Saturday, Dec. 4.

* WHERE: Camino Real Park, Dean Drive and Varsity Street, Ventura. Group will meet between the tennis courts and the barranca.

* COST: $3 per person.

* FYI: Preregistration is required. For information and to register, call 658-4726. Session is limited to adults and children at least 6 years old.