On a visit to Pt. Reyes this week, we came upon this beautiful bobcat. One of my favorite wilderness haunts in northern California, Pt. Reyes did not disappoint. Bobcat, Pt. Reyes When we came upon this bobcat, it was in a field where we had seen a bobcat about two years earlier. Since the pandemic […]
The Bobcat — Jet Eliot
SF Gate reports An endangered species of salmon, once considered to be on the brink of extinction in the Bay Area, is showing a promising return. Researchers at the Marin Municipal Water District said that significant rainfall totals late last year mitigated drought conditions and may have aided in bolstering the coho salmon population at […]
Nearly extinct salmon show promising return in Bay Area creek —
Restoration in the Santa Monica Mountains —The World’s Largest Urban National Park Guest Speaker: Joey Algiers Tuesday, June 21, 2022 at 7:00PM Join Zoom Meeting: https://cnps-org.zoom.us/j/87876983129 Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (SMMNRA) is one of the world’s largest urban national parks. Situated in Los Angeles and Ventura Counties, this park unit spans over 150,000 acres. […]
Restoration in the Santa Monica Mountains —The World’s Largest Urban National Park — Natural History Wanderings
Lappet-faced Vultures, Botswana, Africa Turkey Vulture, CA We were driving on a California country road this week surrounded by sweetly fragrant ceanothus wildflowers, when we came upon two lethargic turkey vultures standing in the road. Turns out they were doing us a big favor. Because they were not moving for us, we slowly drove toward […]
Vultures are Cool — Jet Eliot
Abbotts Lagoon, Point Reyes, CA A recent Valentine’s Day visit to Abbotts Lagoon took us past the lagoon, adventuring along the sand dunes. Abbotts Lagoon is an area within Point Reyes National Seashore, Northern California. More info: Abbotts Lagoon Wikipedia. Point Reyes is a unique place on earth because it is at the junction of […]
Sand Dunes at Abbotts Lagoon — Jet Eliot
Our day last week at the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge was another bonanza of wildlife, a particularly exciting adventure in the middle of winter. Sacramento NWR; Mt Shasta, Calif. The enormous number of birds is what keeps things so interesting. It is a 10,819-acre (43.78 sq. km.) wetland expanse; a wintering home to hundreds of […]
Sacramento Natl. Wildlife Refuge 2022 — Jet Eliot
Wilson’s Snipe (R) with a pair of Cinnamon Teal, Cosumnes River Preserve, CA I had the fortune of seeing a family of snipe this week. This is a bird that few people notice or know of, and some people think is imaginary. Wilson’s Snipe, California Wilson’s Snipe, Gallinago delicata, is in the shorebird family: Scolopacidae. […]
The Snipe — Jet Eliot
San Luis Obispo Tribune reports Thousands of western monarch butterflies have returned to a Pismo Beach, California, grove to overwinter. The monarch population this year is larger than the last two years combined “We expect the numbers are going to keep going up,” a biologist said. Read story and see video at Pismo Beach monarch grove […]
Pismo Beach monarch grove sees butterfly count increase — Natural History Wanderings
from Golden Gate Audubon Climate and Birds in California Thursday, November 18 via Zoom — 7 p.m. Mike Lynes North America’s bird populations have declined by approximately 3 billion birds since 1970 and two-thirds of North America’s bird species now face an even greater risk of extinction due to climate change. Mike Lynes will discuss the threats […]
Presentation: Climate and Birds in California 11/18/21 — Natural History Wanderings
from the California Native Plant Society California Governor Gavin Newsom signed the first piece of California legislation to specifically address plant poaching, making it illegal to remove dudleya from state and private lands. In recent years, law enforcement officials have documented an alarming increase in the large-scale harvest of these precious native succulents from California […]
California Bans Plant Poaching of Dudleya — Natural History Wanderings
huggers.ca 