Here are some highlights from the National Park Service Park Wavelengths newsletter:
Young elephant seals have made an early appearance at Chimney Rock ; about 40 sub-adults (rowdy teenagers!) are on the beach practicing their wrestling and noisemaking skills in preparation for the winter breeding season
Humpback whale sightings off Limantour and Agate Beaches continue to delight visitors. Look for their long curved fin and tails with white underneath to distinguish them.
Hikers and Bikers especially on the Bolinas Ridge Trail should be watchful of the beef cattle calving season; cows are very defensive of their calves and may stare and or approach if they feel threatened.
Numerous warblers are resting in the trees at the Fish Docks after last weekends storm - prothonotary, black polled, yellow rumped, and palm with a Downy woodpecker in the mix.
Turns out there is plenty to do in January in Point Reyes. On a nice, sunny day, the beaches and hikes are as pleasant as ever. Just bring another layer and get started a little earlier. Once the sun goes down early, it can get chilly.
But January also brings unique opportunities for those of us who want to see wildlife.
* Whale Watching from the Lighthouse and Chimney Rock. This is a popular enough event that the Park Service closes the road to the lighthouse point and runs buses from the Drakes Beach Visitors Center ($5 per person). While I have not ever caught site of a whale on these trips, I still enjoy the trip out to the point. The Park Service has a good page on whale watching from the point.
* Breeding Elephant Seals. I like to head out to Chimney Rock to watch the wales, because it is also possible that the elephant seals are on the beach hanging out and breeding. This year, they are out en masse! They are fun to watch as they lie and shift around in the sun. From the Chimney Rock parking lot, look for signs that direct you on a short trail heading south.
* Salmon Run. From mid-Dec to mid-January (over for 2008), SPAWN lead groups from the town of Lagunitas to find salmon that swam upstream and lay their eggs. The whole process is fascinating and newbies should take the tour as it can be difficult to find the salmon without an experienced eye. You can find out more at the SPAWN web site.
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