You Mon Tsang November 4th, 2008
Here are some highlights from the National Park Service Park Wavelengths newsletter:
- Coho salmon and steelhead trout have been massing in Tomales Bay waiting for the first flush of freshwater out of the creeks to begin their travels up the watershed
- The new boardwalk at Abbotts Lagoon is open
- Annual request from the trail crew as we enter the winter season: Please report downed trees to park visitor centers or by phone (415) 464-5137. To assist a quicker response, the following information is needed: the type of tree (bay, oak, fir, etc.) the diameter of the tree, (how big around); a good location description; and whether a hiker or horseback rider can get around it.
You Mon Tsang October 26th, 2008
For many folks who come and visit the Point Reyes area, Tomales Bay is a near-perfect retreat. Quiet, peaceful and full of animals. But the wetlands at the south end of the Bay were turned into ranch land some 60 years ago. But after years of planning and months of work by the National Park Service, today saw the high tide breach the levees that formed the ranch land.
The NPS has a goal of keeping the Point Reyes area as close to “natural” as possible and this project will bring back much habitat to the wetlands, especially the fish (sturgeon, steelhead, chinook and coho salmon) and birds (almost half of the North American bird species pass through the area).
If you want to see the restored areas, here is information from the NPS web site:
Where can we view the restoration area?
The restoration project area can be viewed from several vantage points in the Point Reyes-Inverness area. Some of the existing trails may be temporarily or permanently closed during construction, however, most trails will be reopened once construction is completed. Trails and viewing points include:
- Lagunitas Creek spur trail: Southern portion of East Pasture adjacent to Point Reyes Station. Trail can be accessed from entrance to Green Bridge County park along State Route 1 just east of the Green Bridge. This trail winds through riparian habitat in the Green Bridge County park and then follows the edge of Lagunitas Creek out towards White House Pool area. During construction, this trail will be temporarily closed, and it will be rerouted slightly as part of Phase II work.
- White House Pool County park: On the south side of Lagunitas Creek, the County of Marin Parks and Open Space District manages a small park on Sir Francis Drake Boulevard (Levee Road) that has a path that winds through riparian habitat as it follows the edge of Lagunitas Creek. Parking may be found at an on-site parking lot. This park provides several locations to view the restoration project area across the creek.
- Olema Marsh Trail: On the opposite of Sir Francis Drake Boulevard or Levee Road is Olema Marsh. A trail starts in the parking lot from Olema Marsh and crosses the top of the shutter ridge as it follows the east side of the marsh, eventually ending at Levee Road. Olema Marsh is one of the areas that will be restored as part of Phase II. The trail will be closed temporarily during the construction period.
- Tomales Bay Trail: For those wanting a longer walk and grander vistas of the restoration project area and Tomales Bay, the Tomales Bay Trail provides beautiful views of much of the Tomales Bay watershed. The trailhead is located off State Route 1 just north of Point Reyes Station. There is a small parking lot. The trail is approximately 1 -1.3 miles long. In future years, this spur trail will be extended to provide better views of some of the northern portions of the East Pasture and the shallowly flooded flats that attract hundreds of shorebirds and waterfowl in the fall and winter.
- West Pasture North Levee path (Temporary): The northern portion of the West Pasture and adjacent undiked marsh can currently be viewed at a small informal spur trail that occurs on the West Pasture North off Sir Francis Drake Boulevard. This path will be closed during construction starting September 1 and will not be reopened. In the future, the Park Service will develop a viewing overlook area to enable residents and visitors to view the newly restored marsh.
For further reading on the project:
[UPDATE: Here is a photo from NPS taken by Robert Campbell. It shows the extent of the new Giacomini Wetlands (560 acres). This area in the photo has been diked for over 60 years until last weekend.]
You Mon Tsang October 22nd, 2008
Here are some highlights from the National Park Service Park Wavelengths newsletter:
- Watch out for the black tailed deer along the roads. Deer are feeding on ripening acorns for their last bit of fattening as the does become pregnant and before winter
- At the end of the rut season, bucks may sometimes run directly into road areas following does
- The Park Service is building a new trail at Limantour Beach to the Limantour Estero, part of the Coastal Watershed Restoration. The goal is to complete work before serious rains begin. Watch for heavy equipment and stay behind temporary fencing.
You Mon Tsang September 23rd, 2008
The National Park Service publishes a newsletter about events, closures, natural history, and cultural history at Point Reyes.
Riots of fall colors with the autumnal equinox this week - check out brilliant red poison oak along Limantour Road. The new moon rises Monday, September 29 with higher than usual daylight tides 5.4 - 5.9 feet in the afternoons. Other fall delights - the continuing presence of humpback whales off the Great Beach, splashing and breaching; the fall bird migration is underway - blackpoll warbler at the Lighthouse and some redstarts.
A young bat has been stopping in at the Lighthouse over the past few weeks, lingering in the fog signal building, an unusual siting for this spot.. The overall bat population in the park remains healthy, 325 Townsend’s Big eared bats were counted in the annual survey last week at their roost in Olema Valley. Traditionally, roosts were inside cavities of old growth redwoods and hillside caves; as these roosts disappeared they have moved into old barns and attics.
Large fish observed under the green bridge in Point Reyes are not early salmonids - they are carp; look for the noticeable scales and the fact they are ‘out in the open’ not seeking deep cool waters to hide. They are native to Eurasia and like slow moving shallow streams with lots of organic matter to root around in.
Marin County Open Space rangers will be exploring the “Pond Life of the Palomarin Area” on Sunday, September 28th between 10:00 am and 2:00 pm; meet at the Palomarin Trailhead off Mesa Road near Bolinas.
A planned closure of the Olema Marsh Trail is now posted for October 6th (originally slated for September 22) as part of the Giacomini Restoration. Trail staff are working with Marin Conservation Corps groups on reconstructing the Abbotts Lagoon Trail; the reroute of Greenpicker, Rift Zone and Estero Trails. These are not closed but you may see the crews at work.
Prescribed burns may occur this week on Wednesday (24) and Friday (26), off Limantour Road west of the Hostel and off Highway 1 near the Randall Trail to manage fuel loads and reduce exotic plants.
You Mon Tsang September 9th, 2008
The 9/9/2008 Park Wavelengths newsletter points out that the recent warm weather means you may be able to catch breaching minke and humpback whales, dolphins, and porpoises from Limantour Beach. Get out there! Here is the rest of the newsletter:
The full moon rises on September 15 at 2:13 am. This moon brings some very high afternoon daylight tides between 5.7 and 6.3 feet so plan beach excursions early in the day. The autumnal equinox follows on the next Monday, August 22nd as we begin to lose a few moments of daylight each day.
Warm weather had created excellent marine mammal viewing from Limantour Beach. Breaching minke and humpback whales, dolphins, and porpoises were observed across the weekend from the beach along with many loons and common murres. It is possible some type of ‘bloom’ of food associated with warmer water temperatures is drawing in the feasting crowds although we often see humpbacks and blues at this time of year. Large numbers of Sooty Shearwaters are feeding off Abbots Lagoon. On Tomales Bay, a die off of moon jellies has washed in many blobs of clear jelly with the trademark white crescents. These are a favorite food for sea turtles. Unfortunately, plastic bags in the water can mimic the drifting jellies and are eaten by turtles. The indigestible bags block absorption of nutrients and food and can cause malnutrition and death for the turtles. A reminder, the brown colored Lions Mane jellies can cause an allergic reaction if you brush against; a sting was reported from Drakes Beach last Saturday. Avoid them on the beach!
Snowy Plovers hung in there this year, final numbers approximately 16% survival rate; 33 birds hatched and five fledged. Some of the nesting area was disturbed by clean up for a shipwreck that washed ashore at Kehoe Beach; cautious Dad Plover managed to shield the last three from this disturbance.
Excellent year for berries all round, the latest fruit is Blue Elderberry, large dusky dark purple-blue clusters are draped over Bear Valley Road and Sir Francis Drake Boulevard especially in the San Geronimo Valley. Buckeye nut pods are appearing as the leaves are dropped, the green balls can be seen on the trees.
Coastal Clean Up Day is coming up on Saturday, September 20th. Meet at Limantour Beach at 9:30 am to clean up trash and enjoy the day.
A permit has been issued for September 14th for the annual “Piper On the Ridge” event on Mount Vision Road; The annual event features a bagpiper greeting the rising full moon and begins approximately 7:00 pm. Free, but no dogs permitted: check on whether extreme fire danger may close the road.
PG + E will be working in the pastures off North Beach for the next few weeks, restringing lines over the fields; no affect on services or traffic is expected.
You Mon Tsang August 26th, 2008
The National Park Service publishes a newsletter about events, closures, natural history, and cultural history at Point Reyes.
Very High FIRE Danger for Marin County through Friday, August 29th. Double check on whether Mount Vision Road will be open and if beach fires are permitted. Fire danger rating is calculated from air temperature, projected wind, and fuel moisture (dryness of grass and ground vegetation). Stinson Beach continues closed through August 29 due to a reported shark sighting Monday.
A new moon rises on Saturday August 30, with higher than usual tides from 5.4-5.7 feet high, the beaches will seem smaller in mid day!
A very high tide mid-day (5.7 at 1:05 pm) will make visiting the annual Sand Sculpture contest on Sunday, August 31st best early in the day. Registration for this event begins at 9:00 am and judges will be on Drakes Beach at 12:30 sharp.
The berry season is being followed by the development of tree nuts - look for bright yellow-green ‘mini-lemons’ on the California Bay Trees; the outer covering will dry off to reveal a brown shelled round edible nut. Coast Miwok fire roast and eat the nuts. Buckeye trees are dropping their leaves along with brilliant yellow Big Leaf maples; gray squirrels are chewing up fir and pine cones to get at the seeds - all signs of the approaching autumn.
The tule elk rut continues - volunteer docents are on hand weekends with spotting scopes and have reported watching a dominant male with a 30 cow harem under his care; bachelor herds lingering around! Sparring and boxing elk may be seen during this busy time.
Permits have been issued for picnics at Bear Valley on Saturday, August 30; parking congestion expected. All park visitor centers are open on Monday, September 1st, Labor Day holiday. Coast and Sky Camps close September 2-11 for rehabilitation.
The ocean film series continues with a double feature on Thursday, August 28 from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm - Restoring Balance (Removing the Black Rat from Anacapa island and Returning Home (Bringing the Common Murre back to Devils Slide Rock) Free and open to the public, bring your own popcorn.
Photographer Robert Campbell will be showing slides of his new book of aerial photographs on Saturday, August 30th at 12:30 pm at Bear Valley Visitor Center. Free!
You Mon Tsang August 12th, 2008
The National Park Service publishes a newsletter about events, closures, natural history, and cultural history at Point Reyes.
The full moon rises on Saturday, August 16 - the “Collect Food for Winter Moon” for the Haida of the Pacific north coast. A few daylight low tides arrive just before sunrise:
Saturday, August 16 5:21 am -0.3 (sunrise at 6:27 am)
Sunday, August 17 6:06 am -0.2 (sunrise 6:28 am)
Monday, August 18 6:23 am 0.1 (sunrise 6:28 am)
The best window for tidepooling is an hour before and an hour after the low.
It is a great time for all species to be collecting berries for immediate consumption, jams and pies etal. Berries of all colors sizes and shapes are ripe! Not for humans - Snowberries (solid white) and clear pink jelly berries from the Honeysuckle vine are excellent bird snacks. Humans have huckleberries and various blackberries to pick - the tiny native California Blackberry; the larger Cut leaf and Armenian (formerly called the Himalaya berry) blackberries are all ripening along trails and roadsides.
The first signs of seasonal changes are here- brilliant splashes of scarlet Poison Oak vines along roadsides and the beginning of the Tule Elk rut at Tomales Point - bulls bugling and thrashing vegetation; large groups of females - harems have formed.
Activity continues in the Muddy Hollow Trail area; biologists are netting fish from the ponds in anticipation of the dam removal; historically these ponds were maintained as animal watering holes and stocked with bass
A busy calendar of free events in the park over the next few weeks:
Curious about the Giacomini wetlands project? The contractor from Hanford will be on hand at 5th and C streets at 10:00 am on August 23rd to answer questions and lead a short walk through the site to explain the current state of the project. This talk is the first in a series that will continue in the fall covering birds, fish, wetlands ecology, etc. Large amounts of levee removal debris is stockpiled off Sir Francis Drake Highway on the west side of the marsh; awaiting removal to quarry sites in the park.
A special booksigning and lecture on marine photography is scheduled for Saturday, August 16th at 12:30 pm at Bear Valley Visitor Center by Marc Shargel who will showing slides and signing copies of his new book “Wonders of the Sea, North Central California’s Living Marine Riches”
Also on tap the Fall 2008 Ocean Film and Lecture Series begins on Thursday, August 21st with “Papa Tortuga” a film about one persons efforts in Veracruz Mexico to help save endangered Lora Sea turtles. It will be shown between 7:00-8:00 pm in the Red Barn Classroom at park headquarters.
Permits have been issued for a wedding at Limantour Beach on August 20th between 9:30am - 11:30 am and also on August 23 between 1:30pm and 3:30 pm. Both are 50 or less people so no parking congestion is anticipated.
You Mon Tsang July 29th, 2008
The National Park Service publishes a newsletter about events, closures, natural history, and cultural history at Point Reyes.
Early morning low tides accompany the new moon’s rise on Friday, August 1st
Saturday, August 2nd -0.9 feet 6:23 am
Sunday, August 3rd -0.5 feet 7:01 am
The annual Perseid meteor shower approaches with showers to be seen throughout the week of August 10, peaking on Tuesday night, August 12th. They appear to radiate from the northeastern sky and the constellation of Perseus, named for the son of Zeus who rescued wife Andromeda from a sea monster! A bright waxing moon may interfere with viewing but early risers should be able to catch the show of falling stars.
The peak harbor seal molting season is now when they are particularly social, massing in large groups on shores and sand bars such as the Bolinas Lagoon. While molting they look brighter as they lose their old fur which comes off in large patches. In the autumn they will return to their more solitary life at sea.
Flags are half staff in the park to honor Olympic National Park firefighter Andrew Palmer (18 years old) who died in the line of duty this week at Shasta Trinity National Forest. Park staff have been sent to assist at Yosemite National Park; if you are heading that way, check the park website at nps.gov/yose or (209) 372-0200 for an update on travel conditions.
Exotic color along Bear Valley Trail are the brilliant orange-red Crocosmia sp./Montbretia or South African Lily, a colorful migrant from South Africa. Huckleberries are abundant this year; larger than usual it seems. Lots to be found along Old Pine Trails and in Tomales Bay State Park.
A special booksigning is coming up for the new edition of “The Natural History of Point Reyes Peninsula”; author Jules Evens will be signing copies on August 2nd at the Red Barn Classroom at Bear Valley at 2:30 pm.
Thanks to the NPS Park Service.
You Mon Tsang July 15th, 2008
The National Park Service publishes a newsletter about events, closures, natural history, and cultural history at Point Reyes. Here is the issue from 2008-07-15:
The full moon rises on Friday July 18 with a few early morning daylight low tides:
Friday, July 18 6:03 am -0.6
Saturday, July 19 6:35 am -0.6
Sunday, July 20 7:04 am -0.5
Monday, July 21 7:37 -0.3
This moon is ‘the moon of much ripening’ for the Mohawk people of the eastern states; true of California as the first ripe blackberries are appearing along the Earthquake Trail and roadsides.
If you are walking the low tide along Tomales Bay, you may see some bright yellow disks in the lowest intertidal areas. The disks are part of a study conducted by Bodega Marine Lab and the Student Conservation Association summer program They are measuring erosional force of water and how it affects the native Olympia oyster population; disks are placed on the east shores and west shores of the bay for comparative measurements.
High temperatures last week contributed to the seasonal die off of jellyfish. Moon jellies, clear blobs with four white crescents on the top have been washing ashore along the local beaches as well as the ice tea colored Lions Mane jellies. As surface dwellers, they are susceptible to even a few degrees change in water temperatures. The brownish Lions mane jellies tentacles can cause an allergic reaction so best to avoid them even when washed up onshore.
Mark your calendars for the 28th annual Big Time Festival on Saturday July 26 from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm at Kule Loklo, the Coast Miwok Exhibit near Bear Valley Visitor Center. Dancers from the Intertribal Pomo and Dry Creek Pomo bands will be demonstrating along with basketmakers Julia Parker, flintknappers, and shell bead makers. Bring a picnic to enjoy the day, no dogs or alcoholic beverages at this event.
Thanks to the NPS Park Service.
You Mon Tsang July 1st, 2008
The National Park Service publishes a newsletter about events, closures, natural history, and cultural history at Point Reyes. Here is the issue from 2008-07-01:
The new moon rises on July 2nd at 7:19 pm and the earth will be at aphelion on July 4th, the farthest point in its annual orbit of the sun - Some early morning daylight low tides occur:
Thursday, July 3rd 5:58 am -1.8 feet
Sunday, July 6th 8:13 am -0.8
Friday, July 4th 6:45 am -1.7 feet
Saturday, July 5th 7:30 am -1.3 feet
A tough summer for the snowy plovers but they are not giving up; 16 nests have been made with five hatched and 15 chicks but only one chick still alive. There are hopes of four more chicks being hidden in a nest with dad.
Monkeyflowers are the latest wildflowers to bloom; look low alongside roadways for the bright yellow Seep Spring Monkeyflowers who like dampness; look higher up for the orange Sticky Monkeyflowers.
A permit for a training bike ride had been issued for Saturday July 12th at Bear Valley Picnic area. Expect some congestion as groups of bike riders move through the area to Abbots Lagoon in the morning.
Seal protection measures are lifted for this year - the annual closure of Drakes Estero and South Blue Gums Beach from March 1st to June 30th ended this week.
All park visitor centers are open Friday July 4th. No fireworks are permitted in Marin County and in the national seashore. Legal fireworks may be seen at the Marin County Fair - one of the park’s electric vehicles will be on display at the fair as part of 24 alternative fuel vehicles.
The free weekends in July shuttle bus between Olema Campground and Limantour Beach begins this weekend. Schedules have been posted at the Olema Campground and at Bear Valley Visitor Center.
Saturday, July 5th park archivist Carol DeRooy and local historian Dewey Livingston will be signing copies of their new history picture guide to Point Reyes from 12:30 to 1:30 pm.
Thanks to the NPS Park Service.
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