The truest sign of spring at Bear Valley is the return of the gopher eating Great Blue Heron wandering the fields behind the visitor center!
Wildflowers are here: fields of deep purple blue iris at Chimney Rock and the Estero Trail; yellow bush lupine beginning at the Lighthouse and Chimney rock. Poppies at Abbotts Lagoon; the spell of warm weather kickstarted the bloom this past week. A favorite flowering shrub along the Estero Trail and Levee Road – Twinberry – right now it has two/twin tubular scarlet flowers tipped with lemon yellow that will become two dark berries with scarlet fringes.
At last, regular whale sightings from the Headlands; 5-6 per hour over the weekend before high winds returned on Monday. They appear to be the second ‘pulse’ of travelers, adults and juveniles without calves; the third pulse of mothers and calves have not been seen yet.
Northern elephant seals continue to withdraw as males heads and juveniles head north, the females are mostly gone south.
Winter in Point Reyes often focuses on the wildlife. And the Park Service is partnering with local organizations to present a special week of events that focuses on wildlife and the area’s maritime heritage. Activities include field trips, slideshows, films, talks, volunteer field events, and special dinners.
Events denoted by an asterix (*) are hosted by local businesses and need additional reservation or payment. Space is limited. See the Special Events
Hosted by Local Businesses RSVP and Contact information below for more details.
Saturday, January 16 *9:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. PRNSA Field Seminar, Drawing Nature’s Contours with Joan Hoffmann
Sunday, January 17 1:30 p.m., Gray whale interpretive talk & viewing at Point Reyes Lighthouse with rangers
Monday, January 18 *11:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m., Naturalist led kayak tour of Giacomini Wetlands, Blue Waters Kayak
4:00 p.m., Slideshow on marine protected areas and film: A Sheltered Sea (23 min) at Bear Valley Visitor Center
Tuesday, January 19 11:00 a.m., Films: Acid Test (15 min) and Our Synthetic Sea (22 min) at Bear Valley Visitor Center
2:00 p.m., Volunteer Event: Beach Cleanup at Drakes Beach
*5:00 p.m., Plate of Brass historical controversy talk with Edward Von der Porten and Dinner at Drakes Beach Café
Wednesday, January 20 11:00 a.m., Slideshow on the history of the Point Reyes Peninsula with historic photos at Bear Valley Visitor Center
2:00 p.m.–4:00 p.m., Maritime Radio Historical Society open house at North District Operations Center
7:30 p.m., Talk on using underwater technology to explore Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary at the Red Barn Classroom; coffee and dessert provided
Thursday, January 21 1:00 p.m., Talk by Ralph Shanks on Life-Saving Service at Historic Lifeboat Station
2:00 p.m., Field trip, guided walk by marine mammal biologist to Elephant Seal viewing sites at Chimney Rock
*6:00 p.m., David McGuire’s shark films and discussion with dinner at the Farm House Restaurant
Friday, January 22 9:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m., Hike to Abbotts Lagoon & Habitat Restoration. RSVP to Theo Michaels, 415-464-5223 or by email
3:30–5:00 p.m., Talk and Film, Setting aside the Marin coast: Amy Meyer, conservationist & Nancy Kelly, documentary filmmaker, with showing of Moments in Time at Bear Valley Visitor Center
*5:30 p.m., Reception with Amy Meyer and Nancy Kelly at the Station House Café
Saturday, January 23 10:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m., Stream Team volunteer opportunity with coho salmon and steelhead trout program
Friday–Sunday, January 22–24 *7:00 p.m. Friday–4:00 p.m. Sunday, PRNSA Field Seminar, Photographing Birds with Oliver Klink
Special Events Hosted by Local Businesses RSVP and Contact information
Saturday, January 16 9 a.m.–4 p.m.
PRNSA Field Seminars
Drawing Nature’s Contours with Joan Hoffman
Price: $95 ($90 for PRNSA members)
To register, call: 415-663-1200 ext. 373
http://www.ptreyes.org
Monday, January 18 11 a.m.–3 p.m.
Blue Waters Kayak
Naturalist-led Tomales Bay Giacomini Wetlands Tour
Price: $88 (10% of proceeds will benefit the Point Reyes National Seashore Association)
To sign-up, call: 415-669-2600 or (888) 5GO-BAJA
http://www.bwkayak.com
Tuesday, January 19 5 p.m.
Drakes Beach Café
“Plate of Brass” historical controversy with speaker Edward Von der Porten and prix fixe dinner
Price: $50
To RSVP (capacity: 35), leave a message at: 415-669-1297
Thursday, January 21 6 p.m.
Farm House Restaurant
Shark films and discussion with documentary filmmaker David McGuire and prix fixe dinner
To RSVP (capacity: 48), call: 415-663-1264
Friday, January 22 5:30 p.m.–6:15 p.m.
The Station House Café
Join acclaimed author and conservationist Amy Meyer and award-winning filmmaker Nancy Kelly for discussion, drinks & hors d’oeuvres following the Bear Valley Visitor Center “Moments in Time” event. Hors d’oeuvres & soft drinks from 5:30–6:15 p.m.
Price: $7.50 per person
No-host cocktails.
To RSVP, call: 415-663-1515
Dinner reservations recommended starting at 6:30 p.m. Group seating available.
To RSVP, call: 415-663-1515 or make online via OpenTable at www.stationhousecafe.com
Friday–Sunday, January 22–24 7 p.m. Friday through 4 p.m. Sunday
PRNSA Field Seminars
Photographing Birds with Oliver Klink
Price: $240 ($220 members for PRNSA members)
To register, call: 415-663-1200 ext. 373
UPDATED 10/30/09: The planned prescribed burns for this fall have been cancelled due to the early rain; the combination of heat and damp can create damaging steam for seeds.
From the Point Reyes National Park Service:
Fire Management staff at Point Reyes National Seashore plan to burn 45 acres along Limantour Road and 130 acres along Highway One during 4 separate days over the next three weeks. One day of burning at Limantour is scheduled for the week of October 19, on either Wednesday or Thursday. Three days of burning along Highway One are scheduled for the weeks of October 26, and November 2, on Tuesday, Wednesday, and/or Thursday of those weeks. These burn dates may be delayed if conditions are too wet, dry or windy, or if the air will not provide good smoke dispersion. The burn locations are on the south side of Limantour Road, near Limantour Beach; and on the east side of Highway One, south of the Randall Trail. No trail closures will be necessary; however, there may be short traffic delays along Limantour Road and Highway One while burning is in progress.
The Limantour and Highway One projects are both part of a series of small burns along major road corridors designed to create strategic fuelbreaks in the park where a wildfire will be easier to control. Limantour Road and Highway One have increased potential for wildfire caused by vehicle-related ignitions. Fuel reduction along these roads will strengthen them as lines of defense to protect surrounding communities, as well as structures within the Seashore.
A 5 to 10 year burn rotation is targeted for the burn units in the Limantour fuelbreak to keep the coyote brush low and widely spaced where fire will move more slowly. The target burn rotation for the Highway One burn units is every other year to reduce the invasive French broom population and maintain open grasslands in between large areas of dense forest on Bolinas Ridge and Inverness Ridge.
So far this year, one snowy plover nest is being monitored. Enclosures of string and metal fencing along the Great Beach are reminders of where they are attempting to nest, please avoid these areas, look for the annual closures signs especially from Kehoe Beach South to North Beach.
Springtime is also the beginning of annual bat monitoring – a healthy 212 Townsend Big eared bats in the first Olema Valley counts.
Spotted owl nest counts in older growth woods are also positive this year!
The usual sign of spring at Bear Valley – the gopher hunting great blue heron appeared last week.
This week is also peak harbor seal season – Bolinas Lagoon and the Estero Trail are good spots to observe from a safe distance. Or the newly repaired film at Bear Valley Visitor Center has some great images of onshore antics of these marine mammals.
New photography show at Bear Valley Visitor Center is nature images by Kevin Shea going up this week!
These are highlights from the National Park Service Park Wavelengths newsletter.
Here are some highlights from the National Park Service Park Wavelengths newsletter:
Daffoldils in bloom across the old bulb farm near the Hostel. Visitors may pick 6 flowers per day for personal use.
Harbor seal pupping season begins Mar 1. Drakes Estero closes to boating and South Blue Gums Beach on Tomales Bay close from March 1st through June 30 to allow seals to come ashore and deliver their pups in peace.
Elephant seal numbers continue to drop as the season winds down.
Males have dropped their antlers for the year, and are feeding and resting now, they’ll start the annual process of growing antlers again in May to prepare for the late summer breeding season.
Here are some highlights from the National Park Service Park Wavelengths newsletter:
No word on salmon counts as of this writing. Once the sediment settles down after the rains, researchers hope to get out and look for fish along Olema Creek this week.
Northern Elephant seal populations in the park peaked at 1320 animals last week; numerous observations were made of breeding and wrestling in the colony this weekend.
New wildflowers blooming at Chimney Rock are Douglas Iris tiny violets and Chocolate Lilies. Marin County Open Space Rangers will be leading a walk from 10:00 pm to 2:00 am on February 19 to find early species; meet at the parking lot at Chimney Rock.
All park visitor centers will be open Monday, Presidents Holiday Weekend and if the weather is fair, Sir Francis Drake Highway will be closed at South Beach and shuttles operated.
Here are some highlights from the National Park Service Park Wavelengths newsletter:
“Dismal” counts on live coho salmon and redds (nests) in West Marin creeks. Everyone, please do your rain dances.
The first wildflowers are appearing early due to warm temperatures -pinkish white Milkmaids along Lucas Valley Road and around the visitor center. Daffodils in Point Reyes Station.
Whale watching has been excellent this year; weekend counts of 8 to 9 per hour with a daily total of 39 reported on Sunday from the Lighthouse.
The elephant seal colonies are full: pups being born, younger males wrestling at the Lifeboat Station (Chimney Rock).
All park visitor centers will be open Monday, January 19, Martin Luther King Holiday and shuttle busses will be operating if the weather is clear.
There’s a new photo exhibit at the Bear Valley Visitor Center this month, Nadine Heidacker, “Photos of Point Reyes”.
Here are some highlights from the National Park Service Park Wavelengths newsletter:
See the first coho salmon in the park. From the Five Brooks trailhead, walk down the road to the short trail to John West Fork creek for viewing.
During the December holiday bird count, there were three bald eagle sitings over Tomales Bay!
The road from Drakes Beach to the Lighthouse and Chimney Rock are closed and replaced by Shuttle service on weekends and holidays.
The first Northern Elephant Seal pup was born on December 19th, similar to last year’s timing. From the Chimney Rock Overlook, 70 animals could be seen from that point with more arriving each day. Large males have been seen cruising along the Drakes Bay beach blowing bubbles and flipping their heads up.
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.
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.
[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.]
Lovely! RT @jeffmtrost: Point Reyes National Seashore http://t.co/vWNgV26o 2012/02/01
Video Exploration of the Tule Elk Reserve at Point Reyes http://t.co/Bv9dG1py 2012/01/27
RT @connect2canada: Since 1911, @ParksCanada has preserved over 320,000 km2 in national parks & marine conservation areas, an area large ... 2012/01/27
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.
[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.]
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