You Mon Tsang March 24th, 2010
The latest from the National Park Service:
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.
You Mon Tsang March 10th, 2010
Here’s the latest happenings inside the Park:
Where are the Whales? Speculation continues that whales stayed feeding longer in the Arctic seas and delayed the annual migration south – delaying the return north. Sightings at the lighthouse continue to be sparse; high spring winds also contribute to limited opportunities to view whales.
Wildflowers blooming, plenty of fragrant creamy yellow wallflowers along the Lighthouse; daffodils at the old Glen Ranch/Hostel area. Brilliant Douglas iris are appearing in patches along Sir Francis Drake Highway. Other signs of spring, male deer sprouting velvet covered antlers.
Mark your calendars, on Thursday, March 11 at noon – park intern from the Republic of Soviet Georgia sister park Kolkheti National Park will present a show on this beautiful sea coast area. Free and open to the public.
Lovely new watercolors of park landscapes by Ayris Hatton are on display at the Bear Valley Visitor center through March and April.
Photo courtesy of Jun Belen
You Mon Tsang March 18th, 2009
This photo was taken by long-time friend of Point Reyes, Terrie of permie.net. She said that these wildflowers were “along the trail at Point Reyes Bird Observatory’s Palomarin field station. Nice little trail there. “
You Mon Tsang June 6th, 2007
Twice already this year, we have taken trips to Audubon Canyon Ranch. In the mix were boys between the ages of 6 and 8. During the spring and summer seasons, the highlight is watching the snowy egrets and great blue herons nest high up in the trees.
Photo by Michael Harrold
The birds are a beautiful sight: impossibly white against the lush green. They swoop from their nests every so often and it is a wonder that these gangly creatures can fly.
Later in the season (July if I remember from last year), the chicks also attempt to take flight.
The preserve is well run, with well-marked paths, places to picnic, lots of friendly and knowledgeable volunteer docents, and several well-equipped lookouts.
Photo by Michael Harrold
Photo by Michael Fitzhugh
The boys really enjoyed the ponds, where they can take nets and fish newts, tadpoles and bugs out of the pond water into buckets where they can take a closer look. The hunter instinct is strong in boys; they could have stayed at the ponds for hours.
Photo by Michael Harrold
Photo by Michael Harrold
For those interested in birds, a nice quiet hike or have some kids to distract, this is a recommended stop in West Marin.
Map of Location | Web Site for Audubon Canyon Ranch
Notes:
Good for Kids
Birding
Hiking
Hands-On
No Fee, but Donation Request
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