Elephant Seals at Point Reyes: One-Minute Video
You Mon Tsang August 4th, 2008
The folks at OpenRoad.tv do a compelling, peaceful one-minute video of the elephant seals at Point Reyes.
via blip.tv
Archive for the 'Wildlife' Category
Audubon Canyon Ranch Is Open For Egrets and Huron Watching
You Mon Tsang March 14th, 2008
As readers of this blog know, I enjoy visiting Audubon Canyon Ranch (see previous post).
Well, the ranch is open for visitors until mid-summer.
Here’s what they say:
Bring a picnic and hike the 8 miles of trails.
Donations appreciated.
Open weekends and holidays: 10 am - 4 pm
Tuesday through Friday by appointment only
Here’s the ranch on the map. Go and enjoy an afternoon.
January in Point Reyes… what to do?
You Mon Tsang January 19th, 2008
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.
Photo taken by flauto
- Elephant Seals , Salmon , Whales , Wildlife , Winter
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Cosco Busan Oil Spill Information
You Mon Tsang November 10th, 2007
UPDATE: Nov 13, 2007, 5pm: In a email newsletter, the Audobon Canyon Ranch, which is located right on the Bolinas Lagoon, notes: ”despite news reports and our worst fears, indications to-date are that very little oil has reached the Bolinas Lagoon, and the threat to the Lagoon is abating.”
UPDATE: Nov 12, 2007, 9pm: The MarinIJ reports that most of the Point Reyes Peninsula was spared oil as winds and tides start to blow the oil back south. This means the beaches closer to the headlands may be resoiled. I spent a few hours on at North Beach today and all was normal (and beautiful) there.
UPDATE: Nov 11, 2007, 9pm: Reports that oiled bird have been spotted as far north as Drakes Beach. RCA Beach and Palomarin Beach (both in the southern tip of the Point Reyes Peninsula) have been closed to the public as a precaution.
UPDATE: Nov 11, 2007, 1am: An inspirational story in the San Francisco Chronicle: On their own: In Bolinas, residents struggle to keep fragile lagoon safe. A quick excerpt:
The residents of Stinson Beach and Bolinas banded together Saturday with volunteer firefighters, local fishermen and county workers in a last-ditch attempt to protect the lagoon from oil contamination. There were no experts on oil booms, contractors, state or federal disaster relief workers…. It was the third day in a row the locals were left to their own devices, even as oil washed ashore on Stinson Beach, leaving speckles of tar in the sand.
UPDATE: Nov 10, 2007, 10am: The rangers at Point Reyes tell me that the spill have not reached the beaches yet, although they do expect it to happen. The booms to collect the oil are being put out at Drakes Bay to try to stop the oil before it reaches the shores.
The oil spill from the Cosco Busan container ship has affected the southern part of West Marin (esp the Headlands), but there have been reports of oil as far north as Stinson Beach and Bolinas Lagoon. The early focus has been cleanup and rescue of birds. The advice from bird experts regarding lay people trying to rescue birds have been mixed. The good folks at PRBO say: “Please do not collect oiled wildlife, the oil is toxic to handle. Collecting live birds without training can cause more harm than help and compromise their condition. Oiled LIVE mammals should be reported to the Marine Mammal Center at 415.464-5170. Oiled dead mammals should be reported to the California Academy of Science at 415.289.7325.”Volunteers have been referred to International Bird Rescue Research Center, where they do have some instructions for helping birds. Read up and use your best judgement if you encounter oiled birds in need.In the meantime, the Marin Independent Journal and the San Francisco Chronicle have good coverage of the spill. The Chronicle has put together this helpful map of the spill area.
View Larger Map
These photos are from the MarinIJ.
Tule Elk Rutting Season
You Mon Tsang September 27th, 2007
Every season, there is something unqiue to do at Point Reyes. In the early fall, it is the tule elk rutting (mating) season.
The rutting, best seen along Pierce Point Road and out on Tomales Point, can be a terrific sight as males bugle (a high-pitched cry from the males) and battle each other to form their “harems.”
I’ve seen the dominant male with two dozen females close around him, while other males guard their sad, female-less patches of land from afar.
As of late Sept, the Park HQ says that the rutting season should last until late October and that the elk are most active in the late afternoon.
Bring a pair of binoculars!
Here are some great resources on tule elk elsewhere on the Web…
- Start with this terrific KQED production on the elk. Click for a full-screen view…
- Good overview of the Tule Elk
- A chronicle of a recent visit to Tomales Point (with nice photos)
- Good video of Elk in action (I’m pretty sure, though not certain) this was filmed at Point Reyes). Contains barely audible, but slightly salty commentary.
- Map of Tomales Point
Lovely Trip to Audubon Canyon Ranch
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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