Wonderful time to be outside; here’s the latest from the National Park Service on Point Reyes:
The treasure of the day being turned into Bear Valley Visitor center is shed snake skins, mostly from gopher snakes. Unlike other critters, snakes shed their whole skin in one continuous piece; it helps remove bacteria and parasites. They are temporarily blind and vulnerable afterwards; rattlesnakes get a new rattle piece each time they shed.
The Northern Spotted Owl nesting season is wrapping up; 30 nesting sites were monitored this year; the majority of sites were occupied by adults but only ten of the nest successfully fledged young owls. The late rainy season may have influenced the numbers; one nest may have failed due to interactions with a male barred owl.
Tule elk breeding season ‘the rut’ is warming up! Volunteer docents are at the elk range on weekends with spotting scopes to help find elk and identify behaviors. Early morning visitors may be rewarded with the bugling sound of males through the fog. Coyotes have been ‘singing’ behind Kule Loklo in the mornings recently.
The 30th Annual Big Time Festival will be held Saturday, July 17 at Kule Loklo, the Coast Miwok Exhibit near Bear Valley Visitor Center. Traditional dancers, vendors and a great day in the sun! No dogs or alcohol permitted.
The July 4th weekend is a great time to come to the Point Reyes area. The Point Reyes weather is generally more comfortable than the rest of the Bay Area. The food in the area is fresh as the local farms are producing their bounty. And, if you are interested, there are many local events that give you a flavor of the different towns in the area.
Bolinas-Stinson Beach Tug-of-War: Every Fourth of July, the towns of Stinson and Bolinas have a tug of war over the channel that separates the two towns.
Open Studios is here again. Combine a trip to the beach with a visit to one of the many local studios in the area. Some information from the official web site.
Point Reyes Open Studios (PROS) invites art lovers from around the Bay Area to tour the studios of nineteen West Marin artists Memorial Day weekend, May 29, 30 and 31. Artists will be showing their work in their studios and homes from Saturday through Monday, 11 AM to 5 PM each day. …
Visitors will be able to meet the artists and see new original work, as well as explore the studios and workshops in which the art is created. Several artists plan demonstrations of their complex craft techniques, and at least one studio will allow visitors to pull their own keepsake prints. …
Visitors can pick up a free brochure/map at Toby’s Feed Barn, The Station House Cafe and many other local shops and inns. The tour’s street signs make artists’ studios easy to find.
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.
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.
The annual seal protection measures begin on Monday, March 1st as harbor seal pupping begins. Drakes Estero closes to boating as does South Blue Gums Beach on Tomales Bay. Harbor seals, silvery in color and much smaller than elephant seals, will begin returning to the protected coves along Drakes Estero and in Tomales Bay to deliver and nurse pups. The parents may leave the pup ashore for short periods of time while they catch a meal in the water – be sure to give all seals on land a wide berth to allow them to rest during this critical periods of their life cycle.
Elephant seals continue to depart the Headlands with plenty of activity between males after the females and pups turning up on Limantour Beach and Drakes Beach. Many of the young seals are molting and their paler old coat will appear torn up. This raggedy appearance is normal and they are conserving energy by lying on the beach as their new fur grows.
High surf has been pounding the beaches, they appear much smaller in winter as sand is carried to offshore bars. Safety first, do no turn your back on the waves and walk halfway up the beach, not near the water.
A pair of coyotes were spotted at South Beach approaching the small colony of elephant seals below the Lighthouse cliffs; perhaps to scavenge some dead pups. As the population of coyotes increases in West Marin, they have been taking advantage of seal pups on the beaches as an easy meal. These two were deflected by the size of the male seals in the area and decided to dine elsewhere. The seal colonies are flourishing with some loss of pups due to the high surf.
Lovely weather last Saturday reassured us that gray whales are passing, over 20 were seen under the clear skies at the point; the highest count for any day this season. They return in a month or so, More sightings are likely in March with February being the lull in sightings.
Marin County Open Space rangers will be leading a walk at Abbots Lagoon on Sunday, January 31 from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm; lot’s of resting birds and a possibility to see the freshwater otters who have a den there.
This weekend is the fifth annual ‘Fungus Fair’ with walks beginning at 10:00 am on Saturday, January 30 at the Bear Valley Visitor Center; Sunday, January 31 a display of fungi may be viewed at the Visitor Center.
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
As winter arrives, we’ll be seeing the Northern elephant seals (lounging in certain areas) and Pacific gray whales (migrating past the peninsula) return to the Point Reyes area. This wildlife also brings lots of visitors and the return of the shuttle bus system that takes folks out to Chimney Rock and the Lighthouse. The shuttle system will begin Saturday, December 26, 2009 and run through mid-April 2010. More from the Park Service.
Limited parking is available at prime viewing areas such as the Historic Lighthouse and Chimney Rock headlands. Bus service eases congestion in these areas and reduces green house gas emissions. The shuttle transportation system was identified in the Headlands Management Plan as an important tool to protect the fragile headlands but also allow access for visitors.
Bus service runs only on weekends and holidays in good weather. Ticket sales open at 9:00 a.m. at the Ken Patrick Visitor Center at Drakes Beach and close at 3:00 p.m. Children 16 and under are free, adult tickets are $5.00 per person and Federal Senior and Access pass discounts apply to the purchase. Sir Francis Drake Highway is closed at the South Beach junction when the busses are operating. Road closures begin at 9:00 a.m. and the road reopens approximately at 5:15 p.m. For more information, please call the Bear Valley Visitor Center at (415) 464-5100 x2 x5 or visit our Winter Shuttle Bus System page.
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
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