Counting Gulls, with Protective Gear

July 1, 2009 •  by

Clad in bike helmets and ratty clothes, staff and volunteers with the San Francisco Bird Observatory brave the South Bay’s raucous seagull nesting colonies, where the explosion of breeding gulls threatens to push aside less aggressive species.

Exotic Jellies in the Bay

July 1, 2009 •  by

On a hot July afternoon last year, UC Davis graduate students Alpa Wintzer and Mariah Meek dipped glass jars and nets into Suisun Slough at Suisun City’s public dock in Solano County. They were capturing small gelatinous creatures that look and act like jellyfish. These jelly look-alikes seemed to be everywhere and are beautiful to watch. But they’re also a problem…

Least Tern Return

May 20, 2009 •  by

Every spring California least terns return to the Bay Area to breed. These endangered birds, and other terns, have a remarkable hunting style: Drop quickly, and crash head-first into the water. Don’t try that at home!

A Refuge in the Harbor

April 1, 2009 •  by

Within view of Richmond, Brooks Island today is a haven for nesting terns. That’s just its latest incarnation. A short paddle across the harbor to this island refuge takes you back centuries and “away from it all.”

Protecting Plovers

April 1, 2009 •  by

On a gray September day, I walked north on Ocean Beach from Sloat Boulevard to the Cliff House. It was far from an idyllic walk on that black-sand beach. I saw several dead seagulls, one being eaten by a crow. … Read more

Hayward Haven

April 1, 2009 •  by

At Hayward Regional Shoreline, East Bay Regional Park District staff and volunteers have created new nesting habitat for the endangered California least tern. Here’s the recipe…

A Helping Hand for the Hairstreak

April 1, 2009 •  by

It has been said that the movement of a butterfly’s wings can change the course of world events. Some San Francisco neighbors hope that will be true for the green hairstreak…