Splendor in the Grass

April 1, 2009 •  by

In spring, it’s breeding time for bay pipefish, remarkable seahorse relatives that hide among the eelgrass in protected bays and estuaries along the West Coast.

Backyard Boarding House

April 1, 2009 •  by

Leafcutters, diggers, carpenters, and masons… At first glance that may look like a directory for building contractors. Add the miners, cuckoos, and sweats and what you have isn’t a list of tool-bag clad builders, but some of the 1,600 known species of native bees in California. Here’s how you can make them at home in your garden.

Elephant Seals and Climate Change

March 20, 2009 •  by

A new study suggests that warmer ocean temperatures brought on by climate change may permanently skew sex ratios of northern elephant seals, the huge seals that visit a few Bay Area locations to breed.

Breeding Time for Herons

March 12, 2009 •  by

Usually solitary birds, great blue herons and egrets abandon their private ways in spring, and you can see them nesting in tree tops around the region.

Falcon City

March 6, 2009 •  by

In early spring, downtown San Francisco’s office workers are treated to quite an air show outside their office windows: peregrine falcons!

On the Rocks, with a Pup

February 20, 2009 •  by

If you’re looking for northern elephant seals, there is no place better to visit than Ano Nuevo State Reserve, home to the world’s largest mainland breeding colony.

Gray Whale Migration

February 6, 2009 •  by

Now is the time to see gray whales migrating along the California coast and maybe even appearing inside the Bay.

Steelhead Spawning

January 30, 2009 •  by

Steelhead are coming to spawn in a stream near you. If you’re lucky, you may see some making their way upstream.

Native Species Put the Art in BART

January 29, 2009 •  by

On a typical walk through a BART station, it’s hard to ignore the advertisements covering the available wall space. But a few ads are most striking in their mystery: A Steller’s jay? A black-tailed deer? Both with nothing but a subtle BART train in the background. No message. No sell. What are these all about?