The West Coast’s Living Sand Dollars
There’s a lot more to the western sand dollar (Dendraster excentricus) than meets the eye. Most people who spend any time at the beach are familiar with the sand dollar’s...
Wildlife
Duck! It’s Time for Winter Waterfowl
San Francisco Bay and its surrounding wetlands become a mallard mecca every winter. Mallards come by the thousands to spend the relatively balmy fall and winter months here while their...
Video: Comeback of the Coho Salmon in Central California
Since their listing as endangered in 1997, wild coho salmon have begun a slow but steady comeback to their native Central California streams.
Bay Area Migrations
Thanks to our mild climate and productive ecosystems, many species of animals (including people) migrate to and through the Bay Area. Winter is a great time to learn about some...
Lead Poisoning in California Condors
When California condor number 307 saw biologists capturing other condors at Pinnacles National Monument last summer, she apparently spooked and flew northeast to San Luis Reservoir. By the time she...
Birding Blind
When I was growing up in Tiburon, my grandparents lived only a couple miles away and were a big part of my childhood. It was my grandfather who ignited my...
Christmas Bird Count
Rain or shine, Bay Area birders participate in their own Christmas tradition when they grab a pair of binoculars and head out for the annual Bay Area Christmas Bird Count....
Delisting of the Brown Pelican
While you’re heading to the polls this November, California brown pelicans will be returning to breeding grounds that range from the Channel Islands south to Mexico. From May to September,...
Falling for Spiders and Termites
Things begin rumbling about now. Storm clouds pile up along the outer Coast Ranges, the winds shift and come out of the south, days get shorter, and the air gets...
The Golden-Crowned Sparrow’s Winter Song Returns to the Bay Area
Listen for the winter song of the golden-crowned sparrow, which arrives following a spectacular migration every fall.
