Heron and Egret Atlas

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The first-ever publication on trends, historical accounts, and locations of past and current Bay Area heron and egret breeding colonies, dating back to 1967, is nearing completion and will be available later this year. The authors, researchers from Audubon Canyon … Read more

The Deer Next Door

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It certainly seems that we’re seeing more deer all over our neighborhoods. But how can these large mammals make a living among all the cars and houses? Writer Bruce Morris took the time to observe the deer in his suburban Belmont backyard. What he learned may surprise you: These deer weren’t just “making do”; they were thriving. With surprisingly small home ranges, suburbanized deer are redefining our built landscapes to fit their needs—an orchard becomes a fawning zone, an abandoned garden a nursery, a wooded lot a feeding area.

By the Water’s Edge

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The East Bay is home to 44 creeks that drain into San Francisco Bay—from small but well-protected Wildcat Creek in the north to the 700 square miles of Alameda Creek’s watershed to the south.

Flyway Festival

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Heading farther east on Highway 37 toward Mare Island in Vallejo, birders and wetlands enthusiasts can come in for a landing at the Ninth Annual San Francisco Bay Flyway Festival from January 21 to 23. The free festival celebrates the … Read more

Notes from Underground

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It is often the smallest things that get overlooked, and life in the soil is probably the most neglected habitat of all. Tilling the soil or weeding the garden puts us in touch with a few members of the soil … Read more

Taking Refuge

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At this small, sandy National Wildlife Refuge on the industrial outskirts of Antioch, you’ll find great views of the San Joaquin River, and rare plants and insects that don’t exist anywhere else.

They Keep Coming Back

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In the early 1970s, when the Army Corps of Engineers built a weir across Alameda Creek to stabilize a railroad crossing and the new BART tracks, they also blocked steelhead from swimming to upstream spawning grounds. Given the numerous dams … Read more

Listing of the California Tiger Salamander

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With the rainy season upon us, California tiger salamanders will soon emerge from the depths of squirrel and gopher burrows in grasslands and oak savannas to breed in freshwater ponds. The reclusive amphibians will travel over a mile in search … Read more