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Artificial Reefs for Oysters

October 1, 2007 •  by

In our October-December 2004 issue, Bay Nature reported on efforts to restore once-thriving Bay populations of the West Coast oyster, Ostrea conchaphila, which were devastated by a complex mix of Gold Rush-era sedimentation, Bay fill, pollution, and over-harvesting. In the … Read more

Grunion

October 1, 2007 •  by

Most summers, cold northerly winds off the Pacific Coast drive warm surface waters away from the shoreline and churn up colder, nutrient-rich waters from below. But this year, for reasons scientists don’t understand, that wind lacked its usual punch, resulting … Read more

Finding the Stash

October 1, 2007 •  by

From the snowdrifts of Siberia to the labs of UC Davis, assistant research professor Vladimir Pravosudov has studied the food-caching behavior of various birds, including Russian birds that cache up to half a million items in one year. Born in … Read more

At Home with the Packrats

October 1, 2007 •  by

What’s that pile of sticks over there? It could be the home of a dusky-footed woodrat. If you could see inside, you’d find a tidy little home complete with bedrooms, a pantry, and even a few latrines!

Book Review: Birds of Napa County

October 1, 2007 •  by

Birds of Napa County, by Herman Heinzel, Heyday Books, 2006, 132 pages, $12.95 www.heydaybooks.com The common image of Napa County is a world of wine, fine cuisine, and row upon row of grapevines. But Herman Heinzel’s Birds of Napa County … Read more

Book Review: Califauna: A Literary Field Guide

October 1, 2007 •  by

Califauna: A Literary Field Guide, edited by Terry Beers and Emily Elrod, Heyday Books, 2007, 293 pages, $21.95 www.heydaybooks.com The bookworm interested in a true literary field guide to California wildlife need look no further than Califauna. Part anthology, part … Read more