California deer infected with non-native lice
California deer are suffering from an infestation of non-native lice that’s causing baldness and other health problems.
Wildlife
It’s rattlesnake season – beware!
Summer is upon us, and the rattlers are out. Or rather, you are. Which makes you much more vulnerable to running into one.
Lake Merced Birds: A Lone Wrentit
Every so often I see a note from a local birder or amateur botanist that reminds me that there’s a whole world of animal and plant movement under our noses...
The Bay Area mothers around you
Happy Mother's Day. Perhaps we can learn a thing or two from the mothers around you.
Who builds those stick houses, anyway? Woodrats!
Stewart Gilbert of San Rafael writes to ask: “Who makes these homes built out of sticks? They’re very common at China Camp. From a wood rat of some sort? The...
Butterflies in bloom
Have you ever seen a butterfly emerge from its pupa? Now's your chance.
Intermissions
Rick Lewis evokes the phrase, “beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” Where other people see industry and ugliness, he finds the bright and the beautiful. Where other people...
Bald eagles have returned to nest at Anthony Chabot
Bald eagles have returned to nest for a second year in a restricted section of the park.
What’s a tiger swallowtail doing in downtown San Francisco?
This riparian butterfly species finds suitable habitat in the tall buildings and wide spaces of Market Street. Advocates aim to keep them there.
Surge of pine siskins means dead birds, but also new neighbors
We've been hearing a lot about dead pine siskins all over the country. Turns out it's natural, and it might mean more siskins in more places for a while.
