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Bobcats are the favorite wildlife of Trish Carney, a San Raphael-based wildlife photographer who strives to capture the moments that convey an animal’s character and spirit. And she does it well, yet with a patience and care that means she let’s the animals come to her, if they want to.
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It’s safe to say that most Californians harbor a soft spot for sea otters. So two bleak reports this past month concerning the fate of the southern sea otter were met with much dismay. One group of scientists documented a fresh-water toxin that’s killing otters downstream, while another found a marked increase in otters killed by sharks.
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In an unusual reversal of most wildlife trends, the black bear population is at an all time high and occupies a greater range in California today than it did before the Gold Rush. At that time the state was home to both black bears and the California grizzly, which seemingly dominated every local ecological niche.
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Gulls don’t inspire the awe that a golden eagle or red-tailed hawk does. Or the affection we feel for hummingbirds. But the Bay Area’s dozen gull species are true survivors: Adaptable, voracious predators, they breed by the thousands in the South Bay and at the Farallones, and it takes some determined biologists to keep an eye on them.
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Every year for more than a quarter century, the Golden Gate Raptor Observatory has presided over fall hawk watch in the Marin Headlands, when thousands of raptors migrate by, and thousands of people gather to watch. This year, road construction has the hawk watchers shifting slightly, but still out in force.
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October 2010 is the second-annual Sharktoberfest–time to celebrate and learn about these critical predators of the Bay: sevengill cowsharks, leopard sharks, spiny dogfish, and more.
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Heading out before dawn to trap wild pigs is one of the more unpleasant responsibilities of open space management in the Bay Area. But across the East Bay and much of the Bay Area, these descendants of farm animals and introduced wild boars have proliferated and become a force whose impact on native plants and animals can’t be ignored. Wild turkeys, also brought in for hunting, aren’t far behind.
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Where suburban houses give way to grassy fields on the outskirts of Petaluma, a dedicated group of neighbors has spent ten years working to preserve habitat for the elusive American badger. Now, the efforts of the all-volunteer Paula Lane Action Network (PLAN) may pay off in a big way.
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The town of Martinez has learned to love its beavers, who’ve become famous and opened a whole community to the idea that downtown is even better with a bit of biodiversity.
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If the chef at your local cafe listed fresh triceratops or plesiosaur on the menu, it would surely get your attention as being out of place–and time. But sturgeon, whose flesh or eggs (caviar) might appear on that same menu, are equally ancient. Now, thanks to us, they face some of their biggest challenges ever.
