A new study suggests that warmer ocean temperatures brought on by climate change may permanently skew sex ratios of northern elephant seals, the huge seals that visit a few Bay Area locations to breed.
Breeding Time for Herons
Usually solitary birds, great blue herons and egrets abandon their private ways in spring, and you can see them nesting in tree tops around the region.
Falcon City
In early spring, downtown San Francisco’s office workers are treated to quite an air show outside their office windows: peregrine falcons!
On the Rocks, with a Pup
If you’re looking for northern elephant seals, there is no place better to visit than Ano Nuevo State Reserve, home to the world’s largest mainland breeding colony.
Gray Whale Migration
Now is the time to see gray whales migrating along the California coast and maybe even appearing inside the Bay.
Steelhead Spawning
Steelhead are coming to spawn in a stream near you. If you’re lucky, you may see some making their way upstream.
Native Species Put the Art in BART
On a typical walk through a BART station, it’s hard to ignore the advertisements covering the available wall space. But a few ads are most striking in their mystery: A Steller’s jay? A black-tailed deer? Both with nothing but a subtle BART train in the background. No message. No sell. What are these all about?
Brown Pelicans, Victims of Extreme Weather
Recently, people have been finding debilitated, or even dead, brown pelicans up and down the West Coast. Initially baffled, scientists now believe the birds’ expanding range clashed with an unusually severe winter storm in December 2008.
Altamont Power Struggle
Cost-effective and quick to install, wind turbines seem to be a leader in the race to develop clean, renewable energy sources. But at the Altamont Pass Wind Resource Area east of Livermore, the country’s largest and oldest wind farm site … Read more
Naturalist’s Notebook: Arachnophilia
Take a closer look at a few of our quirkier local spiders.