The Napa Valley, and a History of Water and Wine
The Napa Valley was once a place of enormous natural bounty, fed by a vibrant, healthy river teeming with salmon and steelhead. Today, the valley is more famous for its...
Wildlife
What were those fins off Ocean Beach?
Q: Off San Francisco’s Ocean Beach, I saw dorsal fins beyond the surfers. After 20 minutes, I saw two bearers of fins breaching the water. What were they? [Claire, San...
Birding Blind
When I was growing up in Tiburon, my grandparents lived only a couple miles away and were a big part of my childhood. It was my grandfather who ignited my...
Christmas Bird Count
Rain or shine, Bay Area birders participate in their own Christmas tradition when they grab a pair of binoculars and head out for the annual Bay Area Christmas Bird Count....
Delisting of the Brown Pelican
While you’re heading to the polls this November, California brown pelicans will be returning to breeding grounds that range from the Channel Islands south to Mexico. From May to September,...
Falling for Spiders and Termites
Things begin rumbling about now. Storm clouds pile up along the outer Coast Ranges, the winds shift and come out of the south, days get shorter, and the air gets...
The Golden-Crowned Sparrow’s Winter Song Returns to the Bay Area
Listen for the winter song of the golden-crowned sparrow, which arrives following a spectacular migration every fall.
What is the largest species of fish you could find in San Francisco Bay?
Q: What is the largest species of fish you could find in San Francisco Bay? A: Let’s limit ourselves to the true bony fish, which leaves out any great white...
A Guide to Northern California Tidepooling
This story was updated on March 1, 2017. Fitzgerald Marine Reserve is home to some of the most diverse and accessible tidepools in the state, but there are many other...
Ano Nuevo and Farallones Seabird Nesting Update
As we reported in our July-September 2006 feature The Ups and Downs of Coastal Upwelling, last year’s delayed coastal upwelling event proved catastrophic to animals that depend on this annual...
