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 colder. We all know what’s coming: the rainy season. Termites and spiders know it too, and they’re getting busy.
Wildlife
Fall Issue 2006
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.
Fall Issue 2006
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 sharks that might wander into the Bay looking for harbor … Read more
Fall Issue 2006
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 interest in nature, and in particular birds, by giving me … Read more
Fall Issue 2006
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. Begun in 1900, the Christmas Bird Count takes place between … Read more
Summer Issue 2005
Don’t Call Them Bugs
Edward Ross has visited every continent except Antarctica in pursuit of his passion for studying, collecting, dissecting, classifying, naming, photographing, and deeply appreciating insects. In between his globe-trotting adventures, the 89-year old curator emeritus of entomology at the California Academy … Read more
Summer Issue 2005
Proposed Development Near Livermore
The city of Livermore might be most famous for its national laboratory, but native plant enthusiasts and biodiversity advocates will tell you that the area should be just as well known for its many “botanical hot spots.” On the north … Read more
Summer Issue 2005
Tagging Marine Animals
The tools scientists use to study pelagic marine life have come a long way. Now, with the use of advanced computing technologies, scientists are pondering the relationships hidden in data beamed by the animals themselves from electronic sensors and satellite … Read more
Summer Issue 2005
From an Entomologist’s Backyard
The sticky monkey flower, common on sunny Bay Area hillsides, hosts an array of insect visitors. Edward Ross’s intimate photos of these visits are but a small sample of the thousands he’s taken over six decades of studying insects near and far.
The Bay, Wildlife
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 good tidepooling destinations along California’s more than 1,000 miles of … Read more
