The Bay Area is home to a surprising variety of butterflies, moths, and skippers; local artist and avid lepidopterist Liam O’Brien gets outside with his field journal whenever he can, to record them with his unusual mixture of drawing, painting, collage, and writing. A beautiful sunny day out in the oak savanna of Mount Diablo brought two rare species into view, and onto the pages of Liam’s notebook.
Wildlife
Spring Issue 2005
Heron and Egret Atlas
The first-ever publication on trends, historical accounts, and locations of past and current Bay Area heron and egret breeding colonies, dating back to 1967, is nearing completion and will be available later this year. The authors, researchers from Audubon Canyon … Read more
Spring Issue 2005
The Deer Next Door
It certainly seems that we’re seeing more deer all over our neighborhoods. But how can these large mammals make a living among all the cars and houses? Writer Bruce Morris took the time to observe the deer in his suburban Belmont backyard. What he learned may surprise you: These deer weren’t just “making do”; they were thriving. With surprisingly small home ranges, suburbanized deer are redefining our built landscapes to fit their needs—an orchard becomes a fawning zone, an abandoned garden a nursery, a wooded lot a feeding area.
Wildlife
Peaceful Coexistence with Deer
The first time I began to pay closer attention to the small band of Columbian blacktail deer that coexist—more or less peacefully—with my neighborhood’s human residents was during the summer of 1997 while working outside on my house in Belmont … Read more
Wildlife
Bay Area Butterfly Resources
The Bay Area is home to almost 150 species of butterflies, skippers, and moths—and to quite a few butterfly lovers as well. If you number yourself among that group, spring is high season. Here’s a sampling of local butterfly events: … Read more
Winter Issue 2005
By the Water’s Edge
The East Bay is home to 44 creeks that drain into San Francisco Bay—from small but well-protected Wildcat Creek in the north to the 700 square miles of Alameda Creek’s watershed to the south.
Winter Issue 2005
Flyway Festival
Heading farther east on Highway 37 toward Mare Island in Vallejo, birders and wetlands enthusiasts can come in for a landing at the Ninth Annual San Francisco Bay Flyway Festival from January 21 to 23. The free festival celebrates the … Read more
Winter Issue 2005
Night of the Salamander
On winter’s wettest night, you just might see a California tiger salamander on its trek from grassland to wetland.
Winter Issue 2005
Notes from Underground
It is often the smallest things that get overlooked, and life in the soil is probably the most neglected habitat of all. Tilling the soil or weeding the garden puts us in touch with a few members of the soil … Read more
Winter Issue 2005
Taking Refuge
At this small, sandy National Wildlife Refuge on the industrial outskirts of Antioch, you’ll find great views of the San Joaquin River, and rare plants and insects that don’t exist anywhere else.
