Exploring Nature in the San Francisco Bay Area
Birds are singing. Children are laughing and playing in patches of sunlight. And I am strolling through large fields of grass here at Berkeley’s San Pablo Park, aiming my camera at flocks of finches, sparrows — anything with wings — looking for flashes of sapphire blue. “Are you here for the bluebirds?” asks a friendly…
You’ve probably heard about Northern California’s bumper crop of salmon this year. Fishermen are going nuts, hauling in their catch before noon. And it may seem like great news for the survival of this struggling species. But hold down your enthusiasm. About 90 percent of those fish are from state hatcheries, which means they are…
On Sunday, La Loma Path was added to the network of approximately 140 walkways that meander between houses and streets in the Berkeley hills. The network of green passageways make a perfect outing when there’s no time to head to Tilden or Wildcat Canyon. The bramble of unruly plants are refreshingly wild compared to the…
Rodeo Lagoon in the Marin Headlands is the place to go right now to watch a rare migratory shorebird that enacts a fascinating swap in gender roles. In late July into the first half of August, red-necked phalaropes descend on the eastern end of the lagoon to tank up on tiny crustaceans and insects. The 8-inch…
If you went to the farmer’s market this weekend, as I did, you probably saw the summer bounty in full swing. Lots of peppers and melons, peaches and zucchini. And of course, tomatoes piled in heaps. The rest of the country doesn’t seem to be faring quite as well under the worst drought in 50…
The California clapper rail may not be the most distinguished of birds, at least on appearance. Except for the flash of bright orange in its beak, this saltmarsh critter-eater is a mottled gray-brown, about the size of a chicken. But what it lacks in pizzazz, it seems to make up for in personality. Clappers, as…
Independent, nonprofit environmental journalism connecting people with nature in the San Francisco Bay Area.
