Common Raven (Corvus corax)
Procreate
Brushes: 4H Pencil, Rough Graphite Shader, and Kneaded Eraser
10 hours, and 20,015 total strokes
Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus)
Procreate
For many years, a large Great Horned Owl lived in the eucalyptus tree in the empty field across the street from the house where I grew up. Although I often played in that field, and even climbed that tree, I didn’t see the owl very often, although there were a number of occasions where I did, including at least two times on Halloween. On this particular Halloween (1971 or 72), I was trick-or-treating with some neighborhood children when the owl flew down right in front of us, and landed in the middle of the Holzer’s front yard. How could I forget an event like that! One of my earliest “birding” experiences, and one which definitely made an impact on my young psyche, probably predisposing me to my current fascination with birds.
2026 Species Accounts: Birds
Red-winged Blackbird
Agelaius phoeniceus
- 9/26: Point Reyes, CA. During a brief late afternoon visit, several of these birds were active near the Olema Marsh Trailhead.
Snowy Plover
Anarhynchus nivosus
9/26: Abbott’s Lagoon, Point Reyes National Seashore, CA. We saw several of these adorable, tiny birds going about their business on the sand between the lagoon and the larger sand dune when we first arrived at the beach. They weren’t particularly shy – quite a few people were watching and photographing them. I also saw Semipalmated Plover and Least Sandpipers in the area. A couple of hours later, on our return to the trailhead, they had moved closer to the lagoon.
Mallard
Anas platyrhynchos
- 2/10: Kentfield, CA. Seen during walking field trip along Corte Madera Creek.
- 5/12: Kentfield, CA.
- 9/26: Point Reyes, CA. A few of these birds were heard and seen at the Olema Marsh trailhead during a very brief later afternoon stop.
California Scrub-Jay
Aphelocoma californica
- 2/18: Kentfield, CA.
- 6/18: Novato, CA. These birds are in the backyard every day. I’ve been putting out peanuts for them, but they also visit the suet feeder. They’re a lot of fun to watch.
- 6/30: Novato, CA. Spotted on the wildlife camera.
- 7/1; Novato, CA. Backyard
- 7/4: Novato, CA. Witnessed some really interesting behavior before, for the second time (sort of). A couple of weeks ago, I’d noticed a scrub-jay sitting on the back of one of our Black-tailed Deer. Again today, I noticed a deer on the hill next to the fence, and once again, a scrub-jay was perched on it’s back.Then I noticed that the jay was grooming the deer – picking things (presumably insects and ticks) from its fur. Classic symbiotic behavior, but I’ve never heard mention of this relationship between our deer and jay. SO COOL!
- 7/6: Novato, CA. Backyard.
- 7/21: Sky Oaks, CA.
- 9/26: Abbott’s Lagoon, Point Reyes National Seashore, CA. Saw just one of these birds during our day at this site.
- 10/1: Indian Valley campus, Novato, CA.
Great Egret
Ardea alba
- 5/29: Newport, OR. Seen during a late afternoon walk around the bay from the Hatfield Marine Lab to the aquarium.
- 9/26: Abbott’s Lagoon, Point Reyes National Seashore, CA. Saw a number of these birds throughout the day, foraging in the freshwater lagoon and near the bridge that separates the upland habitat from the beach. Saw a couple of successful hunting attempts – in both cases, fish, I think.
- 10/1: Indian Valley campus, Novato, CA.
Great Blue Heron
Ardea herodias
- 5/29: Newport, OR. Seen on the mudflat during a late afternoon walk from the Hatfield Marine Lab to the aquarium.
- 5/31: Newport, OR. This gorgeous bird spent a good chunk of the day perched in a tree just behind the Hatfield Marine Lab dorms where we were staying.
- 9/15: College of Marin. We were out along Corte Madera Creek after dark during an activity with my General Ecology course, when we noticed this bird hunting in the creek. I wasn’t aware that these birds would be active at night, but apparently they have a high rod count in their eyes, making them capable of hunting after dark, usually in shallow water during a bright moon and low tides.
- 9/16: Corte Madera Creek. While on a walking field trip with the Intro Biology lab, we saw this bird perched over the little oxbow that runs behind COM’s Ecological Study Area.
- 9/26: Abbott’s Lagoon, Point Reyes National Seashore, CA. Saw several of these birds during our hike, mostly near the freshwater lagoon and footbridge between the inland habitat and the brackish lagoon. One of them seemed to spend most of the day just beneath the bridge, giving us some great views.
- 10/1: Indian Valley campus, Novato, CA.
Oak Titmouse
Baeolophus inornatus
- 6/18: Novato, CA. This was the first bird that I saw come to the feeders I put up in the backyard.
- 6/20: Novato, CA. These are probably the most reliable birds that come to the yard – I see them every day. Not in large numbers (usually just one or two at a time), but they stop by frequently throughout the day.
- 6/30: Novato, CA. Backyard.
- 7/10: Novato, CA. Backyard.
- 7/4: Novato, CA. Backyard.
- 9/26: Novato, CA. Backyard.
- 10/1: Indian Valley campus, Novato, CA.
- 10/1: Novato, CA. Backyard.
Marbled Murrelet
Brachyramphus marmoratus
- 5/31: Agate Beach, Newport, OR. This was one of a huge number of birds we saw on and near Colony Rock below the lighthouse. This one was floating on the water. I didn’t get a great look, but the markings are consistent with this species.
Canada Goose
Branta canadensis
- 5/12: Kentfield, CA. These were seen on Corte Madera Creek during a walking field trip with my Introduction to Biology lab course.
- 9/17: Corte Madera Creek. Saw several of these birds near the recent restoration, just south of the Stadium Way Bridge.
- 9/26: Abbott’s Lagoon, Point Reyes National Seashore, CA. A small flock (4 or 5 birds) flew overhead while we were on the beach.
Red-tailed Hawk
Buteo jamaicensis
- 4/19: Sonoma County, CA. Seen soaring overhead at the Fairfield Osborn Preserve.
- 5/8: Ellis Creek, Petaluma, CA.
- 9/26: Abbott’s Lagoon, Point Reyes National Seashore, CA. Saw a few red-taileds on this day. My first of the day was a very dark morph bird being harassed by a White-tailed Kite. Later, we saw one kiting over the upland habitat. Not sure I’ve seen this behavior before from a red-tailed, but we were able to watch it kiting for few minutes, and it was definitely a red-tailed. 🙂
Red-shouldered Hawk
Buteo lineatus
- 5/8: Ellis Creek, Petaluma, CA. Seen while on a field trip with some College of Marin students. While this is the commonest hawk I see in our local area, I don’t manage to get photos of them very often. This bird was perched for quite a while in one of the trees near the swallow boxes, so we were able to get a nice look.
- Note: This is a bird that I regularly see and hear when I’m out and about, but I don’t usually stop to make a formal record. This is the most commonly seen hawk in my area.
Sanderling
Calidris alba
- 9/26: Abbott’s Lagoon, Point Reyes National Seashore, CA. Near the end of our day, two of my students and I were spending some time looking at some gulls and shorebirds in the brackish lagoon when a smallish flock (~20) of Sanderlings flew down to forage on a sandbar.
Dunlin
Calidris alpina
- 9/26: Abbott’s Lagoon, Point Reyes National Seashore, CA. While trying to sort out a mixed flock of gulls and other assorted shorebirds, we spotted a couple of Dunlin foraging in the shallow water in the brackish lagoon. This was a nice surprise – I don’t see them very often.
Least Sandpiper
Calidris minutilla
- 9/26: Abbott’s Lagoon, Point Reyes National Seashore, CA. We saw several of these birds throughout the day. Our first were hanging out near the Snowy Plover on the beach. Later, we saw a few more near the brackish lagoon, and had a very nice view of two birds which were spotted from the footbridge.
California Quail
Callipepla californica
- 3/31: Novato, CA. While on a house-hunting tour, as we drove up the hill into this neighborhood, there were about 2 dozen quail along the side of the road. This struck me as a very good sign – I could live here. 🙂
- 6/23: Novato, CA. We ended up purchasing the home mentioned in the previous entry, and these birds are regularly seen in the yard. It always makes me so happy to see them, and I especially love seeing chicks. The ones today were fairly big – pretty close to being full-sized. They’re so fun to watch – they “scrape, scrape” at the ground (usually twice, one foot at a time), and then peck at whatever they’ve uncovered.
- 7/1: Novato, CA. I don’t think there’s been even one day when I didn’t see quail in the yard, but I’m only listing the times when I manage to get some photos. One pattern I’ve noticed is that during the day, they come through in what seem to be single family groups: a male, a female, and perhaps some chicks. But in late afternoon, multiple family groups flock together, and it’s not unusual for me to have two dozen or more birds in the yard at the same time, presumably getting one last good forage before going to wherever they spend the night.
- 7/6: Novato, CA.
- 7/12: Today, a family of quail showed up with some REALLY TINY ADORABLE babies! OMG they are so small and precious. I shouted frantically for Cassie to come and see them while they were in the yard. I assumed that this was probably a second clutch of the season for these parents, but in speaking with Diane Humple (at Point Blue), she said that it’s not at all unusual for quail to breed late in the season. So, these could be just the first babies of the year for this pair. They’re so cute I kind of feel like crying.
- 7/13: I thought the birds from yesterday were tiny, but today another family stopped by with EVEN YOUNGER babies!
- 7/21: Novato, CA. More babies!
- 9/26: Abbott’s Lagoon, Point Reyes National Seashore, CA. Almost the last birds of the day, as we were almost to the parking lot after our entire day at the lagoon, we heard a quail call, and then a couple of them popped up out of the bushes! Even though we’re nearly through September, this family still has relatively small chicks. Actually, it looks like we saw two different ages of juveniles.
- 9/27: Novato, CA.
- 10/1: Novato, CA.
Anna’s Hummingbird
Calypte anna
- 6/20: Novato, CA.
- 6/23: Novato, CA.
- 6/30: Novato, CA.
- 7/4: Novato, CA.
- 7/5: Novato, CA.
- 7/12: Novato, CA.
- 10/1: Novato, CA.
Turkey Vulture
Cathartes aura
- 5/31: Newport, OR.
- 5/31: Agate Beach, Newport, OR.
- 7/10: Bolinas, CA.
- 7/21: Marin County, CA.
- 9/26: Marin County, CA.
- 9/26: Marin County, CA.
Semipalmated Plover
Charadrius semipalmatus
- 9/26: Abbott’s Lagoon, Point Reyes National Seashore, CA. There were a few of these birds associating with the more abundant Snowy Plovers on the beach. We also saw a few of them later in the day near the brackish lagoon.
Northern Harrier
Circus hudsonius
- 9/26: Abbott’s Lagoon, Point Reyes National Seashore, CA. This is always a fun bird to see, flying low over the landscape. We saw at least three today. The first was a juvenile or female flying near the parking lot. The second was another brownish bird (perhaps the same individual) closer to the footbridge. Near the end of the day, as we were returning up the trail through the upland habitat, we saw an adult male hunting along the edge of the freshwater lagoon.
Marsh Wren
Cistothorus palustris
- 9/26: Marin County, CA. At least one of these birds was bopping around the little Azolla covered pond, and one of them popped into sight just long enough for me to get a crappy photo. (Not even going to post it here, that’s how bad it is).
American Crow
Corvus brachyrhynchos
- 2/10: Kentfield, CA.
- 2/18: Kentfield, CA.
- 2/25: Kentfield, CA.
- 5/31: Agate Beach, Newport, OR.
Common Raven
Corvus corax
- 1/16: Agate Beach, Marin, California.
- 9/26: Marin County, CA. Several of these birds were seen throughout the day, including a relatively close encounter on the beach.
Steller’s Jay
Cyanocitta stelleri
8/29: Fairfield-Osborn Preserve, Sonoma County, CA. Had some relatively close views of several of these birds on the Marsh Trail.
Downy Woodpecker
Dryobates pubescens
- 5/11: Kentfield, CA. Seen at the suet feeder outside my office window.
- 7/4: Novato, CA. Seen at the suet feeder at home.
Snowy Egret
Egretta thula
- 5/12: Kentfield, CA.
- 7/10: Bolinas, CA.
- 9/16: Kentfield, CA.
- 9/17: Kentfield, CA.
White-tailed Kite
Elanus leucurus
- 9/26: Abbott’s Lagoon, Point Reyes National Seashore, CA. This bird was seen very near the parking lot at the trailhead, harassing a Red-tailed Hawk.
House Finch
Haemorhous mexicanus
- 2/18: Kentfield, CA.
- 6/20: Novato, CA. One of the most abundant birds at the backyard feeder (with numbers rivalled only by the quail).
- 6/29: Novato, CA.
- 6/30: Novato, CA.
- 7/4: Novato, CA.
- 7/7: Novato, CA.
- 7/12: Novato, CA.
Purple Finch
Haemorhous purpureus
- 6/19: Novato, CA. One of the first birds seen at the feeders at our new home.
Bald Eagle
Haliaeetus leucocephalus
- 5/29: Newport, OR. While walking from the Hatfield Marine Center to the aquarium, we spotted this bird flying over the lagoon.
Harlequin Duck
Histrionicus histrionicus
- 5/31: Agate Beach, Newport, OR. Seen swimming in a little protected “bay” south of the lighthouse.
Hooded Oriole
Icterus cucullatus
- 6/30: Novato, CA. When we moved into our new home, I noticed an oriole at a feeder behind the neighbors house, so I put out an oriole feeder of my own, stocking it with orange halves and some oriole “jelly” – it’s the jelly they seem to like best. It didn’t take them long to find it! So thrilled to have these gorgeous birds as part of our backyard family.
- 7/5: Novato, CA.
- 7/6: Novato, CA.
- 7/8: Novato, CA.
Dark-eyed Junco
Junco hyemalis
- 6/29: Novato, CA. Regular visitors to our new home.
- 7/4: Novato, CA.
Short-billed Gull
Larus brachyrhynchus
- 9/26: Abbott’s Lagoon, Point Reyes National Seashore, CA.
California Gull
Larus californicus
- 5/28: Lincoln, Oregon.
- 9/26: Abbott’s Lagoon, Point Reyes National Seashore, CA.
Ring-billed Gull
Larus delawarensis
- 2/10: Corte Madera Creek, Kentfield, CA.
- 9/26: Marin County, CA.
Glaucous-winged Gull
Larus glaucescens
- 5/29: Newport, OR.
- 9/26: Abbott’s Lagoon, Point Reyes National Seashore, CA.
Olympic Gull
Larus glaucescens × occidentalis
- 5/29: Newport, OR.
Heermann’s Gull
Larus heermanni
- 9/26: Abbott’s Lagoon, Point Reyes National Seashore, CA.
Western Gull
Larus occidentalis
- 2/10: Corte Madera Creek, Kentfield, CA.
- 5/29: Newport, OR.
- 5/30: Agate Beach, Newport, OR.
- 9/26: Abbott’s Lagoon, Point Reyes National Seashore, CA.
American Herring Gull
Larus smithsonianus
- 9/26: Abbott’s Lagoon, Point Reyes National Seashore, CA.
Hairy Woodpecker
Leuconotopicus villosus
- 6/29: Novato, CA.
- 7/4: Novato, CA.
Short-billed Dowitcher
Limnodromus griseus
- 9/26: Abbott’s Lagoon, Point Reyes National Seashore, CA.
Hooded Merganser
Lophodytes cucullatus
- 2/10: Corte Madera Creek, Kentfield, CA.
American Wigeon
Mareca americana
- 2/10: Corte Madera Creek, Kentfield, CA.
Western Screech-Owl
Megascops kennicottii
- 4/9: Novato, CA.
Acorn Woodpecker
Melanerpes formicivorus
- 6/23: Novato, CA.
- 7/4: Novato, CA.
- 7/5: Novato, CA.
- 7/21: Marin County, CA.
- 9/26: Abbott’s Lagoon, Point Reyes National Seashore, CA.
Surf Scoter
Melanitta perspicillata
- 5/31: Agate Beach, Newport, OR.
Wild Turkey
Meleagris gallopavo
- 6/20: Novato, CA.
- 6/30: Novato, CA.
- 7/2: Novato, CA.
- 7/6: Novato, CA.
- 9/26: Abbott’s Lagoon, Point Reyes National Seashore, CA.
Song Sparrow
Melospiza melodia
- 9/26: Abbott’s Lagoon, Point Reyes National Seashore, CA.
California Towhee
Melozone crissalis
- 6/25: Novato, CA.
- 6/29: Novato, CA.
- 7/4: Novato, CA.
- 7/20: Novato, CA.
Common Merganser
Mergus merganser
- 9/26: Abbott’s Lagoon, Point Reyes National Seashore, CA.
Ash-throated Flycatcher
Myiarchus cinerascens
- 6/21: Novato, CA.
- 7/21: Marin Municipal Water District Watershed, Marin, California.
Double-crested Cormorant
Nannopterum auritum
- 5/12: Kentfield, CA.
- 7/10: Bolinas, CA.
- 8/12: Marin County, CA.
- 9/26: Abbott’s Lagoon, Point Reyes National Seashore, CA.
Black-crowned Night Heron
Nycticorax nycticorax
- 9/26: Abbott’s Lagoon, Point Reyes National Seashore, CA.CA.
Osprey
Pandion haliaetus
- 8/7: Kent Island, Marin County, CA.
Band-tailed Pigeon
Patagioenas fasciata
- 2/25: Kentfield, CA.
Brown Pelican
Pelecanus occidentalis
- 5/31: Lincoln, Oregon.
- 5/31: Agate Beach, Newport, OR.
- 9/26: Abbott’s Lagoon, Point Reyes National Seashore, CA.
Red Phalarope
Phalaropus fulicarius
- 9/26: Abbott’s Lagoon, Point Reyes National Seashore, CA.
Black-headed Grosbeak
Pheucticus melanocephalus
- 6/23: Novato, CA.
Spotted Towhee
Pipilo maculatus
- 6/25: Novato, CA.
Black-bellied Plover
Pluvialis squatarola
9/26: Abbott’s Lagoon, Point Reyes National Seashore, CA.
Pied-billed Grebe
Podilymbus podiceps
9/26: Abbott’s Lagoon, Point Reyes National Seashore, CA.
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Poecile rufescens
6/20: Novato, CA.
6/29: Novato, CA.
7/5: Novato, CA.
Black Phoebe
Sayornis nigricans
9/26: Marin County, CA.
Say’s Phoebe
Sayornis saya
9/26: Abbott’s Lagoon, Point Reyes National Seashore, CA.
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Setophaga coronata
9/26: Abbott’s Lagoon, Point Reyes National Seashore, CA.
Western Bluebird
Sialia mexicana
5/6: Kentfield, CA.
5/11: Kentfield, CA.
9/26: Marin County, CA. See briefly from the car while driving near Roy’s Redwoods.
Lesser Goldfinch
Spinus psaltria
- 2/18: Kentfield, CA.
- 6/30: Novato, CA.
- 7/4: Novato, CA.
- 9/26: Marin County, CA.
Elegant Tern
Thalasseus elegans
9/26: Abbott’s Lagoon, Point Reyes National Seashore, CA.
Bewick’s Wren
Thryomanes bewickii
6/20: Novato, CA.
6/30: Novato, CA.
9/26: Marin County, CA.
Common Murre
Uria aalge
5/31: Agate Beach, Newport, OR.
Pelagic Cormorant
Urile pelagicus
5/29: Newport, OR.
Brandt’s Cormorant
Urile penicillatus
5/31: Agate Beach, Newport, OR.
Mourning Dove
Zenaida macroura
- 6/20: Novato, CA.
- 6/23: Novato, CA.
- 6/29: Novato, CA.
- 7/4: Novato, CA.
- 7/6: Novato, CA.
- 7/7: Novato, CA.
- 7/13: Novato, CA.
- 7/14: Novato, CA.
Golden-crowned Sparrow
Zonotrichia atricapilla
9/26: Abbott’s Lagoon, Point Reyes National Seashore, CA.
White-crowned Sparrow
Zonotrichia leucophrys
9/26: Abbott’s Lagoon, Point Reyes National Seashore, CA.
Abbott’s Lagoon
September 26, 2026
Weather: early in our visit, it was mostly clear with scattered clouds, high of about 69°F. By the time we left the beach to head back to the parking lot (~1600), it had grown overcast, with a slight mist coming in from the ocean, with a slight drop in temperature.
Today, my General Ecology class took our first field trip of the semester to Abbott’s Lagoon. The lagoon, located within the Point Reyes National Seashore, is known as an excellent place for viewing birds, which is the primary reason I chose this location.
It did not disappoint. We had an amazing day of birds and a lot of other plants and wildlife, as well.
Continue reading “Abbott’s Lagoon”Field Marigold
Botanical Illustration done while teaching a Botanical Drawing workshop. Painted in Procreate on an iPad.
Botanical Drawing at Sonoma State
2/15/25
Sonoma State University
12:30 – 1:45 p.m.
Cool and sunny
Today was the first session of the Botanical Drawing workshop that Eileen Parent and I are co-teaching. During our first field excursion, I took some photos of the vegatation near the Environmental Technology Center. Lots of interesting plants, even though we only went a very short distance away from the ETC. I also saw and/or heard a few birds, but that wasn’t really the focus today.
Continue reading “Botanical Drawing at Sonoma State”Ellis Creek with Vertebrate Biology
February 7, 2025
9:30 to 12:00
Sunny and cool
We had gorgeous weather – clear, sunny, around 50° F – for our first Vertebrate Biology field trip of the semester. We gathered in the parking lot at 9:30, so I could give an overview of what we’d be doing that day, and had plenty of birds to look at right away. One of my instructions for my students today especially was to focus on making good, accurate observations, and keeping track of the field marks that they see – shape, color, size (as much as it can be estimated), vocalizations, behavior, etc. I’ve asked them to include a description of every species we see today, even the common ones that we’ll probably see over and over throughout the semester.
Continue reading “Ellis Creek with Vertebrate Biology”Copeland Creek, Rohnert Park
May 25, 2023
9:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.; hazy and cool
I had helped to organize a Steelhead release on campus, as part of a program where elementary school students released trout that they had raised in the classroom. I was able to release a few of the fish, as well, which was fun. And during down time between groups of children, of course I took the opportunity to listen for birds, and do some plant photography.
Continue reading “Copeland Creek, Rohnert Park”Wildlife Camera Spring 2023
April 7 through May 2, 2023
Continue reading “Wildlife Camera Spring 2023”Sonoma State University BioBlitz
May 19, 2023
9 a.m. to 10 a.m.
Today, I hosted the annual BioBlitz for my Vertebrate Biology students. We only blitzed for one hour this year, but still had a pretty good day. Collectively, we ended up seeing 142 species in total: 49 Vertebrates, 16 Invertebrates, 1 Fungus, and 76 Plants. The complete list is just below the cut. (My own personal list is at the very bottom of this post, under “Species List).” I didn’t bring my DSLR, so all photos were taken on my iPhone. Not great for wildlife (especially since many of the birds I identified were heard only), but good for plants.
Continue reading “Sonoma State University BioBlitz”Agate Beach, Bolinas
May 12, 2023
Early afternoon, sunny, slight breeze
After our visit to Palomarin, I wanted to take advantage of the fact that we were at Point Reyes, but instead of walking some of the trails, I had a tip from one of the grad students that a Gray Whale had beached or washed up onshore. This was an opportunity to see something unusual (and definitely related to the field of Vertebrate Biology), so, we made the short drive down to Agate Beach to have a look at the remains of this whale.
Continue reading “Agate Beach, Bolinas”Vertebrate Biology trip to Palomarin Field Station
May 12, 2023
9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
Once again this year, my Vertebrate Biology students had the opportunity get a glimpse into the amazing work being done by Point Blue Conservation at their Palomarin Field Station when we were given a demonstration of the mist-netting and bird banding they do at the station, to collect valuable information about songbird populations. We all met at the Field Station first thing in the morning, and after an introduction to the work, we set off down the trail to check the system of mist-nets, to see if any birds had been caught. I decided to hang back, rather than hiking the entire route, and I busied myself trying to get some nice photos of birds. There is always such a wonderful diversity of birds here . . . BUT it’s definitely easier to hear them, than to spot them.
Continue reading “Vertebrate Biology trip to Palomarin Field Station”Desert Tortoise Research Natural Area
May 7, 2023
11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
It was time to head home from our trip to the desert, although we did still have one more adventure ahead of us (in addition to a loooooong day of driving). After packing up the vans, and taking the traditional Zzyzx “swings” photo (although the swings are apparently long gone), we headed north to California City, to the Desert Tortoise Research Natural Area. A few of us had stopped here last year, and had some fantastic sightings, although the weather was oppressively hot. The weather was much more comfortable this year, and we had even more amazing sightings that on our previous visit!
Continue reading “Desert Tortoise Research Natural Area”Bajada near Kelbaker Road
May 6, 2023
10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Our first stop today was an area of Bajada up a dirt road off of Kelbaker Road. We were able to explore the alluvial fan area, as well as some rocky hills. Wildflowers were abundant (and gorgeous!), and we saw a nice variety of wildlife.
Kelbaker Road Night Drive
May 6, 2023
8:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.
On our final night in the Mojave Desert, of course we took one last night drive. Tonight, since several of the folks on the trip opted to not come along, we were able to get into just one van, and headed off down Kelbaker Road.
Continue reading “Kelbaker Road Night Drive”Desert Studies Center
May 6, 2023
Late afternoon
Back at the Desert Studies Center, I had some time to spend before dinner and night driving, so I wandered past Lake Tuendae, and then through my favorite part of the site: past the old wading pool, through the strip of vegetation with the rocky hill on one side and Soda Lake on the other. I was pleased with the variety of birds and plants that I saw.
Continue reading “Desert Studies Center”Mid-hills Campground
May 6, 2023
1:00 to 4:00 p.m.
Back in 2011, this was one of my favorite locations, where I saw a lovely Brown-crested Flycatcher. So, I’d given my students a head’s up that, as soon as we arrived, I was going to wander off on my own to look for birds, and that they should PLEASE not start calling my name unless I’d been gone more than half an hour.
Continue reading “Mid-hills Campground”Kelbaker Road, Volcanic Rocks
May 5, 2023
3:00 to 4:00 p.m.
Because we’d arrived so late at Kelso Dunes, rather than going up to Mid-hills today, I thought we’d be better off trying to find a lava flow area to look for Chuckwalla nearer to Kelbaker Road. Turns out there is a fantastic place literally right next to the road – a spot where some rocky cliffs meet the desert and where, in 2011, we did a night-time walk to look for scorpions and herps. Today, we parked at that spot, and then crossed the road to explore some dark-colored volcanic rock formations.
Continue reading “Kelbaker Road, Volcanic Rocks”Kelso Dunes
May 5, 2023
12 p.m. to 2:15 p.m., 73°F
We arrived at Kelso Dunes later than intended, but for the best of reasons: because of all the great wildlife we’d stopped for on the drive here. We stopped first at the main trailhead to use the facilities, and right away, we spotted a Western Tiger Whiptail crossing the desert between a couple of Creosote bushes. We also saw a pretty little California Patch butterfly.
Continue reading “Kelso Dunes”Zzyzx and Kelbaker Road
May 5, 2023
Before breakfast, I wandered around the south end of the property, mostly to take some photographs of the abandoned resort buildings. I was feeling an apocalyptic Camp Crystal Lake vibe, and wanted to be able to put together some sort of photo essay once I returned home. I saw a few smallish birds that I wasn’t able to identify (probable Yellow-rumped Warbler and Lesser Goldfinch, plus one of the Empidonax flycatchers). In this area, Honey Mesquite, Alkali Weed, Athel Tamarisk, and Mesquite Mistletoe are growing, along with ornamental Date Palm and Mexican Fan Palm.
Continue reading “Zzyzx and Kelbaker Road”Desert Studies Center at Zzyzx
May 4, 2023
It’s that time again: the Vertebrate Biology field trip to the Mojave Desert! We spent the day driving down to the Desert Studies Center, with no stops other than lunch and bathroom breaks. I didn’t spend much time trying to make observations while driving, but I did see a few birds, including a Black-necked Stilt, several Northern Raven all along the route, and a probable Eurasian Collared Dove.
We arrived at Zzyzx around 7:00, and while we were having our orientation tour, a female Calypte hummingbird (either Anna’s or Costa’s) flew quite close to us on the patio. Such a great close look, but not long enough for me to get the species ID). It was still great for me (and my students) to see this adorable bird so close up.
Continue reading “Desert Studies Center at Zzyzx”Santa Rosa Plain, Sonoma County
April 28th, 2023
12:00 to 2:00
My Vertebrate Biology students were invited to visit the field site of grad student Jess Schmieg, to learn about their research study on the interaction between California Tiger Salamander and predaceous diving beetles. We met out at the vernal pool site, and were able to see the experimental design and data collection techniques.
Continue reading “Santa Rosa Plain, Sonoma County”
Veiled Chameleon (Chamaeleo calyptratus)
Procreate
Sonoma State Native Plant Garden
April 19, 2023
Sunny, light breeze
Today, one of my colleagues and I investigated the Native Plant Garden on campus. This garden (or perhaps it’s more accurate to call it a series of gardens) was established in the mid-1970s, along with trailer markers and a lovely trail guide and map that described the plants found in the garden. We wanted to see whether or not the map and guide were still accurate after nearly 50 years of plant growth. (Spoiler alert: they aren’t, but that is something we can fix).
Continue reading “Sonoma State Native Plant Garden”Safari West with Vertebrate Biology
April 14, 2023
Sunny and beautiful, light wind
Today, the Vertebrate Biology class visited Safari West, where Erika and Bella generously gave of their time to give us an awesome tour.
Continue reading “Safari West with Vertebrate Biology”Pepperwood Preserve
March 25, 2023
Sunny and cool
I was asked to lead an activity at the Preserve: “The Secrets of Pond Life – Aqua Bugs, Amphibians, and More.” This community event included a presentation with information about the sorts of things we might see, and then most of our time was spent hiking down to Turtle Pond to see what critters we could find. At the pond, we collected some invertebrates and brought them back to the nature center to look at them under dissecting scopes.
Continue reading “Pepperwood Preserve”California Slender Salamander
Batrachoseps attenuatus
February 28, 2022: Sonoma State University
Found under the Art Building logs.
Continue reading “California Slender Salamander”