Category: Observations

2026 Species Accounts: Non-Avian Wildlife

Amphibian and Reptiles

Northwestern Pond Turtle
Actinemys marmorata

  • 10/1: Pacheco Pond, Marin County, CA.

California Slender Salamander
Batrachoseps attenuatus

  • 2/12: Novato, CA.

Northern Pacific Rattlesnake
Crotalus oreganus oreganus

  • 4/9: Indian Valley campus, Novato, CA.
  • 7/21: Marin County, CA.

Southern Alligator Lizard
Elgaria multicarinata

  • 4/19: Osborn Preserve, Sonoma County, CA.

American Bullfrog
Lithobates catesbeianus

  • 7/21: Sky Oaks, Marin County, CA.

Western Skink
Plestiodon skiltonianus

  • 10/1: Pacheco Pond, Marin County, CA.

Pacific Chorus Frog/Sierran Tree Frog
Pseudacris regilla

  • 4/9: Indian Valley campus, Novato, CA.
  • 6/23: Novato, CA.

Foothill Yellow-legged Frog
Rana boylii

  • 4/19: Osborn Preserve, Sonoma County, California.

Western Fence Lizard
Sceloporus occidentalis

  • 4/19: Fairfield Osborn Preserve, Sonoma, California.
  • 4/19: Sonoma County, CA.
  • 8/16: Novato, CA. Found this little guy in the middle of the living room floor – I was very glad Cassie spotted the lizard on the floor before one of us stepped on it! I was able to grab it up, and relocate outside. So small and cute.
  • 8/29: Sonoma County, CA.
  • 10/1: Indian Valley campus/Pacheco Pond, Marin County, CA.

Northwestern Garter Snake
Thamnophis ordinoides

  • 5/29: Newport, OR.

Pond Slider
Trachemys scripta

  • 7/21: Sky Oaks, Marin County, CA.

Rough-skinned Newt
Taricha granulosa

  • 4/19: Osborn Preserve, Sonoma County, CA.

Mammals

Coyote
Canis latrans

  • 9/26: Lucas Valley-Marinwood, CA. After spending the day at Abbott’s Lagoon, where several other folks reported seeing a coyote on the ridge – but I never managed to catch a glimpse – I was thrilled to find this gorgeous friend while driving home on Lucas Valley Road in the late afternoon. As we approached, I actually thought it was a fox: my impression was of a small canid leaping as if hunting some smaller prey. But as we got closer, I saw it was definitely a coyote. The animal wasn’t particularly happy about having been noticed by us, and it quickly turned and ran farther from the road.

Black-tailed Jackrabbit
Lepus californicus

  • 6/29: Novato, CA.
  • 6/30: Novato, CA
  • 7/2: Novato, CA.
  • 7/6: Novato, CA.
  • 7/7: Novato, CA.
  • 7/9: Novato, CA.
  • 7/14: Novato, CA.
  • 7/16: Novato, CA.
  • 7/16: Novato, CA.
  • 10/1: Indian Valley campus Organic Farm, Novato, CA. This was a fun animal to see while on a field trip with my Organismal Biology students.

North American River Otter
Lontra canadensis

  • 9/26: Abbott’s Lagoon, Marin County, CA. River otters were seen throughout the day, at the footbridge and in the brackish pond. Unfortunately, they weren’t seen by me. But I did snap some evidence: their footprints in the mud beneath the bridge.

Striped Skunk
Mephitis mephitis

  • 6/12: Novato, CA.
  • 6/16: Novato, CA
  • 6/29: Novato, CA.
  • 6/30: Novato, CA.
  • 7/1: Novato, CA.
  • 7/2: Novato, CA.
  • 7/4: Novato, CA.
  • 7/8: Novato, CA.
  • 7/16: Novato, CA.
  • 8/19: Novato, CA.
  • 8/20: Novato, CA.
  • 8/25: Novato, CA.
  • 9/4: Novato, CA.
  • 9/5: Novato, CA.
  • 9/6: Novato, CA.

Columbian Black-tailed Deer
Odocoileus hemionus columbianus

  • 6/12: Novato, CA.
  • 6/16: Novato, CA.
  • 6/29: Novato, CA.
  • 7/2: Novato, CA.
  • 7/4: Novato, CA.
  • 7/6: Novato, CA.
  • 7/7: Novato, CA.
  • 7/9: Novato, CA.
  • 7/16: Novato, CA.
  • 7/21: Marin County, CA.
  • 7/29: Novato, CA.
  • 8/31: Novato, CA.
  • 9/4: Novato, CA.
  • 9/12: Novato, CA.
  • 9/21: Novato, CA.
  • 9/26: Point Reyes, Marin County, CA. As we were returning to the Abbott’s Lagoon trailhead fairly late in the afternoon, it occurred to me that we hadn’t seen any deer all day long, which seemed strange. Then I looked over at the open grassland on the other side of the preserve fence, there they were: three or four deer, foraging as evening began to fall. While driving home, we swung by the Bear Valley visitor’s center trailhead, and there were several deer foraging there, as well.
  • 9/27: Novato, CA.

Douglas’s Ground Squirrel
Otospermophilus douglasii

  • 6/12: Novato, CA.
  • 6/13: Novato, CA.
  • 6/19: Novato, CA.
  • 6/21: Novato, CA.
  • 6/23: Novato, CA.
  • 6/24: Novato, CA.
  • 6/29: Novato, CA.
  • 6/30: Novato, CA.
  • 7/2: Novato, CA.
  • 7/4: Novato, CA.
  • 7/6: Novato, CA.
  • 7/7: Novato, CA.
  • 7/13: Novato, CA.
  • 7/15: Novato, CA.
  • 7/16: Novato, CA.
  • 9/26: Marin County, CA.
  • 9/29: Novato, CA.
  • 10/1: Indian Valley campus, Marin County, CA. Saw a couple of these friends at the Organic Farm, but never managed to get a photo of one. Fortunately, I have no shortage of photos from other occasions.
  • 10/1: Marin County, CA.

Western Deer Mouse
Peromyscus sonoriensis

  • 8/29: Sonoma County, CA.

Harbor Seal
Phoca vitulina

  • 5/31: Agate Beach, Newport, OR.
  • 8/7: Bolinas, CA 94924.

Common Raccoon
Procyon lotor

  • 7/12: Novato, CA.
  • 7/14: Novato, CA.
  • 9/6: Novato, CA.

Black Rat
Rattus rattus

  • 7/9: Novato, CA.
  • 7/10: Novato, CA.
  • 7/12: Novato, CA.
  • 7/13: Novato, CA.
  • 7/14: Novato, CA.
  • 7/15: Novato, CA.

Western Gray Squirrel
Sciurus griseus

  • 6/23: Novato, CA.

Eastern Fox Squirrel
Sciurus niger

  • 5/19: College of Marin, Kentfield, CA. Seen near the redwood circle.

California Sea Lion
Zalophus californianus

  • 5/28: Newport, OR.
  • 5/29: Newport, OR.

Fishes

Sharpnose Sculpin
Clinocottus acuticeps

  • 5/30: Agate Beach, Newport, OR.

Mosshead Sculpin
Clinocottus globiceps

  • 5/30: Agate Beach, Newport, OR.

Western Mosquitofish
Gambusia affinis

  • 10/1: Marin County, CA.

Tidepool Sculpin
Oligocottus maculosus

  • 5/30: Agate Beach, Newport, OR.

Invertebrates

Angular Unicorn
Acanthinucella spirata

  • 1/16: Agate Beach/Duxbury Reef, Marin County, CA. Seen in the tidepools in the late afternoon.
Agate Beach

Victoria’s Crystal Jelly
Aequorea victoria

  • 5/29: Newport, OR.

Common Thread-waisted Wasp
Ammophila procera

  • 9/26: Marin County, CA.

California Gall Wasp
Andricus quercuscalifornicus

  • 5/12: Kentfield, CA.

Common Jingle
Anomia simplex

  • 1/16: Agate Beach/Duxbury Reef, Marin County, CA. Seen in the tidepools in the late afternoon.

Aggregating Anemone
Anthopleura elegantissima

  • 1/16: Agate Beach/Duxbury Reef, Marin County, CA. Seen in the tidepools in the late afternoon.
  • 5/30: Agate Beach, Newport, OR.

Sunburst Anemone
Anthopleura sola

  • 1/16: Agate Beach/Duxbury Reef, Marin County, CA. Seen in the tidepools in the late afternoon.

Giant Green Anemone
Anthopleura xanthogrammica

  • 1/16: Agate Beach/Duxbury Reef, Marin County, CA. Seen in the tidepools in the late afternoon.
  • 5/30: Agate Beach, Newport, OR.

Western Honey Bee
Apis mellifera

  • 4/19: Osborn Preserve, Sonoma County, CA.
  • 7/21: Marin County, CA.

Vivid Dancer
Argia vivida

  • 4/19: Sonoma County, CA.

Button’s Banana Slug
Ariolimax buttoni

  • 4/19: Osborn Preserve, Sonoma County, CA.

Field Skipper
Atalopedes campestris

  • 10/1: Indian Valley College, Novato, CA. Seen on a flower in the Organic Garden.

Pacific Acorn Barnacle
Balanus glandula

  • 1/16: Agate Beach/Duxbury Reef, Marin County, CA. Seen in the tidepools in the late afternoon.

European Green Crab
Carcinus maenas

  • 8/7: Marin, California.

Leafy Hornmouth
Ceratostoma foliatum

  • 1/16: Agate Beach/Duxbury Reef, Marin County, CA. Seen in the tidepools in the late afternoon.

American Stridulating Cicadas
Clidophleps

  • 8/29: Sonoma County, CA.

Jumping Spider
Colonus hesperus

  • 6/13: Novato, CA.

Rough Keyhole Limpet
Diodora aspera

  • 1/16: Agate Beach/Duxbury Reef, Marin County, CA. Seen in the tidepools in the late afternoon.

Emerald Moth
Dichorda illustraria

  • 10/1: Indian Valley College, Novato, CA.

Red-banded Transparent Shrimp
Heptacarpus sitchensis

  • 1/16: Agate Beach/Duxbury Reef, Marin County, CA. Seen in the tidepools in the late afternoon.

White-lined Sphinx
Hyles lineata

  • 4/8: Kentfield, CA.
  • 4/19: Osborn Preserve, Sonoma County, CA.

Derby Hat Bryozoan
Integripelta bilabiata

  • 5/30: Agate Beach, Newport, OR.

Gray Buckeye
Junonia grisea

  • 7/4: Novato, CA.
  • 8/29: Sonoma County, CA.
  • 9/17: Kentfield, CA.
  • 10/1: Marin County, CA.

Black Katy Chiton
Katharina tunicata

  • 5/30: Agate Beach, Newport, OR.

Dire Whelk
Lirabuccinum dirum

  • 1/16: Agate Beach/Duxbury Reef, Marin County, CA. Seen in the tidepools in the late afternoon.

Stone Centipedes
Lithobiomorpha

  • 4/19: Osborn Preserve, Sonoma County, CA.

Checkered Periwinkle
Littorina scutulata

  • 1/16: Agate Beach/Duxbury Reef, Marin County, CA. Seen in the tidepools in the late afternoon.
  • 5/30: Agate Beach, Newport, OR.

Owl Limpet
Lottia gigantea

  • 1/16: Agate Beach/Duxbury Reef, Marin County, CA. During our walk, we also found a couple of Owl Limpets, a rare and protected species that is often poached. Gentle reminder to please not take or harm wildlife when tidepooling, as many of them are delicate, and at risk of extinction.

Shield Limpet
Lottia pelta

  • 1/16: Agate Beach/Duxbury Reef, Marin County, CA. Seen in the tidepools in the late afternoon.
  • 5/30: Agate Beach, Newport, OR.

Rough Limpet
Lottia scabra

  • 1/16: Agate Beach/Duxbury Reef, Marin County, CA. Seen in the tidepools in the late afternoon.
Agate Beach

Pacific Tent Caterpillar
Malacosoma constricta

  • 4/19: Osborn Preserve, Sonoma County, CA.

European Mantis
Mantis religiosa

  • 9/17: Kentfield, CA.

Mossy Chiton
Mopalia muscosa

  • 1/16: Agate Beach/Duxbury Reef, Marin County, CA. Seen in the tidepools in the late afternoon.
Agate Beach

California Mussel
Mytilus californianus

  • 1/16: Agate Beach/Duxbury Reef, Marin County, CA. Seen in the tidepools in the late afternoon.
  • 5/30: Agate Beach, Newport, OR.

Large Yellow Underwing
Noctua pronuba

  • 4/19: Osborn Preserve, Sonoma County, CA.

Striped Dogwinkle
Nucella ostrina

  • 5/30: Agate Beach, Newport, OR.

Purple Mahogany Clam
Nuttallia obscurata

  • 5/29: Newport, OR.

Striped Shore Crab
Pachygrapsus crassipes

  • 1/16: Agate Beach/Duxbury Reef, Marin County, CA. These were the tiniest crabs I have ever seen – maybe 1 cm in length? Very adorable.
  • 8/7: Marin, California.

Grainy Hermit Crab
Pagurus granosimanus

  • 1/16: Agate Beach/Duxbury Reef, Marin County, CA. Seen in a shallow pool. Hermit crabs are so much fun to watch.
Agate Beach

Pacific Hairy Hermit Crab
Pagurus hirsutiusculus

  • 5/30: Agate Beach, Newport, OR.

Blueband Hermit Crab
Pagurus samuelis

  • 1/16: Agate Beach/Duxbury Reef, Marin County, CA. Saw loads of hermit crabs throughout the tidepools.

Scale-sided Piddock
Parapholas californica

  • 1/16: Agate Beach/Duxbury Reef, Marin County, CA. Seen in the tidepools in the late afternoon.

Mylitta Crescent
Phyciodes mylitta

  • 10/1: Marin County, CA.

Ochre Sea Star
Pisaster ochraceus

  • 5/30: Agate Beach, Newport, OR.

Plumularia
Plumularia

  • 5/30: Agate Beach, Newport, OR.

Cutworm Wasps
Podalonia sp

  • 9/26: Marin County, CA.

Sandhill Skipper
Polites sabuleti

  • 9/26: Abbott’s Lagoon, Marin County, CA. Saw these two lovely butterflies on the beach very near the footbridge and brackish lagoon.

Gooseneck Barnacle
Pollicipes polymerus

  • 1/16: Agate Beach/Duxbury Reef, Marin County, CA. Seen in the tidepools in the late afternoon.
  • 5/30: Agate Beach, Newport, OR.

Stone Centipede
Pseudolithobius megaloporus

  • 5/8: Petaluma, CA.

Pacific Rock Crab
Romaleon antennarium

  • 1/16: Agate Beach/Duxbury Reef, Marin County, CA. We found a dead individual in one of the deeper pools.

Pacific Purple Sea Urchin
Strongylocentrotus purpuratus

  • 1/16: Agate Beach/Duxbury Reef, Marin County, CA. We found an empty test early during our walk and found several living specimens in a deeper pool at the northermost point we reached on this day.

Cardinal Meadowhawk
Sympetrum illotum

  • 9/26: Marin County, CA.

Black Tegula
Tegula funebralis

  • 1/16: Agate Beach/Duxbury Reef, Marin County, CA. Seen in the tidepools in the late afternoon. The most abundant gastropod seen in the tidepools. Although a great many of these shells were no longer inhabited by their original owner, and were instead occupied by hermit crabs.
  • 1/16: Marin County, CA.

Leafhopper
Thamnotettix zelleri

  • 5/12: Ecological Study Area, Kentfield, CA.

Rocky Canyon Spiders
Titiotus sp

  • 4/19: Osborn Preserve, Sonoma County, CA.

Pallid-winged Grasshopper
Trimerotropis pallidipennis

  • 10/1: Novato, CA.

Black Round Millipede
Tylobolus uncigerus

  • 4/9: Novato, CA.
  • 6/29: Novato, CA.

Rose Anemone
Urtibrina rimicola

  • 1/16: Agate Beach/Duxbury Reef, Marin County, CA. This brilliant red anemone was mostly closed when we saw it in a shallow pool.

Western Forest Scorpion
Uroctonus mordax

  • 4/19: Osborn Preserve, Sonoma County, CA.

Fungi

Mulch Maids
Leratiomyces percevalii

  • 2/12: Novato, CA.

Layered Cup
Peziza varia

  • 2/12: Novato, CA.
IVC

Orange Atoms
Squamulea subsoluta

  • 5/31: Agate Beach, Newport, OR.

Hairy Curtain Crust
Stereum hirsutum

  • 2/12: Novato, CA.

Gilled Polypore
Trametes betulina

  • 2/12: Novato, CA.
  • 4/19: Osborn Preserve, Fairfield Osborn Preserve, Sonoma, California.
IVC

Turkey-tail
Trametes versicolor

  • 8/29: Sonoma County, CA.

Algae and Others

Red Algae
Calliarthron tuberculosum

  • 1/16: Agate Beach/Duxbury Reef, Marin County, CA. Seen in the tidepools in the late afternoon.

Common Coralline
Corallina officinalis

  • 1/16: Agate Beach/Duxbury Reef, Marin County, CA. Seen in the tidepools in the late afternoon.
  • 5/30: Agate Beach, Newport, OR.

Feather Boa Kelp
Egregia menziesii

  • 5/30: Agate Beach, Newport, OR.
  • 9/26: Marin County, CA.

Rockweed
Fucus distichus

  • 1/16: Agate Beach/Duxbury Reef, Marin County, CA. Seen in the tidepools in the late afternoon.

Sea Cabbage Kelp
Hedophyllum sessile

  • 5/30: Agate Beach, Newport, OR.

Crustose Coralline Algae
Lithothamnion

  • 1/16: Agate Beach/Duxbury Reef, Marin County, CA. Seen in the tidepools in the late afternoon.

Turkish Washcloth
Mastocarpus papillatus

  • 5/30: Agate Beach, Newport, OR.

Iridescent Red Algae
Mazzaella flaccida

  • 5/30: Agate Beach, Newport, OR.

Black Pine Seaweed
Neorhodomela larix

  • 5/30: Agate Beach, Newport, OR.

Pacific Sea Comb
Plocamium pacificum

  • 5/30: Agate Beach, Newport, OR.

Red Algae
Prionitis lanceolata

  • 1/16: Agate Beach/Duxbury Reef, Marin County, CA. Seen in the tidepools in the late afternoon.

Chain Bladder Kelp
Stephanocystis osmundacea

  • 1/16: Agate Beach/Duxbury Reef, Marin County, CA. Seen in the tidepools in the late afternoon.

Gutweed
Ulva intestinalis

  • 5/30: Agate Beach, Newport, OR.

Broadleaf Sea Lettuce
Ulva lactuca

  • 5/30: Agate Beach, Newport, OR

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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.

Continue reading “2026 Species Accounts: Birds” →
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Indian Valley, Novato

October 1, 2026
1300 – 1530; Sunny and warm (~79° F), with a mostly clear sky.

I was going to frame this as the first off-campus field trip with my Organismal Biology class, but it’s not really off-campus, since we went to Indian Valley. We were originally supposed to go to Roy’s Redwoods, but I didn’t realize I needed to apply for a permit to bring more than 15 people, so we pivoted today to come to Indian Valley instead (which was also on our field trip list, later in the semester).

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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” →
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Duxbury Reef

January 16, 2026
Late afternoon, sunny and cool.

This was not my first visit to Agate Beach, but it is the first time I’d really taken a look in the wonderful tidepools on Duxbury Reef. This was part of a College of Marin Flex Session, and I really enjoyed this visit. The reef is a remarkable, beautiful place, and I saw loads of interesting organisms.

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Birds at the College of Marin

October 30, 2025 – Note: Inspired by the birds who have been visiting the feeders I’ve put up outside of my office window in the Science, Math, and Nursing Building at the main campus of the College of Marin, I thought I’d blog about my sightings. I’ll be making posts about sightings at both the Kentfield and Indian Valley campuses, and though I’ve titled this “Birds at College of Marin,” I’ll document other wildlife here, as well.

October 13, 2025

One of my favorite things about my new office (other than the beautiful view) is the fact that there is roof access that allows me to walk right up to my window on the outside. That, plus a concrete beam that runs along the side of the building, I’m able to hang bird feeders outside of my window!

So, I put Operation Feed the Birds into effect as soon as I could! I got a platform feeder for seeds, a suet feeder, and a bunch of uncooked in-shell peanuts so I could put out a smorgasbord of goodies for my little neighborhood friends. Of course, on my first pass at buying feeders and food, I completely forgot to sort out how I was going to hang them, so I picked up some straps for horse feeding bags, and they’re working great!

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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” →
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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. 

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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” →
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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.

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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.

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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.

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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! 

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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.

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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.

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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. 

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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.

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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. 

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