Natural History Journal

Earlier this January, we spent several days exploring the lush, ferny redwood groves and mossy Sitka spruce forests of northwestern California, and while hiking through this enchanting habitat, observing the plants, birds and other wildlife, it occurred to me that in a sense, winter in California's Humboldt and Del Norte counties is a little bit like summer in North America's vast boreal forests.   Varied Thrush Also called taiga, the world's boreal forests form a lush, green ring around the top of our planet, covering much of Alaska, Canada, Scandinavia and Russia.  These dense forests are comprised largely of coniferous trees, particularly pine, fir, and most notably, spruce.  At such high latitudes, long, cold winters are characteristic of the boreal forest, but even so, these often-snowy forests are vital to the health of our planet.  Boreal forests are massively important on a global ecological scale, as they hold more surface freshwater than any other biom...

It would not be difficult to convince me that there is something beautiful about every bird, but in my opinion, a handful of species that arrive in or pass through California's Great Central Valley during spring migration are particularly gorgeous.   May is the magical month in the calendar of every North American birder, when spring migration reaches its peak and brilliantly colored migratory birds return from a winter spent in the neotropics of Central and South America. Male Lazuli Bunting These "neotropical migrants," as they are known to birders and ornithologists, span a wide range of songbird families, but some of the most colorful (and thereby most beloved by birders) are members of the cardinal family, Cardinalidae, which includes New World buntings, grosbeaks and tanagers.    Male Lazuli Buntings are a brilliant, almost turquoise blue, with rusty-red chests and prominent white wingbars.  Females are more drab in color, but still easily recognizable by ...

During the first week of April, Eric and I spent six amazing days birding in South Texas, starting in the McAllen area and ending on South Padre Island.  Follow along with our journey here: Part I:  Lower Rio Grande Valley Thornscrub and Woodland Part II:  Coastal Prairie and Thornscrub Part III:  Gulf Coast Wading Birds Part IV:  South Padre Island Neotropical Migrants Situated along the western edge of the Gulf of Mexico, 113-mile-long Padre Island holds the distinction of being the world's longest barrier island.  South Padre Island, as the southern portion of the barrier island is known, is a renowned beach vacation destination, spring break hot spot, and (most importantly) the location of extraordinarily good birding, particularly during spring migration.   From late March through mid-May, birds migrating north from their wintering grounds in Central and South America to their breeding habitat in North America follow invisible yet ancient mig...

During the first week of April, Eric and I spent six amazing days birding in South Texas, starting in the McAllen area and ending on South Padre Island.  Follow along with our journey here: Part I:  Lower Rio Grande Valley Thornscrub and Woodland Part II:  Coastal Prairie and Thornscrub Part III:  Gulf Coast Wading Birds Part IV:  South Padre Island Neotropical Migrants Herons and egrets are some of Eric's favorite birds, and for many years, he and I have both been eager to see two species in particular that are not at all common in California: Reddish Egret and Roseate Spoonbill.   Happily, the Gulf Coast of Texas is an excellent place to find both of these species (and many more), so it was with great excitement that we made our way out to South Padre Island, to spend the day birding the boardwalks and mudflats along the Laguna Madre.    White Ibis, Roseate Spoonbill and Snowy Egret, living life along the edges of the Laguna Madre Tucked am...