Natural History Journal

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...

With all the less-than-great news floating around out there these days about the future of the environment in general, and birds in particular, it's refreshing to pause and reflect on the success stories the world of conservation has seen in the fifty years since the implementation of the Endangered Species Act in December of 1973. While human activity has undoubtedly caused bird populations to decrease drastically in that span of time, (and sadly those numbers may continue to drop) conservationists across North America have managed to make some pretty incredible changes for the better for a number of species as well.  The Endangered Species Act has protected over 1,600 species in its fifty-year history, and is credited with saving nearly 300 species from extinction.     The California Condor is one such example, a species that would be gone today if it weren't for the incredible work of a massive team of researchers and conservationists.  Other success stori...

Sometimes, birds get lost.  And when they are found by local birders, far from their expected range, their presence causes quite the stir of excitement in the birding community!  (Case in point: the incredibly rare Snowy Owl that turned up in Orange County, California, a few days ago.)   While Southern California is a little out of my range for a quick day trip, the coast of Central California is not.  So, with Christmas behind us and a sunny day in the forecast, Eric and I packed up and headed over to Half Moon Bay in hopes of catching a glimpse of another very special rare bird from the north that has been hanging out on a popular beach for the last five or six weeks.  (Yes, I'm a little late to the party; it's been a very busy fall!) Decidedly smaller than Southern California's famed Snowy Owl, this lone male Snow Bunting is no less charismatic!  Unconcerned by nearby birders, beach-goers and photographers, he has made a habit out of hanging out al...

It's an unlikely spot, I'll give you that much.  It often smells of low tide, the restroom situation is iffy, and broken glass sparkling on the sandy roadside shoulder is evidence that car break-ins can and do occur.  The two towers of the Moss Landing Power Plant rise across the harbor where fishing boats lay at anchor in the quiet waters, protected by rock jetties bespangled with bird droppings. A romantic seaside destination it is not. And yet, this place holds a profound romance, an appeal, an irresistible draw all of its own. At least, it does for me. Situated directly off of California's scenic Highway 1 just north of the mouth of Elkhorn Slough  and the tiny fishing village of Moss Landing, Jetty Road is among the top birding destinations along the central coast. The entire Monterey Bay area is one of our state's finest jewels, and little Moss Landing Harbor is one of its most dazzling, if humble, facets.   From the turn off of Highway 1,...

Having grown up not too far from the breath-taking rugged coast of Central California, I will be forever loyal to the west.  From the rocky, fog-enshrouded coast of Washington's Olympic Peninsula and the deserted beaches of the Redwood Coast, to the turquoise inlets of the Monterey Bay, the mild, Garibaldi-spangled waters of San Diego, even the tropical sands of Hawaii, I have swum, snorkled, camped, birded, hiked, rode horseback, collected shells, explored the magical worlds of tide pools, and wandered blissfully - usually barefoot - up and down miles and miles of western beaches.  The Pacific is in my blood. My first experience of an Atlantic beach, at South Carolina's beautiful Huntington Beach State Park. Only recently, I had the privilege of visiting South Carolina and experiencing my first taste (quite literally) of the Atlantic.  Slipping off my sandals and wading out into the sea for a swim, I was pleasantly surprised by the comfortable temperature of the w...