Natural History Journal

I am an ardent list-maker.  I love lists of all kinds.  Grocery lists, packing lists, to-do lists.  Lists of trails hiked, books read, birds seen.  So naturally, I have a "Life List" of bird species I've encountered in the wild.  This year I decided to see how many different species of birds I can see in California in one calendar year: my own  "Big Year," scaled-down to more manageable proportions.  I am happy to report that as of July 14, 2017, I have recorded 200 species of birds in California since January 1, 2017.  My 200th bird was one I have looked for unsuccessfully several times this year: a Hooded Oriole ( Icterus cucullatus ).  More than once, I've stood and watched a palm tree not too far from where I live that was reported to be a Hooded Oriole nesting site.  And more than once, I've turned away without a new bird for my list. Hooded Orioles are birds of the southwest, inhabiting open woodlands ...

A mother sea otter attempts to remove a plastic bag from her pup. Photo credit: SeaOtters.com As residents of this beautiful planet we call Earth, we are charged with its stewardship.  Regardless of nationality, economic status or religious beliefs, we are all temporarily tethered to this breathtaking sphere of rock, suspended miraculously in space.  From the earth, we all derive life-giving sustenance: clean air, pure water, nutritious food.  We bathe in its waters, feast on its abundance, and revel in its beauty.  The care of our planet and our finite resources should be the easiest thing in the world (no pun intended) for us all to agree on. And yet... we are clearly failing, somewhat miserably. Worldwide,  one million plastic bags are used every minute .  In one year, our world of brilliant, talented, beautiful human beings manages to use 500 billion  single-use plastic bags.  For ...

I'm a few days late (blame another beautiful camping trip!) but... Happy  Plastic Free July !!!  Single-use plastics have become a HUGE problem in recent decades, persisting in the environment indefinitely and posing life-threatening hazards to wildlife.  Even if you don't care about the sea turtles, birds, whales and the like, realize this: plastics do not "break down."  They break up into little pieces, and those little pieces become part of the food chain.  If you remain unconvinced... surely you can relate to the feeling of disgust that comes with seeing plastic trash covering our roadsides, beaches and other wild areas. The premise of having of Plastic Free July (or summer, or life !) is simple: Refuse the single-use plastic items in your life.  They have GOT TO GO.  All of them. This sea turtle died after trying to eat a plastic bag, which turtles commonly mistake for jellyfish.  (Photo courtesy of marineparks.wa.gov.au) ...

The summer camping season is well underway, and what better way to escape the heat of California's Central Valley than to head for the north coast?  The northern "Redwood Coast" of California offers a cool, foggy, forested respite for those of us who reside in the warmer and drier parts of the state.  Redwood National and State Parks offer a selection of campgrounds and a network of hiking trails to suit all types of outdoorsy folk, from tent campers and backpackers to day hikers and sightseers.  If you're into rugged coastline, lush redwood forests, wildflower meadows and herds of roaming elk, then Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, located about an hour north of Eureka on Highway 101, is the place for you. During a recent trip, Eric and I spent several days at Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, hiking and observing the local  flora and fauna.   We camped for two nights at Gold Bluffs Beach campground and two nights at Elk Prairie campground, both ...

The magnetic draw of California's North Coast has a lot to do with its stunning forests of towering Coast Redwoods ( Sequoia sempervirens ).  But as is always the case, there is more to this ecosystem than a cursory glance would indicate.  High rainfall and fog-drip allow a lush understory of ferns and forest wildflowers to thrive among the redwoods.  May and June are good months to visit the redwoods and experience the spring wildflower show.  The following collection of photographs are wildflowers of the redwood forests, found in Prairie Creek Redwoods, Grizzly Creek Redwoods and Patrick's Point State Parks on our recent trip north. Western Azalea ( Rhododendron occidentale ) These shrubs are absolutely stunning in full bloom, along with the similar Coast Rhododendron, pictured below.  Western Azaleas are also found in the Sierra Nevada.     Coast Rhododendron ( Rhododendron macrophyllum ) Columbian Windflower ( Anemone deltoidea ...

Recently, Eric and I spent several days camping and hiking in the redwood forests of Northern California, visiting Prairie Creek Redwoods, Grizzly Creek Redwoods and Patrick's Point State Parks.  In four days, we hiked just over thirty miles of absolutely stunning terrain, always alert for interesting flora and fauna.  The temperatures were cool and ideal for hiking, the forest wildflowers were in bloom, and the birds were not entirely uncooperative: in the depths of night, a pair of Barred Owls caterwauled for a solid 45 minutes from the redwoods above our tent, and many other diurnal species enchanted us with their songs.  Very few birds actually showed themselves, though, instead remaining hidden in the dense verdant undergrowth and high above in the redwood canopy.  Quick glimpses of thrushes and warblers were all we were allowed.  The gulls at Gold Bluffs Beach were obliging, as they typically are, and I was excited to spot a v...

For whatever reason, I have long been fascinated by loons.  Like the mournful call of the Gray Wolf echoing across a frozen wilderness, there is something in the plaintive cry of the Common Loon that embodies the very essence of wilderness, simultaneously inspiring a sense of adventure while instilling a feeling of peace and tranquility. Or at least, that's what I've led myself to believe, having never heard the call of the loon in person.  (It's on my to-do list.)  Common Loons ( Gavia immer ) visit coastal California during the non-breeding winter season.  As it would happen, loons are generally silent during this time of year, and cry their eerily beautiful and plaintive song primarily during the breeding season (i.e. when they're not in California).  Common Loons are synonymous with wilderness lakes of the north woods, breeding across Alaska and Canada, as well as the very northern reaches of the United States.  (Minnesota seems to be known...