Friday, July 31, 2015
Start looking for the Perseid meteor shower, which peaks on August 12 and which produces 50–75 meteors per hour at its peak. Viewing conditions this year are excellent as the shower occurs between the full and new moons.
Science staff have been observing 41 spotted owl sites in West Marin this year, with 34 nests occupied by pairs and four bachelor nests. Ten of the couples fledged 15 young—slightly lower numbers than 2014.
Weekend-only closures of the beach between North Beach and Abbotts Lagoon to better protect snowy plovers continue for August 1–2. July was a good month with 8 chicks fledging, three of which were banded. Banding birds will help science staff track their movements.
Late summer exotic flowers on the Bear Valley Trail include bright orange Crocosmia sp. from South Africa.
The projector at Bear Valley Visitor Center was repaired this week and the 15-minute introductory video is again available on request.