Park Wavelengths - Wednesday, April 6, 2016
Whale and wildflower season is on—purple lupine spires are flowering, plenty of poppies. Wild cucumber vines are twining their way around shrubs - they have small cream flowers and a green seedpod covered in spikes.
Check out the orca sighting filmed at the Lighthouse on the park's Facebook page. Gray whales continue north and have been seen on clear days at the Lighthouse. Weekday travel is suggested, if possible, as parking areas have been very full on weekends, necessitating longer walks to trailheads and the Lighthouse.
In recent tule elk counts in December through February, the census came in with the following numbers: 128 in the Limantour group which extends from L Ranch to Coast Camp, including 65 cows and 18 calves with 34 branched males and 11 spike males. The Tomales Point census revealed 283, which includes 165 cows, 32 calves, 10 spike males, and 76 branches males. Coming in third is the Drakes Beach herd with 86 animals-44 cows, 15 calves, 5 spike bucks, and 34 branches males. (Note: typically, young males grow a set of two single spike antlers in their youth and develop the full branched antlers as they age).
Temporary beach closures on Drakes Beach were lifted last week on March 31; beach access is now available on the right or south side of the beach. [The closure was lifted on March 18, 2016, after a survey determined that there were no longer any nursing elephant seal pups in this area of Drakes Beach. - Ed.]
Mark your calendars for an Earth Day e-waste drive on April 22. Times and info to follow.