|
Wednesday, June 27, 2012 Subject: Blue Whale Sighting TODAY Park staff are reporting blue whales feeding off North Beach this morning. They were also seen from Tomales Point on Sunday and seem to be feeding off the Great Beach! Typically, they are around the Farallon Islands in the summer months with occasional forays towards Point Reyes. Wednesday, June 20, 2012 The full moon rises on Tuesday, July 3, and the earth is at aphelion or its farthest point away from the sun. Early morning minus tides accompany the moon:
Coast Trail is now reopened for foot, horse, and bike traffic! Barn swallows have been building mud nests under the Bear Valley eaves, dangling horse hair infrastructure materials. Spittle bugs (a.k.a. froghoppers) have been festooning the coyote brush around the visitor center with blobs of protective white "spit" to protect their nymphs. Oak moths, which can have up to three generations a year, are fluttering about the oak woodlands. Smacks of clear moon jellies are drifting into Tomales Bay! The Fourth of July holiday approaches with a reminder that fireworks are not permitted in Marin County, including all park beaches. Park visitor centers at Bear Valley and Drakes Beach will be open. Annual seal protection measures lift as of July 1, when Drakes Estero and South Blue Gum Beach re-open until next March. Snowy plover protective measures have begun along the Great Beach; look for string enclosures built around nests to deter predators. The Bear Valley Visitor Center has expanded summer hours on Friday and Saturday beginning July 6 and will remain open until 6 pm. Wednesday, June 06, 2012 The summer solstice arrives on June 20, with a new moon on June 19, and several early morning low tides:
A fawn scampering around Bear Valley Visitor center surprised the great blue herons hunting in the pastures and caused a lot of squawking before the fawn settled in for a bit of nursing. It is that time of year with fawns and elk calves resting and parents foraging. Watch out along roadways--one deer lingering on the side of the pavement will often be followed by another, so keep it slow! Blackberries are covered in white blooms and it looks like a prolific berry season with the first of the scarlet thimbleberries appearing on Bear Valley Trail. Warmer weather has also brought out gopher snakes--diamond patterned in browns and greys--who linger around the visitor center. They are non-venomous, but, if threatened, will raise their tail and shake it, mimicking a rattlesnake to deter predators. World Oceans Day will be marked on Friday, June 8 with a variety of special presentations at the Bear Valley Visitor Center--check the park website for a full list of events! Friday, June 1, 2012 Forwarded to Park Wavelengths
|
Last updated: April 3, 2017