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THIS WEEK IN
CALIFORNIA WILD

Naturalist's Almanac

What to See This Summer

Gordy Slack

July
Adult male northern elephant seals haul out to molt during the summer months. Before they are done, the dark brown males will have shed their upper layer of skin along with large patches of hair. Their molting can be observed at Ano Nuevo State Reserve, about 20 miles south of Half Moon Bay (415) 879-0227.

Female Steller sea lions mate just 11-14 days after giving birth. The implantation of the fertilized egg is delayed for three to four months so that births will be synchronized with the return of pregnant females to the rookeries, where they can safely have their pups. Stellers breed on the Farallon Islands, where only a few humans can observe them, and on Ano Nuevo Island, where they can sometimes been seen from the mainland beach at Ano Nuevo State Reserve. They won't be mating, but you can sometimes see stellers hauling out on Seal Rock, offshore from the Cliff House in San Francisco.

Just across the Golden Gate Bridge, the Audubon Canyon Ranch is host the nesting egrets and blue herons. Through mid July, the young snowy egret will feast on small vertebrates such as snakes as well as invertebrates and fish. These young birds hatch at about three weeks and fly at six to seven weeks. Contact the ranch at (415) 868-9244.

Blue and humpback whales migrate all the way from Hawaii and Baja California to the Bering Sea, heading northward past California in the early summer. Shrimp-like animals called krill are abundant here this time of year, and blues and humpbacks filter water through their comb-like baleen to catch them. Point Reyes National Seashore is an excellent place to whale watch (415) 663-8522.

A toxic phytoplankton, Gonyaulax, blooms and is consumed by shellfish, creating a phenomenon called red tide. Shellfish are dangerous to collect and eat during the summer months.

Hummingbirds are engaged in their nectar-extracting rituals in the meadows of the High Sierra, where alpine flowers are in full bloom. Alpine goldenrod, aster, and buttercups burst forth from the meadow for their brief summertime appearance, providing a visual feast for the observing human and ambrosia for the birds. Meadows in Yosemite National Park are ideal places for watching wildflowers and hummers (209) 372-0200.

August
Melted snowpack from the Sierra Nevada creates waterfalls in side canyons of the mountains, where tributaries of the major river systems drop over granite outcroppings as they enter river gorges. By mid to late summer, these frigid waters are warming up just enough to provide the ideal respite from the summer sun. Codfish Falls, Devils Falls, and Indian Creek Falls can all be found on hikes off the dirt roads around the canyon of the American River.

Deer and wood ticks are especially active in the hot summer months, latching onto animals resting from the heat of the grasslands. To protect yourself on hikes wear pants and long-sleeved shirts, and be sure to check for ticks afterwards.

Blackberries begin bearing fruit this month. These plants thrive where vegetation has been disturbed, including along dirt paths and roads up and down the California coast, making them easily accessible for picking.

Poison oak is bright red in late August and September. It grows in a wide variety of habitats below 3,500 feet and in many shapes and sizes. Watch for the distinctive compound leaves with three gently lobed leaflets turning to their fall foliage colors at this time of year. Poison oak is highly allergenic and should be looked out for when adventuring in the woods.

September
Many passerines, or perching birds, are passing through northern California on their way to Central and South America for the winter. The narrow peninsula of Point Reyes National Seashore is on the migratory route of more than one hundred species of songbirds and provides an ideal environment for bird watching (415) 663-8522.

Bull tule elk enter the rutting, or mating, season during which they make haunting "bugling" sounds to beckon females and declare their territorial boundaries. Bulls also roll in muddy wallows and thrash at vegetation with their antlers. But their bugling, which also serves as a territorial display to others, is no bluff. Rutting bulls can be very aggressive, even toward humans, so use a telephoto lens to photograph them. The best place to watch tule elk is along the Tomales Point Trail at Point Reyes National Seashore. The larger Roosevelt elk can be seen to the north in Sinkyone Wilderness State Park near the King Range in northern Mendocino County (707) 937-5804 or at Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park in Humboldt County (707) 488-2171.

Nineteen different species of raptors can be observed from Hawk Hill, in the Marin Headlands, during the fall migration season. The most commonly seen there are the red- tailed, sharp-shinned, and Cooper hawks. Red-tailed hawks are buteos, or soaring hawks, identifiable by their broad wings and fan-shaped tails. Sharp-shinned and Cooper hawks are called accipiters, which roughly means "forest dwellers," and they have short, rounded wings that help them maneuver through trees. More rarely seen from Hawk Hill are golden eagles, raptors with long, broad wings and rounded tails. For more information, or to find out how to participate in the annual raptor count, call the Golden Gate Raptor Observatory (415) 331-0730.

summer 1997

Vol. 50:3