Join Us for Marin Wildlife Discovery Day on October 25

Pileated woodpeckers on the Mt. Tamalpais Watershed (Photo by Ian Austin)

The Marin Wildlife Discovery Day will be an opportunity to learn about and celebrate the rich diversity of wildlife in Marin. There are over 150 species of birds that live and breed in Marin, our creeks support some of the best coho salmon populations in northern California, and our hills are home to California’s top predator, the mountain lion. Come enjoy hands-on science learning for the entire family!

The event will be Saturday, October 25, 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. on “Children’s Island” in the lagoon at the Marin Civic Center. Parking will be available at the Marin Fairgrounds. Admission is free.

The Discovery Day will be hosted by many of the groups and organizations that work to preserve, understand, and protect Marin’s amazing wildlife. The event is organized by Marin County Parks with partners Marin Municipal Water District, Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, River Otter Ecology Project, Felidae, Pepperwood Preserve, Project Coyote, Friends of Corte Madera Creek, College of Marin, Redwood High School-Next Generation, Manor School Green Team, and more.

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National Wildflower Week

by Charlene Burgi

I would have missed the celebration if not for the headlines seen on an internet nursery promotion this morning! It’s National Wildflower Week! Ironically, I’d been thinking about bees, butterflies, and birds for this week’s blog topic. After all, it seemed like a perfect follow up to the spiders and snakes blog that we posted last month. But, how could I not address National Wildflower Week with this newfound knowledge?

California poppies

It didn’t take long to consider that native flowers would tie in perfectly with bees, butterflies, and birds. Native plants go hand-in-hand with supporting our wildlife. To further confirm and validate my choice of blog topic, a swallowtail butterfly found itself trapped in our greenhouse, and the first poppies emerged in the same garden area this week. Is this a coincidence?

A force greater than me was pushing me to discuss the timing of nature! Isn’t it amazing that the very needs of bees, butterflies, and birds coincide with food and shelter sources for migrating patterns, the awakening of winter dormancy, and emerging pupation of butterflies? Simultaneously, bees and butterflies are popping up everywhere along with wildflowers.

The chirps of baby birds are now heard when entering the barn. Robins along with various species of birds not commonly seen flock to the birdfeeders or are viewed pecking the juiciest worms from the earth. Sandhill cranes, bald eagles, hawks, geese, and ducks fly overhead and delight us in their aerial show during the spring like no other time of the year.

Phlox

To provide sustenance for migrating and emerging wildlife, early spring produces sprays of lavender-blue lupine, brilliant orange poppies, and soft pink, creeping phlox highlighting the roadsides and nearby hills. Phlox is a favorite for swallowtails, and it is little wonder that one surprised us when we entered the recently watered greenhouse!

Wildflowers can also be found in our trees, shrubs, perennials, and annuals. Western dogwood (Cornus nuttallii) are now peaking through the thicket of the forest with their showy white flowers and giving away their understory cover. It doesn’t take long for the bees, butterflies, and birds to seek out this treasure for its nectar. Redbud (Cercis occidentalis) and Ceanothus (wild lilac) are wild-flowering shrubs that have an attractant that helps sustain these garden visitors during the spring months. The perennial yarrow is pushing out multi-floral, flat-landing petals that bees and butterflies find so easy to perch upon. Douglas iris are found in profusion throughout grassy slopes and woodland areas. Their flowers are beacons to honey and native bees, as are Salvia spathacea (Hummingbird sage) and Clarkia.

While I barely touched on meadow type wildflowers, it is important to remember that many bees, butterflies, and birds depend on the shelter of trees and shrubs for nesting and protection. In addition to shelter, butterflies require food sources to complete their lifecycle and find these by foraging on favorite plants in the garden.

Even though early May is dedicated to celebrating National Wildflower Week, may I suggest a strategy to keep the bees, butterflies, and birds around for a longer period of time? Provide shelter by planting tall native shrubs. Create a shallow muddy area where bees and butterflies can drink. Set out baths for birds to drink and clean their feathers (be sure to clean your bird baths weekly to control the spread of disease), and leave areas of loose soil, which are ideal for quail to dust themselves. Find summer blooming flowers that will provide nectar to keep birds close by. And situate feeders in trees for added protection from overhead hawks.

Let me challenge you to do something this week to honor the natural beauty surrounding us. I found one website (wildflower.org) that suggested 20 ways to celebrate National Wildflower Week.  Bay Nature’s Gardening for Wildlife with Native Plants is a great resource. If you’re nearby the district’s Corte Madera office, there are free copies in the lobby.

The weather is going to be beautiful. Seize the day with a packet of poppy seeds in hand!

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For the Birds

by Charlene Burgi

As the sun peeked over the hills this morning to cast its golden rays on the frost-covered ground, the momentary illusion of reverential quiet was shattered by the chatter of multitudes of various birds flitting about the garden.

Gold finch

I am always delighted to awaken to the dozens of red and gold finches clinging to their nyjer seed socks. Below the socks, warblers are found sipping from the pond. The robins seem to brave the cold as they splash about in their morning shower. The birdfeeders placed in the trees away from the house sway under the weight of Steller’s and gray-breasted jays. The covey of quail that live in a well-placed brush pile nearby always benefit from the actions of the reckless jays above as they peck at the fallen seeds. The house windows sport attached birdfeeders that attract smaller birds such as pine siskin, nuthatch, bushtits, black-capped chickadees and titmouse. The installation of window feeders reduced the hazard of birds inadvertently thinking they could fly through the windows.

A garden without birds would be a terrible loss. Not only are they beautiful to watch, but they provide diverse benefits to the health of our gardens. Many birds, such as swallows, devour insects that are harmful to the garden. Nectar-seeking birds, like hummingbirds, are actually helping the bees pollinate for better fruit production. Our efforts to attract birds can have multiple benefits, too. For example, planting native shrubs and perennials not only provides tasty treats that are healthy for our feathered friends, but it also helps reduce our need for irrigation water.

Birds are also great at easing garden chores. For example, weed seeds are graciously consumed by towhees and sparrows, which equates to reduced germination and less weeding for us. I love to see the mass migration of bluebirds that comes through every winter and manages to clear the juniper trees of berries, thus reducing the mess that would otherwise fall to the ground. Of course, birds show little regard when it comes to their fruit selection. Peaches, apples, plums as well as raspberries and blueberries are also fair game. If I don’t want to share the fruit with the birds, nets must be thrown over the crowns of the trees and bushes, adding to my to-do list. Still, it is a worthwhile tradeoff.

Quail heading home after morning feed on the back deck

With attracting birds comes a responsibility. Various seed assortments are used to attract multiple species of birds, but it is important that they contain a balance of nutritious seeds and not empty fillers. Suet is used in abundance during the winter months when the birds require a high calorie intake to survive. Keep the feeders full as well as clean. Seed blocks work wonders for long-term feeding if you are going away for extended periods of time. Cleanliness is important, as dirty feeders can spread diseases. Danger lurks in other places, too. Pesticides, insecticides and herbicides in the garden could be deadly. Here in Lassen, hawks and eagles are commonly seen soaring through the skies. Thus a first consideration for me is feeding in areas that protect the smaller species of birds and hoping the birds of prey will find the prairie dogs, field mice and rabbits a better choice for their dining pleasure.

You could say that my garden is for the birds. And that is a good thing in my book!

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Put Your Hands Together for the California Clapper Rail

by Matthew Warner

This post is the ninth in a year-long series celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act. Read the previous post here.

For decades San Francisco Bay’s marshlands were viewed as a waste of space, so they were drained and filled in for development. However, we’ve come to learn that our tidal marshlands serve a number of important functions: They help prevent flooding by their ability to adapt to the rise and fall of water. They help keep our waterways clean by filtering pollutants. And they provide critical habitat for a number of critters.

If you are ever in the neighborhood of Larkspur and have time to take a stroll by Corte Madera Creek, you just might hear or see a clapper … no, not the part of a bell or the sound-activated switch as seen on TV (“Clap on, clap off”), but the California clapper rail (Rallus longirostris obsoletus).

California clapper rail (Photo by Don Roberson/Public Domain)

The California clapper rail is listed as an endangered species. One reason their numbers are in sharp decline is the loss of habitat due to the diking that converted low-lying marshland into urban development. Another factor leading to their sharp decline is the predation of eggs by non-native foxes and rats. As adults, they have to keep a sharp eye on the sky as they are hunted by red-tailed hawks, northern harriers and peregrine falcons. It would have been “Clapp off” for the clapper rail if it wasn’t for the US Fish and Wildlife Service, which made a recovery plan in 1984 and is aiding in the recovery of the bird’s population.

Clapper rails nest close to the water’s edge and enjoy feasting on spiders, yellow and striped shore crabs, amphipods and the introduced non-native horse mussel. When you are out walking the creek you can thank the California clapper rail for taking out the horse mussel from our waterways! Feel free to watch and take pictures, but remember to keep a reasonable distance away from the birds so as not to disturb them.

The California clapper rail is yet another reason among many for us to support efforts to keep our salt waterways clean and to restore our tidal marshlands, which help prevent flooding and purify our water. Happy observing and “Clapp on” for the California clapper rail!

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Speeding to Recovery

by Andrea Williams

This post is the eighth in a year-long series celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act. Read the previous post here.

Peregrine falcon (Photo courtesy of Mike Baird)

Fastest animal alive, and thanks to the Endangered Species Act it’s still around. I’m talking, of course, about the American peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus anatum) and its mind-boggling 200 mph killing dives. In the 1950s and 1960s, peregrine populations themselves were in a dive—from organophosphate (mainly DDT) pesticide use after World War II and also egg collection for falconry. By 1973, when the Endangered Species Act was passed, there were only a few hundred birds in the United States; peregrines were gone from the East Coast and down to fewer than five breeding pairs in California. The ban on DDT in the early 1970s, combined with a strong captive breeding and release program, has helped the U.S. population climb to over 3,000 birds and the American peregrine falcon was de-listed in 1999.

Sometimes my mind tries to make riddles out of how humans have changed the landscape, and how other animals have changed along with that. So instead of asking “How is a raven like a writing desk?”* I ask “How is a skyscraper like a cliff face?” And peregrines have answered the latter question with “I can lay an egg on it.”

During their rebound in the 1980s, peregrine falcons not only returned to their historic breeding sites in rocky spots such as Pinnacles National Monument and steadily increased at Point Reyes National Seashore, but started showing up in cities—nesting on the Golden Gate Bridge and Bay Bridge, as well as on tall buildings and smokestacks nationwide. But it can be dangerous raising young in an urban environment. While there are fewer predators (great horned owls and golden eagles, e.g.) and lots of pigeons, falling out of a nest that’s on a building or a bridge is much more deadly than one on a cliff, and first flights in a city can involve cars and buildings. Reintroduction (augmenting the existing population) stopped in California in 1992 but wild hatchling relocation continued until this year by groups such as the Santa Cruz Predatory Bird Research Group (SCPBRG) for those reasons. Nest productivity for both urban and wildland pairs appears similar in our area.

Generally, if I want to see a peregrine falcon I head to the coast. That’s where I saw my first one in the mid-90s, slicing through the air over the bluffs, and that’s where I most reliably see them today. But starting in February, you can see them anywhere you have an internet connection: numerous nest-cams exist, and the SCPBRG maintains a camera on a nest site at the PG&E building in San Francisco.

*The higher the fewer. Also, inky quills.

Additional resources:
www.sfnps.org/peregrine_falcons
www2.ucsc.edu/scpbrg/index.htm

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Fossorial Mammals

by Andrea Williams

When I first heard the phrase “fossorial mammals” and how important they were to grassland ecology, I thought of giant ground sloths (Megatherium) and saber-tooth tigers (Smilodon). Sadly, I was wrong. “Fossorial” just means “ground-dwelling,” like “arboreal” means “tree-dwelling.” Although the days of giant sloths and pygmy mammoths have passed, our grasslands are ruled still by fossorial mammals: pocket gophers (Thomomys).

Great blue heron eating a gopher. Herons usually dip the gophers in water (either to drown them or make them go down easier). Photo courtesy of National Park Service/Andrea Williams.

If you have a lawn, you probably know how much earth a gopher moves in a very short time. They’re major engineers in grassland ecosystems, putting up impressive numbers: estimates have 1-3 mounds per day, 70 mounds per month, as much as 2.25 tons of earth moved in a year (or an average of just under 50 tons for a population of 50 gophers). In many grasslands, there are 20-30 gophers in a single acre turning over a quarter of the soil. While this may seem like a nuisance in your yard, it’s enormously important to many wildflowers and plants that need the bare mineral earth to establish; and the burrows are used by dozens of other animals. Plus have you ever seen a coyote, bobcat or great blue heron eating a gopher? Very cool. We generally consider ourselves lucky to still see grassland mammals—the aforementioned coyote and bobcat, plus badgers and meadow mice and ground squirrels—but not the poor unappreciated gopher or mole. Moles, they can smell in stereo, and know which nostril is picking up a particular scent. And although they may make your yard lumpy and eat your favorite plants, gophers (and to a smaller extent, moles) are foundations of a healthy grassland ecosystem, creating space for numerous other plants and animals to live.

http://www.sonoma.edu/preserves/prairie/prairie_desc/animals.shtml#thbo
http://news.discovery.com/animals/the-mole-smells-in-stereo-130205.htm

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Spring in the Garden

by Charlene Burgi

Spring—it’s my favorite season of the year. It is all about the freshness of new beginnings! Flower seeds lying fallow through the long wet and cold winter burst through the soil to greet us with new creations in the once drab landscape of our gardens.

Rosebush signs of life

Daffodils, crocus and freesia, among other spring bulbs, are resurrected nodding their pretty heads in the gentle winds and acknowledging the welcome sunlight. With great anticipation, I closely watched the roses that appeared beyond the living after weathering the brutal, below-zero winter temperatures. My faith waned this month as I eyed the ever-present dead leaves and brown stems. Yet, this morning I spotted new growth working its way through the stems, renewing my hope in their life! Perennials that appeared dead are also showing signs of new green leaves as they emerge from their roots nestled within the deep layers of protective mulch.

Grosbeak at feeder

Spring also brings the robin—noted as the harbinger. In Lassen, we are treated by the visit of gorgeous evening grosbeaks. Various birds are constructing nests in nearby trees with building materials found around the property. Soon fledging baby birds will find their way to the bird feeders that seem to empty as fast as they are filled.

The warmer weather beckons me outdoors to discover the beautiful wildflowers popping up, or finds me planning and planting new sections of the garden. Bare-root season seduced me with five new blueberry and an equal number of raspberry plants, which are now looking for an ideal spot to call home and protection from the onslaught of hungry rabbits.

Additionally, spring cleaning is on the list this time of year, beginning with the forgotten, unheated garden shed. During the cold winter months, the greenhouse was filled with tools and materials used for gardening, leaving little room for newly seeded plants. To create space, I reorganized the garden shed and potting bench. Tools were oiled, empty pots were stacked and seed starter was mixed. More seeds were unearthed from forgotten containers, then scattered to find new life or filed with others with the promise of soon being planted.

As I looked around while working outside, it became clear it was time to sheet mulch over unwanted weeds that were springing up. If you have never tried it, sheet mulching is simple. The hoard of cardboard squirreled away in the garden shed will soon be put to use by placing it over wetted-down weeds. After covering the weeds with the overlapping cardboard, I will spray more water on top of the cardboard to help make a better connection with the soil below, then finish with a heavy layer of either mulch or composted material.

If planting in the sheet-mulched area is your plan, you can plant directly into the cardboard by cutting holes and backfilling around the rootball with a mixture of site soil and well-rotted compost material. If you are using recycled cardboard from saved boxes, be certain to remove any staples or cellophane as they will not decompose! You can also buy rolls of cardboard at local irrigation supply houses. The dastardly chore of weeding will be met with a grin when you see how simple this task becomes.

Yes, spring is a wonderful time of year. As a friend just wished me: “May your happy thoughts multiply like rabbits.”

Wishing you all a very happy Easter or Passover.

Volunteers Needed for Marin-Friendly Garden Tour May 18

If you enjoy hanging out in a beautiful garden and chatting with fellow gardening enthusiasts, have we got an opportunity for you! We’re looking for volunteers to work morning and afternoon shifts greeting guests at the Marin-Friendly Garden Tour on Saturday, May 18. You’ll receive a t-shirt and small token of our appreciation, and be entered into a drawing to win a Marin-Friendly prize. Volunteer half the day and spend the other half touring inspiring, environmentally friendly gardens! Learn more.

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An Endangered Species Soars Again

by Elise Hinman

This post is the first in a year-long series celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act.

Protecting, maintaining and stewarding the Mt. Tamalpais Watershed are daunting responsibilities, especially for a new seasonal watershed aide like me. Starting in the chill of winter, even walking outside sometimes presents a challenge, let alone the duty of keeping a watchful eye on the reservoirs and trails. Luckily for me, in my time of perceived helplessness and inferiority, I am not alone.

At this point in the post, you may be expecting an ode to my accommodating coworkers and supervisors, or a sonnet about the unshakeable, vibrant volunteers I met at my first Trail Crew day. While they are certainly deserving of recognition, do not jump to conclusions so easily. The warden of whom I speak weighs less than 15 pounds, but its wingspan reaches eight feet. Can you guess this creature’s name?

Did your thoughts soar to the majestic bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)? You’d be right! In wintertime, visitors and staff sometimes spot bald eagles using Bon Tempe and Kent lakes as fish foraging habitat. This noble bird commonly appears in Native American legends as a courageous, powerful guardian associated with spirituality and balance. I wouldn’t mind channeling some of those qualities during my months on the watershed.

Bald eagle nest on the Mt. Tamalpais Watershed

These stately birds are also international travelers. Many spend their summers in Canada and Alaska, migrating down to the balmier states and northern Mexico during the winter months. In the late winter and springtime, bald eagles return to the vicinity where they were born to build a nest and procreate. Though predominantly solitary raptors, bald eagles mate for life, reconnecting with their significant other each breeding season. Mating pairs will also rediscover their nest from the previous year, adding to its size and stability. The largest bald eagle nest on record weighed over 2 tons!*

Loyal, well-traveled, independent and brave—admirable traits we can all spot in the bald eagle. Had it not been recognized as an icon of freedom and power in the United States (as would have been Benjamin Franklin’s wish—he pushed for the turkey, instead!), the bald eagle might have gone extinct decades ago. The extensive use of DDT as a pesticide in the mid-1900s caused the bioaccumulation of poisonous chemicals in bald eagles and other raptors, and had devastating consequences on the species’ reproductive health. Because of the bald eagle’s importance as a national symbol, the United States took great strides to save the species from extinction. Congress listed the bald eagle as an endangered species in 1967, and in 1972 banned the use of DDT in the United States. Bald eagle numbers soared in the years following this legislation, and in July 1995 the bald eagle was delisted from endangered to threatened. In August 2007, it was removed from the threatened species list—a success story!

So begins our string of monthly blogs dedicated to threatened, endangered and species-of-special-concern flora and fauna using the watershed and its surrounding habitats to cling to survival. Keep your eyes open in February for another scintillating story, but for now, just take some tips from the bald eagle: Always remember to be reliable, self-sufficient and vigilant; it just might lead to achievement.

*“Bald Eagle Haliaeetus leucocephalus.” National Geographic Animals. National Geographic.

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Safari in Marin?

by Elisa Ignatius

Mallard with ducklings

Though I wasn’t sure what I’d encounter on a Wild Sound Safari on the Mt. Tamalpais Watershed, I was intrigued by the idea. Our guide, Gina Farr from Wild Sound Stories, volunteered to lead a hike for MMWD’s centennial celebration on the watershed on June 23. Her version of a safari is to tune into the sounds around you—in front of you, to the side of you, overhead, near and far. I usually walk around Lake Lagunitas chatting with a friend and occasionally stop to appreciate the scenery. But in addition to the sights, Gina opened our awareness to the sounds, pointing out that your vision is limited to what’s in front of you or in your peripheral vision, but that your hearing spans 360 degrees around you.

Our group of about ten walked the circumference of the lake mostly in silence with occasional whispers to point out the source of a bird call (brown creepers, a moorhen) or the crunching of leaves off trail (a deer near a creek). A special treat of the outing was a mallard and her ducklings swimming within arm’s reach of the shore, something we might not have heard or seen had we not been so quiet and attentive.

For Gina, sound has shape and some sounds interact with their environment, such as the wind, which is silent until it passes another object. The sound of the wind through the trees is both pleasant and melancholic to me, and I imagined the wind shaped like soft ribbons flowing through the bay laurels, oaks and redwoods around the lake.

At the end of our safari, we sat near the edge of Collier Spring, an iconic babbling brook that flows into Lake Lagunitas. Gina led us through a 10-minute meditation guiding our imaginations from a drop of rain floating gently down from the sky, meeting with a leaf and falling together into the creek where they continue their journey to the lake. My tensions and worries of the day floated away in that beautiful setting of sight and sound.

Visit Gina Farr’s Wild Sound Stories website: wildsoundstories.com.

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Discover Butterflies, Birds and Damselflies of Mt. Tam at Centennial Celebration

MMWD is hosting an all-day, free program of guided nature walks and workshops on the Mt. Tamalpais Watershed on Saturday, June 23, in celebration of our 100-year anniversary. Here’s just a small sampling of what we have scheduled. Come see who’s taking flight over Mt. Tam at these family-friendly events.

Butterflies of Mt.Tamalpais (9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.) Join Wendy Dreskin of the North American Butterfly Association for a look at commonly seen species and an introduction to citizen science counts. Meet at Sky Oaks Watershed Headquarters.

Beginning Birding (10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.) Alicia Young and Pablo Herrera from PRBO Conservation Science will guide us on an avian-focused walk along the shores of Lake Lagunitas. Whether you’re an experienced birdwatcher or just learning, there will be something for everyone to enjoy on this walk; it’s the time of year when the osprey and bald eagles put on a mighty fine show. Meet at Lake Lagunitas.

Dragonflies and Damselflies of Lake Lagunitas (12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.)  Did you know that some Odanata species complete long-distance migrations each year while others never disperse beyond the Bay Area? Tania Pollak from San Francisco State University will be out studying the changing distribution patterns of a Bay Area endemic damselfly. Tag along to observe a scientist in action and maybe help out.

Drop-ins are welcome. Day-use parking passes are $8. Check out the full schedule of events and plan to join us for this special, once-in-a-hundred-years program!

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