Bobcat by Cleve Nash

Bobcat by Cleve Nash

Snowy Egrets by Alan Schmierer

Goats and Dogs at Point Buchon
by Jeanie Greensfelder

Peregrine Falcon image on banner by Cleve Nash

A Bird's Eye View by Mike Stiles

Take a look at the range maps in your field guide for Blackburnian, Bay-breasted, and Canada Warblers, and you can plainly see that they just don't occur here on the West Coast. But all three of these eastern warblers, in fact, have been seen in our county this October, and these rare, eastern warblers are what compel many birders to scour their favorite patch of willows this time of year.  Read More

Coastland Contemplations by Michele Oksen

One of the beautiful things about living in a small town is the sense of belonging to a large family. However, along with the great rewards, to have a large family can mean there will be a lot of loss — as was the case in Cambria recently. So many special people passed away in such a short period of time it had residents shaking their bowed heads. Some wondered if there was a curse cast upon us, while others just took deep breaths and sighed out their woes into our mysterious world. Read More

Elfin Forest by Jean Wheeler

Rejoice, bird lovers — the fall migration season is upon us again! By the end of this month the estuary from Bush Lupine Point will seem nearly covered with shore and water birds. Dabbling ducks to look for include Mallards, Northern Pintails, Gadwalls, American Wigeons, Northern Shovelers, Teal (Blue-winged, Cinnamon, and Green-winged), and Scaup (Lesser and Greater). Diving ducks to enjoy include Ring-necked, Canvasback, Surf Scoter, Bufflehead, Common Goldeneye, Red-breasted Merganser, and Ruddy Ducks. Horned, Eared, Pied-billed, Western, and Clark's Grebes will remain until March or April.  About three thousand or so Brant Geese usually arrive around the end of this month, some en route farther south and many to spend the winter feeding on the eel grass in the bay.  Shorebirds like Sandpipers, Dowitchers, and the American Avocet also reach peak populations in winter, with birds arriving from shorelines farther north that won't support them in winter.  Read More

Marine Sanctuaries by Carol Georgi & Karl Kempton

While marine animals have many natural defenses, they are powerless against human threats of pollution, ocean warming, over-industrialization, and acoustic high intensity seismic testing (HESS). A marine sanctuary is one of the few locations for sustainable fishing, and for marine mammal protection. However, the area between two sanctuaries has little protection.

PG&E is planning to use high intensity acoustic blasting between the Channel Islands and the Monterey Bay Sanctuaries off the central California coast. Both sanctuaries are concerned about the decibel level of the pressure waves as they enter the sanctuaries. Read More

Female Elephant Seals in
Dispute Over Space by Kevin Cole

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