Archive for the ‘birding’ Category
Whales and First Day Hikes Start January 1
—Posted Saturday, December 24th, 2011 at 10:27 am—
Migrating California Gray whales, numbering between 18,000–23,000 individuals, pass by the Mendocino coast twice each year. Here are several ways you can check out the whales and other wildlife along the Mendocino Coast, thanks to State Parks.
FIRST DAY WALKS: California State Parks announces guided interpretive hikes at 4 state parks along the Mendocino Coast on January 1, 2012. These hikes are part of a nationwide effort of special hikes on New Years Day in state parks in all 50 states. This will promote state parks and participation in healthy activities. All of these hikes will take place on California’s North Coast in wintertime. Be prepared for cool temperatures.
WALK #1: Westport-Union Landing State Beach. Meet the docent at 1:00 p.m. at the park headquarters building at park main entrance, just west of Hwy 1. The park is located about 19 miles north of Fort Bragg, California on Hwy 1. This will be a 1 mile long moderate hike. This hike is suggested for children 8 years and older, and adults. Learn fun facts about the once bustling town of Westport from local resident Steve Brigham.
WALK #2: MacKerricher State Park. Meet the docent at 10:00 a.m. at the Laguna Point parking lot, from Mill Creek Road, three miles north of Fort Bragg, California, west of Hwy 1. This will be an easy three-quarter-mile walk along a boardwalk. This short walk will be filled with fun facts about MacKerricher State Park as you walk to an overlook above the ocean. Park Naturalist Teresa Hurray will lead this walk. The walk is suggested for children 12 years and older, and adults.
WALK #3: Russian Gulch State Park. Meet the docent in front of the recreation hall at the park at 12:00 noon. The park entrance road is located on the west side of Hwy 1, three miles north of Mendocino, California. This will be a moderate 5.5 mile out and back hike (2.75 miles each way) to the beautiful waterfall at Russian Gulch State Park. You will learn about the park’s natural history from Dave Jensen, renowned birder and naturalist. This hike is suggested for children 10 years and older, and adults. Bring water and snacks with you.
WALK #4: Mendocino Headlands State Park. Meet the docent at the Ford House Visitor Center at 1:00 p.m. The visitor center is at 725 E. Main St. in Mendocino, California. This will be a moderate 2 mile out and back hike (1 mile each way) to the bluffs overlooking the ocean. Park naturalist Fred Andrews will talk about the annual migration of gray whales between Alaska and Baja. Binoculars will be provided to look for gray whales swimming southward. This hike is suggested for children 10 years and older, and adults.
WHALE TALKS: California State Parks announces weekend whale talks at MacKerricher State Park! Talks will take place from January 7 through March 18, 2012. Knowledgeable docents will talk about the annual gray whale migration and about other marine mammals seen along the Mendocino coast. Programs are scheduled to begin every Saturday and Sunday at 11:00 a.m., from January 7, through March 18.
Talks will begin near the visitor center at the main entrance to MacKerricher State Park. Docents will provide binoculars and a spotting scope to help visitors study whales and other fascinating wildlife found near MacKerricher’s shores. After meeting at the MacKerricher visitor center, groups will then drive to Laguna Point, where you will walk out to look for whales. Programs are scheduled for 11:00 a.m. every Saturday and Sunday from January 7 through March 18, 2011
Cormorant Count Attests to Healthy Ocean
—Posted Monday, August 10th, 2009 at 7:30 pm—
Internationally-known birder, photographer and wildlife biologist Ron LeValley of Fort Bragg says a local group has initiated a “citizen science project” (not official, just something created by interested locals) to monitor three populations of nesting cormorants on the Mendocino Coast.
Why? By monitoring seabird populations you can measure the health of the ocean and determine whether there is sufficient food to sustain birds and marine life, says LeValley. He and others in the volunteer-staffed science project are counting and photographing cormorant nests and chicks weekly off Mendocino Headlands State Park (Brandt’s Cormorants), Point Cabrillo Light Station (Pelagic Cormorants) and Noyo Harbor off the jetty (Brand’s Cormorants).
In the past — for decades actually — scientists have measured the bird populations at the Farallon and Alcatraz Islands and then extrapoled about the ocean’s food supplies and health, according to LeValley
“If we took those traditional measures as our guide, we would arrive at the wrong conclusion because reproduction around San Francisco Bay is the worst in a long time,” says LeValley. “By contrast, our local colonies are thriving, indicating a healthy ocean.” A healthy population of sardines is reflected in the bumper crop of baby cormorants this year.
LeValley predicts that the Mendocino Coast will become an important place for gathering information about seabird success and state’s ocean health in the future. In fact, he plans to make a presentation of the local group’s study at the 2010 international meeting of the Pacific Seabird Group in Long Beach, California.
State Parks Offers Summer Programs
—Posted Friday, June 19th, 2009 at 8:38 pm—
Docent Led Hikes at Jug Handle State Reserve
Join California State Parks for guided Ecological Staircase hikes every other Thursday this summer. Hikes are scheduled for June 18, July 2, July 16, July 30, August 13 and August 27. All hikes start at 10:00 a.m. and end at 2:00 p.m. Meet at the Jug Handle State Natural Reserve parking lot on the west side of Highway 1, about 3 miles south of Fort Bragg.
Summer Programs at MacKerricher State Park
California State Parks announces free, guided interpretive programs at MacKerricher State Park. These programs will be presented every week through September 6, 2009. All programs are led by park staff or volunteers.
Memorial Day on the Coast – A 21-Gun Salute
—Posted Monday, May 25th, 2009 at 3:32 pm—
A 21-gun salute, readings, a prayer and the playing of taps were part of a Memorial Day gathering at Rose Memorial Park in Fort Bragg. About 50 people attended the event. The cemetery was ablaze with small American flags on veteran’s graves.
Land Trust Offers Summer Big River Walks
—Posted Sunday, April 26th, 2009 at 11:33 am—
During the first Big River Interpretive Walk season in 2008, over 200 people attended walks including local residents and visitors from as far as Europe and Japan. Many participants experienced Big River for the first time while others learned interesting facts about a place close to their hearts. On a recent drive down to the parking lot where walks begin, I saw a stately egret standing perfectly still just 20 yards off the road. There is definitely plenty to see. And, after you’ve walked the river, you can stroll to Big River Beach to watch the sunset.
Big River Interpretive Walks are free of charge and open to the public. The 2009 Interpretive Walks will occur on the following Saturdays at 10:00 a.m., weather permitting: May 2, May 16, June 6, June 20, July 4, July 18, August 1, August 15, September 5, September 19 and October 3. (more…)
Mendocino Outdoors, the premier guidebook for outdoor fun and adventure on the Mendocino Coast, has been completely expanded and revised for the 3rd Edition.
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