Bay Area Wildlife Blog

Antioch Burrowing Owl updates

clapperail — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 17:05:19 +0000

Antioch Burrowing Owl

Yea for Scott and all else working so hard to save a colony of Burrowing Owls being evicted from a lot in Antioch. Here’s the latest and greatest news.

Bay Area Bird Blog

Scotts Blog

Wildlife in the News

clapperail — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 22:28:11 +0000

These are a few of the wildlife issues that are close to my heart. The story of the California Condor has been an inspiration with such an increase in their population and the positive events of the year.Female Condor #303 successfully nested in San Benito County with Condor #313, the first and only breeding pair there in approximately 70 years. Unfortunately she was found with lead poisoning and didn’t survive even with treatment.Ventana Wildlife Society-Breeding California Condor Dies of Lead Poison

A developer in Antioch, Ca. has a colony of Burrowing Owls on his property that are going to be kicked out of their home with the permission of Ca. Fish & Game. This is a huge disapointment to all of us involved in trying to keep these owls safe. JournOwl- Burrowing Owl Mitigation is Eradication and Eviction

Center for Biological Diversity- Challenge Protection Delay for 144 Species

Great beaver videos

clapperail — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 19:35:10 +0000

I love these videos narrated by Sir David Attenborough from BBC Worldwide. They show the private lives of beavers up close and personal.

Nature Films on the Rise

clapperail — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 21:23:10 +0000

You don’t have to look only in your local tv listings for nature shows on Discovery Channel and National Geographic any more, you might want to check out the your neighborhood movie listings. The release of Earth in April was only the beginning of a new surge of big screen nature movies. The Cove is an espionage style/documentary film that brings the plight of the Dolphin in Taiji, Japan to light. The Cove is screening in select cities around the country.

The Crimson Wing , opens Sept. 25th, the first in a series of nature films by newly formed Disneynature.

Wildlife films: Flights of fancy

Over the next five years, Disneynature will be releasing one film a year. Following The Crimson Wing, the sub-aquatic adventure Oceans will be unveiled next April. Then, in 2011 comes Naked Beauty. “It’s about the job that pollinators – bees, hummingbirds, bats, butterflies – do to help flowers produce and create what we need to survive,” says Camilleri. “Einstein said that if bees disappear from the surface of the Earth, then we have four years to live.” Then comes African Cats, currently being shot in Kenya, and in 2013, Earth co-directors Alastair Fothergill and Mark Linfield will present Chimpanzee.

I think the real winners here, besides the viewers that get to see these wonders up close, are the animals, birds and habitats that get the attention they deserve.

Sucess for Ca. Condors and Pelicans Alike

clapperail — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 17:32:31 +0000

This week in Santa Monica, Ca. IBRRC took part in the Blue Planet Festival. To kick off the festivities they did a public release of Brown Pelicans and gulls. It’s great to see these large, anthropomorphic birds make it back from human caused injury to freedom again.

Another large bird that may not have the same anthropomorphic qualities is the Ca. Condor. I find them fascinating even though I have yet to see one in the wild. There is good news from Ventana Wildlife Society in an update on the status of this years hatchlings. You can read about it here on their blog.

City Vultures

clapperail — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 16:40:26 +0000

To Celebrate Vulture Awareness Day, I thought I would feature a few photos of what Vultures do best. This Turkey Vulture was in my neighborhood cleaning up the remains of a squirrel I assume had been hit by a car. He was in a driveway with his prize as I came down the street. Thanks for the cleanup!

International Vulture Awareness Day

“Peripheral Canal” Legislation is Bad News for Bay-Delta Region

clapperail — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 22:55:35 +0000

California’s Bay Delta Region could be in for a real fight if the Governor’s proposed legislation is passed. A package of five bills regarding the Bay-Delta is currently being considered by the state legislature in the final weeks of this legislative session. These are bills that would enable moving legislation ahead to construct a water conveyance system comparable to the Panama Canal circumventing the fresh water flows into the Delta.

The Center for Biological Diversity is asking for your help to Stop the Governors Big Ditch with a letter to your Legislators by Sept 11

For more information follow these links:

Delta Legislation Enabling Construction of Peripheral Canal Spells Disaster for Region’s
Already Struggling Fisheries

Martinez Gazette

California Sportfishing Protection Alliance

Success for Ca. Condors

clapperail — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 17:55:24 +0000

It’s been good and bad news for the Ventana Wildlife Society this year. They had successful hatchings from the 5 nesting pairs this year with continuing good news from 3 nesting sites. Unfortunately one chick was found dead because of trash impaction, probably from being fed trash from the parents. One nest is still being monitored for later news on the chick.

As of today 5 Condors are being evacuated from their flight pen in Pinnacles to Big Sur because of a fire.

For more information on these fascinating birds visit their own personal blog at MyCondor.org

No More Deadly Desert Tortoise Translocations

clapperail — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 16:19:06 +0000

The US Army is planning to move more than 1,1oo Desert Tortoises to expand its training operations in the Mojave Desert. More than 250 of the 600 tortoises died last year during a move to make way for tank warfare training.

The Center for Biological Diversity is asking for help in their fight to stop the translocation of this endangered species.

Their petition can be found here

More information can be found on these pages

California Desert Tortoise: under the gun of the U.S. Army

Army seeks to move more than 1,100 desert tortoises

10,000 Birds and IBRRC

clapperail — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 21:44:35 +0000

: Juvenile Double-Crested Cormorant

IBRRC is an amazing place to volunteer. I’ve only worked there a few months but it doesn’t take long to sense the dedication and care that the staff and volunteers practice everyday. I don’t know what it is that keeps everyone coming back for more, the lovely smell of fish that covers your clothes when you go home, or the many colors of bird poop that you might be wearing when you walk out the door. What it comes down to is that it’s all about the birds and I think Charlie at 10,000 Birds had a good feel for for the allure of the place in his second report from his visit here.

More from the IBRRC – releasing cormorants

If you missed part one it is

The IBRRC: special place, special people (Part One)