If you live in the Bay Area, take a moment to click here and let your Congressional representatives know that you’ve had enough of these sewage spills into the Bay and that you would like their help in putting a stop to this ongoing crisis. This week, there have been at least four major releases [...]
Entries from February 2009
Take a stand on S.F. Bay sewage spills
February 27th, 2009 · by gfrost
Tags: Bird conservation · Bird Habitat · Federal Policy · Local Policy
L.A. Times: Climate change could be culprit in January pelican deaths
February 26th, 2009 · by gfrost
The Los Angeles Times this week takes another look at the mysterious die-off of Brown Pelicans that took place in January and finds at least one researcher who attributes it not only to weather, but to climate change. Share on Facebook
Tags: Bird conservation · Global Warming
S.F. Bay sewage spill coverage
February 26th, 2009 · by gfrost
the Associated Press today offers a round-up of the major sewage spills hitting San Francisco Bay over the last couple of weeks. Meanwhile the Contra Costa Times editorializes that it’s high time someone put a stop to this nonsense. Share on Facebook
Tags: Bird conservation · Bird Habitat · Local Policy
State Fish and Game Department is worth your attention
February 25th, 2009 · by gfrost
Interesting editorial in the Sacramento Bee today about the California Department of Fish and Game. While the piece is built around the State Senate Rules Committee hearing today to consider the permanent appointment of the department’s interim director, it makes some important points about the importance of this agency to California’s outdoors: This state agency [...]
Tags: State Policy
Are you on Facebook? Audubon California is.
February 25th, 2009 · by gfrost
If you’re on Facebook, go to Audubon California’s Page and sign on as a Fan. It’s yet another great way to keep up-to-date on what we’re doing on behalf of birds and nature in California. As we build out our Facebook presence, we’ll have special offers for Facebook members and new features that you’ll only [...]
Tags: Bird conservation · Bird Habitat · Bird videos · Birding · Conservation research
L.A. looking to rehabitilate Lake Machado
February 24th, 2009 · by gfrost
According to the Los Angeles Times, the City of Los Angeles is beginning a process to rehabilitate Lake Machado, which is located in Ken Malloy Harbor Regional Park. You probably would have never heard of Lake Machado or the Ken Malloy Harbor Regional Park had it not been for a particularly dangerous non-native species, namely [...]
Tags: Bird conservation · Bird Habitat · Birding · Local Policy · urban conservation
More sewage in S.F. Bay? Really?
February 24th, 2009 · by gfrost
Got word last night of another huge spill of untreated sewage in the San Francisco Bay last night, this time in Richmond. (Remember the last one?) Further inquiries this morning alerted us to at least three sewage spills in the East Bay since Sunday, resulting in at least 850,000 gallons of treated and untreated sewage, [...]
Tags: Bird conservation · Bird Habitat · Richardson Bay Audubon Center & Sanctuary
L.A. Times: Winter unveils Southern California’s wonders
February 24th, 2009 · by gfrost
OK, so it’s not specifically about birds, but this column by Hector Tobar in today’s Los Angeles Times is fine celebration of the great outdoors of Southern California — a kind of nature writing that one doesn’t encounter all that often anymore. The piece also features a quote from Jeff Chapman, who heads the Audubon Center at [...]
Tags: Audubon Center at Debs Park · Bird Habitat
Starr Ranch Barn Owl web cam enhanced with viewer comments
February 23rd, 2009 · by gfrost
The folks at the Audubon California Starr Ranch have been getting so many interesting comments from people all over the world about the live Barn Owl webcam that they decided to put a blog at the bottom of the page so everyone can share their comments and observations. The result is pretty interesting as some folks [...]
Tags: Bird conservation · Bird Habitat · Bird videos · Birding · Starr Ranch Sanctuary · Video · Wildlife photos and video
Rossmoor Woodpeckers update
February 23rd, 2009 · by gfrost
We’re still waiting for a final decision from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service on the depradation permit it issued to residents of Rossmoor to kill up to 50 Acorn Woodpeckers. According to a recent article in the Los Angeles Times, the Service has sent out experts to evaluate the situation. We’re hopeful that this [...]
Tags: Bird conservation · Bird Habitat · Federal Policy
Southern California birding in Los Angeles Magazine
February 20th, 2009 · by gfrost
This month’s issue of Los Angeles Magazine has a nice feature about birding in Southern California. While that article isn’t online, the magazine does have a bunch of web extras that are pretty interesting, including a nice feature about Western Snowy Plovers on L.A. beaches, a slide show on area birds with sound (really cool), and [...]
Tags: Audubon Chapters · Bird conservation · Bird Habitat · Birding · urban conservation · Wildlife photos and video
L.A. Times: A dumb diesel deal
February 20th, 2009 · by gfrost
The Los Angeles Times today editorializes on perhaps the worst insult to the environment to come out of this week’s budget deal in Sacramento: the agreement to delay implementation of new emissions limits for off-road vehicles, such as construction equipment. Share on Facebook
Tags: State Policy
Caltrans Bald Eagle Cam looking great
February 19th, 2009 · by gfrost
Thanks to a tip, we’ve just become aware of the Caltrans Eagle Cam in Redding along Highway 44. Looks like the Bald Eagles in the nest have a few eggs. And yeah, there is something really cool about watching Bald Eagles. Share on Facebook
Tags: Bird conservation · Bird Habitat · Bird videos · Birding
Breath of Fresh Air in the Salton Sea
February 19th, 2009 · by gfrost
Audubon’s Imperial Valley Landowner Stewardship Coordinator Al Kalin works with Salton Sea Wildlife Refuge to restore a dewatered bay in the Salton Sea. Click here to see the full article. Share on Facebook
Tags: Bird conservation · Bird Habitat · Important Bird Areas · Landowner Stewardship · Salton Sea
Flotsam at Richardson Bay
February 19th, 2009 · by gfrost
So, sometimes when there’s a big storm in the San Francisco Bay, random things wash up on the short of the Richardson Bay Audubon Center & Sanctuary. Sometimes these random things are boats. Check out the Center’s latest guest on their live webcam. (UPDATE 2/20: It’s off the beach now, but it was fun while it [...]