Natural History Classes
Baja: West Coast and Sea of Cortez: March 26 - April 6, 2012
This is one of my favorite tours and I’ve enjoyed leading it for Wild Wings for many years. The Pacific coast and Sea of Cortez are feeding and migratory regions for the greatest variety of whales, dolphins and other cetaceans on the planet. Laysan albatross, Pink-footed Shearwater, Red-billed Tropicbird, Craveri’s Murrelet, Blue-footed and Brown Booby are some of the many seabirds seen on this expedition. In total over 120 species of birds are usually seen including Reddish Egret, Xantus’ Hummingbird, Gray Thrasher, Black-throated Sparrow and Pyrrhuloxia. Although diverse wildlife, wonderful snorkeling and rocky, desert landscapes are awesome this special tour is really more than the sum of its parts.
The following programs are sponsored by Point Reyes Field Institute
Journey to the Esteros
Saturday, March 24 • 8:45 AM – 4:00 PM
Explore some of the less-visited habitats of Point Reyes on this eight mile loop. You will hike to the upper part of Limantour Estero, Glenbrook Creek and Muddy Hollow, exploring a variety of habitats, including freshwater marsh, salt marsh, riparian woodlands, grasslands and coastal scrub. The Muddy Hollow creek, restored as a tidal estuary, may show bufflehead, snipe and marsh sparrows. While enjoying the hike and learning about bird identification and behavior, you’ll be on the lookout for resident and breeding birds plus wintering raptors, water birds, shorebirds and land birds. A dense Bishop Pine forest, resulting from the 1995 Mount Vision fire, is another habitat that will be explored.
Birds and Wildflowers of the Estero Trail
April/May 2012
Drakes and Limantour Esteros are incredibly rich estuaries that we will explore on this varied eight-mile walk along the Estero Trail to Drakes Head. Pausing to view the diversity of poppies, lupine, mallow and other plants will give us an opportunity for rest along the way. Of course, we will also stop to view the many brant, grebes, scoters, shorebirds and other waterbirds that are migrating and feeding in the rich zones we will visit. Flycatchers, warblers and other landbirds will be initiating nesting activity and we will identify them by voice and sight. Join us for a full day of exploration in a part of the seashore that many are not familiar with.
Natural History of Coastal Monterey
April 13 - 15, 2012
The coast of Monterey County is wonderfully scenic and diverse. Over 400 species of birds have been found here and the botanical diversity is also remarkably rich. On Friday, explore the famous Point Lobos State Reserve, peering into coves for breeding cormorants and watching oystercatchers feed in the tidal zone. Not far beyond the cypress bluffs and kelp forests, migrating gray whales can often be seen and sea lions are always present. We will continue exploring this dramatic coast to the south towards Big Sur, visiting a surprise canyon where a redwood and fern-lined stream flows out to a dramatic headland. The grasslands, oak woodland and riparian habitats of Carmel Valley will be our focus on Saturday. We will travel from cottonwood-sycamore stands along the Carmel River, by oak woodlands to dramatic vistas. A special feature will be a visit to Hastings Preserve, a unique University of California reserve not open to the public. Here we learn about the natural history of lizards, gophers, Acorn woodpeckers, magpies and many other birds that breed locally. On Sunday, we will explore Elkhorn Slough by pontoon boat, offering an excellent platform from which to see and photograph the thousands of godwits, willets, dunlin and other shorebirds. Our boat also provides a perfect opportunity for close viewing of sea otters and harbor seals. In addition to the boat trip, we will walk a trail through lichen-draped oaks and a salt marsh at the National Estuarine Preserve, affording us even more birding opportunities. Accommodations are not included but a helpful packet of information including local lodging options will be sent upon registration.
These two programs are offered by the Elderhostel/Road Scholar Program
Nature's Tapestry at Point Reyes National Seashore
April 29 - May 4 and September 23 - 28
Nowhere is nature's power to produce transcendent beauty so apparent as amid the more than 70,000 acres of Point Reyes National Seashore. Natural and human history permeates this wonderfully diverse area and you'll enjoy its most captivating corners to learn of the immutable scientific principles that govern these timeless lands. Observe migrating gray whales, sea lions, elephant seals, harbor seals, tule elk and view some of the greatest avian diversity found in any national park. Visit with staff at a marine mammal rescue center, and survey more than 5,000 years of human history in the region, from prehistoric Coast Miwok Indians to European explorers and ranchers to the recent expansion of nearby population centers.
Magnificent Marin Hikes
June 3 - 8 and September 30 - October 5
Explore the wilds and legends of Angel Island, the Ellis Island of the West, with fabulous views of San Francisco and the Golden Gate. Explore the Tule Elk Preserve and experience the unique bio-diversity of Pt. Reyes as you walk along the coastal bluffs in search of whales and other wildlife. From the Marin Headlands to Angel Island, Mt.Tamalpais to Point Reyes National Seashore, Marin offers a magnificent diversity of hiking opportunities. Explore the finest trails in the area and delve into the history, geography, geology, flora and fauna of Marin County with leading local naturalists and historians as your guides. Develop an appreciation of the John Muir's legacy at Muir Beach and among the ancient redwoods at Muir Woods.
Treasure of Yosemite
June 10 - 15
On this tour sponsored by Smithsonian Journeys we will explore an iconic place that is always inspiring, Yosemite National Park. Five nights lodging, first at the historic Wawona Hotel followed by the Yosemite Lodge, allow us to explore the awe-inspiring Mariposa Sequoia Grove, with its 2,700 year-old “Grizzly Giant and to enjoy a variety of hikes through Yosemite Valley to view El Capitan, Half Dome, Mirror Lake, Bridalveil and Vernal Falls. Low snow levels should allow us to walk up Sentinel Dome, one of Yosemite’s signature granitic formations and possibly visit the dramatic scarp of the Eastern Sierra and Mono Lake. A wonderful assortment of birds, mammals, wildflowers and other plants in a variety of life zones make this park a paradise for naturalists. The words of John Muir, echos of the Awahneechee people and the origin of the National Park Service are just a few aspects of the rich human history here.
Please join me in this special landscape.
The following program is sponsored by Point Reyes Field Institute
Mono Lake - A Natural History Tour
July 13 - 15 or 27 - 29
Join David as he shares one of his favorite places, and one of the most dynamic ecosystems on the planet, Mono Lake. On the first morning of this tour we will explore the lake's southern shore in the best way possible, by kayak. As we slide by oddly wonderful tufa towers we may encounter hundreds of phalaropes. A simple, but important food chain ties them to the trillions of brine shrimp in the lake. The tufa formations are just one geologic aspect of a wondrous basin that includes both the oldest lake on the continent and its youngest mountain range. Lundy Canyon, Saturday's focus, has incredible botanical diversity and waterfalls in a spectacular glacial canyon. The rest of the weekend features several short hikes to young volcanic domes, sagebrush meadows, mixed conifer woods and riparian forests. These habitats are the breeding zones for many birds including green-tailed towhee, sage thrasher and Townsend's solitaire. The battle to save Mono Lake was one of the most influential environmental victories of the twentieth century. Come and discover the protected shores and other habitats of this amazing basin. The fee does not include accommodations, meals or transportation although Point Reyes Field Institute will send a helpful information packet. Trip fee includes naturalist guides and Friday kayak rental.
