The Mercury News reported
by the end of this decade, mountain lions, deer and other wildlife that live in the Santa Cruz Mountains will have their own protected passage across notoriously dangerous Highway 17 when Northern California’s first major “wildlife corridors” are constructed to cut down on road kills and enhance driver safety.
Read full story at New tunnels in Santa Cruz Mountains will provide cougars safe passage
Posted in Animals | Tags: Santa Cruz Mountains Wildlife Tunnels
California Fall Color has the following new updates
Luther Pass (CA-89)( 10/22/16), the route connecting the Hope Valley and South Lake Tahoe, was peaking on Saturday when color spotter Maggie Huang visited.
Quaking aspen were deep orange and red, with a few splashes of yellow and lime.
Luther Pass (7,740′) – Peak (75-10%) GO NOW!
See photos at Luther Pass PeaksThe Community United Methodist church in Quincy (10/24/16) has a halo of orange and yellow color surrounding it and is absolutely beatific. GO NOW!
Community United Methodist Church, Quincy (3,432′) – Near Peak (50-75%) GO NOW!
See photos at Methodist ChurchMcArthur-Burney Falls (10/23/16) “pleased to find that the black oak trees that populate the area were turning. Some of the oaks within the park were at full peak with burnt orange hues, while many others–especially those near Burney Falls–were near peak with leaves running the gamut from green to yellow to orange.”
He estimates that the foliage will continue to develop in coming weeks, though characterizes the scene as “near peak,” stating “Burney Falls is a spectacular sight in any season, but seeing it framed by fall colors is a special late-October treat.”
McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial State Park (2,907′) – Near Peak (50-75%) GO NOW!
See photos at McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial State Park
Posted in Fall Foliage | Tags: Autumn Color, Autumn Foliage, Autumn leaf color, California Fall Color, Fall Color, Fall Foliage
Asheville NC Fall Foliage Color 2016 reports on October 25, 2016,
We got a winter preview last Saturday with Mt. Mitchell covered in ice (see photos) and very chilly temperatures throughout the mountains. But weather this week features perfect fall weather with bright blue skies. The colors have changed quickly during the last week. Peak colors are in elevations above 3,000 feet elevation – which is much of the Blue Ridge Mountains near Asheville, including Linville Gorge and much of the Great Smoky Mountains. The highest elevations above 5,000 feet are past peak – but their views into the valley have plenty of color. See more recent photos at our fall photo reports!
See an excellent fall foliage aerial video of Vermont fall color at This is Vermont Foliage – YouTube.
The page will also have links to other fall color videos. It is best viewed full screen on a computer.
Posted in Fall Foliage, Photography | Tags: Fall Color Aerial Video
Where to photograph in California – Yahoo Groups (Calphoto) has a report for Plumas County
We visited Plumas County and a bit in other counties this past Wed. and Thurs. Some color on Hwy 36 going to Chester but the Lake Almanor area had little color. Hwy 89 was closed at the entrance to Lassen Volcanic National Park.
Lots of color along the road from Greenville to the Round Valley reservoir. Very shaded and dim in the morning. Afternoon would be better for pictures. Lots of dogwood and big leaf maple.
Some good spots along the road from Hwy 89 to Taylorsville.
Oakland Camp Road and the DSpanish Trail starting at the Oakland Camp Road were quite good. Indian Rhubarb was faded along the Creek. Lovely big leaf maple along the trail.
Hwy 70 east of Quincy had loads of black oak color.
The New England Today fall color map shows views of live foliage reports from across New England. Much of New England including the higher elevations in the White and Green Mts. are now showing past peak. Lower elevations are still showing peak. See map at Live Fall Foliage Map for the most up to date reports. You can click on each county to see reports and photos.
Posted in Fall Foliage | Tags: Autumn Color, Autumn Foliage, Autumn leaf color, Fall Color, Fall Foliage, New England Fall Color
Superior National Forest reports
Most of the fall color is gone, but a few remaining aspen and birch are yellow and tamaracks are golden. Even if the trees are bare, there is color in the understory.
California Fall Color reports
“Lots of small pockets of color. Lots of red, but still some yellow.”
The forest floor sparkles with stunted rose, orange, pink and lime dogwoods.
Though he cautions, “Might not last much longer, especially if its supposed to rain this next week.”
Calaveras Big Trees State Park – Peak (75-100%) GO NOW!
See photos at Calaveras Big Trees Goin’ Big in Small Ways
The Guardian reports
Number of nesting Manx shearwaters almost triples in three years after a project, backed by Prince Charles, successfully kills off the rats that eat the birds’ chicks and eggs
Read story at Rare birds thriving on Scilly Isles after scheme rids islands of rats | Environment | The Guardian
Posted in Birds | Tags: Manx Shearwaters Thrive On Scilly Isles
The Santa Cruz Sentinel reports
In a milestone for the recovery of the California condor, a condor chick has hatched in the wild, survived and flown out of its nest at Pinnacles National Park for the first time since the 1890s.
Read full story at Condor chick born in wild flies from nest at Pinnacles for first time in a century
Posted in Birds | Tags: Wild Born Condor Flies
I went birding for a while this afternoon in Eastshore State Park near Sea Breeze Market Cove in Berkeley. It was sunny with some wind in the 60’s and the tide was coming in. I saw 15 species with the most interesting being a Eurasian Wigeon. Most abundant were the Coots and Least Sandpipers. Click read more to see bird list.
Posted in Birding Reports, Birds | Tags: Birding Eastshore State Park
California Fall Color reports
Wine Country is different from the Sierra, there are still vistas of pure green vines, but turn a corner and then a wash of brilliant red comes into view, that then transitions to a past peak field of brown-ochre.
“West Dry Creek offered the perfect fall drive at a very slow pace, and although there are still fields yet to turn, I would recommend to go now. With the rain storms heading our way, don’t take a chance, get up to wine country and enjoy the views.”
Dry Creek Road, Sonoma County – Peak (75-100%) GO NOW!
See photos at Dry Creek
Michael Frye Photography reported
Autumn arrived early on the east side, and then a storm came through just before the workshop, closing many Sierra passes and blowing leaves off the trees. But we still found some beautiful color; I’ve included a few photographs here made during and just before the workshop.
Though the color is fading in the eastern Sierra, the autumn foliage in Yosemite Valley typically peaks around the end of October and beginning of November. I made a detour into Yosemite Valley on our way over to the east side on October 13th. At that time it looked like the color was changing early – especially the big-leaf maples. I haven’t been back to the valley, but I talked with Evan Russel at The Ansel Adams Gallery today, and he said that there are some colorful dogwoods along Highway 120, and the big-leaf maples are still vibrant in many places in the valley. The oaks, cottonwoods, and dogwoods in the valley still have a way to go, so there should still be some good color in the valley for another couple of weeks.
See photo at Autumn on the East Side – Michael Frye Photography
Yesterday afternoon I went to a photography talk by Stephen Kane in the San Francisco Botanical Garden in Golden Gate Park. Stephen Kane lives near the park and has a show through December in the botanic garden library The Park: A Love Story Golden Gate Park Landscapes and Flora by Stephen Kane. After the talk we were able to walk around the garden as the sun was setting, which was something I haven’t done before. Here are a few of my photos from yesterday.
Posted in Photography, Photos (Sandy's) | Tags: Golden Gate Park, San Francisco Botanical Garden
Asheville NC Fall Foliage Color 2016 reports on October 22, 2016:
Wow! We got a winter preview today with Mt. Mitchell covered in ice (see photos) and very chilly temperatures throughout the mountains. But the warm up starts Sunday and continues all next week. The colors have changed quickly during the last week. Peak colors are in elevations above 3,500 feet elevation – which is much of the Blue Ridge Parkway. The highest elevations above 5,000 feet are past peak – but their views into the valley have plenty of color. See more recent photos at our fall photo reports!
NPR reports on cats versus birds
Are free-ranging cats pint-size murderers who need to be removed from the landscape because they critically decrease bird and small-mammal populations?
Or is the estimation of free-ranging cats’ impact on birds exaggerated, so that we’d do better to rein in the anti-cat hype and to focus on our own actions toward wildlife?
Are these the only two possible positions? Or is this dichotomy itself a kind of hype?
These questions aren’t new, but they’ve heated up again this month thanks to Peter P. Marra and Chris Santella’s book, Cat Wars: The Devastating Consequences of a Cuddly Killer.
Read full story at New Book, Cat Wars, Looks At What To Do With Free-Ranging Cats : 13.7: Cosmos And Culture : NPR
Posted in Animals, Birds | Tags: Feral Cats Killing Wildlife
National Geographic reports
TripAdvisor, the popular travel review website, and its ticket sales company, Viator, said Tuesday they no longer will sell tickets to hundreds of tourist attractions that are widely accepted as cruel to wild animals, reversing a policy under which the companies had resisted considering the welfare of animals when promoting trips.
Read story at TripAdvisor Halts Ticket Sales to Cruel Wildlife Attractions
Great Smoky Mountains National Park (U.S. National Park Service) reports
Colder nights at the high elevations in the park have leaves beginning to steadily fall. While shades of red are still present among the mountain ash berries, and witch hazel provides intermittent glimpses of orange, the high reaches of the park are a sea of yellow and gold with infinite shades and hues.
The undulating mountain ridges of the mid-elevations break the yellow expanse of beech, birch, buckeye, and tulip poplar with fiery reds of the black gum and red maple. The orange glow of the sugar maples add to the vibrant palette as well.
Color at the lower elevations in the park is predominantly provided by the reds of the dogwoods. That of the poison ivy and Virginia creeper also provide a sharp contrast to the brown tree trunks on which they are bound. The maples are also beginning to develop rich colors in scattered pockets. Even thought the landscape is still largely green, the rate of color change is rapidly increasing.
California Fall Color has several new updates today. Below are highlights. See photos and full reports at California Fall Color
Plumas County
This is the first weekend to see peak color in Plumas County.
Spanish Creek at Spanish Camp, Quincy – Peak (75-100%) GO NOW!
Coffee Creek
this past week’s rain “made all the maples turn bright yellow all at once… Dogwood are all different colors from red and green, pink, faded pink and still green.
Coffee Creek – Near Peak (50-75%) GO NOW!
Napa Vineyards
vineyards are prepped to peak successively over the next three weeks. That gives photographers and spotters plenty of time to head to the wine country and see magical color.
If you explore wine country backroads, be aware that the vines don’t all turn at the same time. The show develops by individual vineyard. As, autumn color matures by grape variety.
Napa County Vineyards (sea level to 2000’)Near Peak (50-75%) GO NOW! – Vineyards in Napa Valley and higher valleys to the east are turning yellow and red. There’s still a lot of green leaves to be seen, indicating they will continue to improve over the next two weeks. Higher elevations (1000-2000’) are showing more red than the floor of Napa Valley. Drive east on Howell Mountain Road (near St Helena) to Pope Valley and Chiles Valley for these colors.
Downieville
yellow bigleaf maple and rust and gold willows appearing at points along the northern Gold Country highway.
Phil noted that while the color is still Patchy, nice color can be found in the Yuba National forest beside Lavezzola Creeks, north of Downieville and at Sardine Lake.
Downieville (CA-49) (2,966′) – Patchy (10-50%)
Posted in Fall Foliage | Tags: Autumn Color, Autumn Foliage, Autumn leaf color, California Fall Color, Fall Color, Fall Foliage
Superior National Forest reports
Most of the fall color is gone, but aspen and birch are brilliant yellow and tamaracks are golden. There are even a few spots with maples still.
See a gallery of photos of the 2016 Wildlife Photographer Of The Year Winners at 2016 wildlife photographer of the year – winners in pictures | Environment | The Guardian
Posted in Photography | Tags: 2016 Wildlife Photographer Of The Year
The New England Today fall color map shows views of live foliage reports from across New England. The higher elevations in the White and Green Mts. are now showing past peak. Lower elevations are still showing peak. See map at Live Fall Foliage Map for the most up to date reports. You can click on each county to see reports and photos.
Posted in Fall Foliage | Tags: Autumn Color, Autumn Foliage, Autumn leaf color, Fall Color, Fall Foliage, New England Fall Color
California Fall Color has the following report for the Greenville area of Plumas County
dogwood, bigleaf maple and black oak providing the predominant colors and reports, “The valley is dropping leaves but the canyon roads are beautiful and holding strong.
“Oaks and dogwoods still have time for color change, the big leaf maples are at full color now.”
Give Greenville three weeks of awesome color.
Greenville, Plumas County – Near Peak (50-100%) GO NOW!
See photos at Greenville… No Longer Green
Posted in Uncategorized | Tags: Autumn Color, Autumn Foliage, Autumn leaf color, Fall Color, Fall Foliage, Plumas County Fall Color
Cedar City • Brian Head Tourism Bureau has a new fall color report for 10/20/16
High Elevation – Alpine
Brian Head, Cedar Breaks and Panguitch Lake
Percent of Change: PAST PEAKMid Elevation – Sub-Alpine
Parowan Canyon and Cedar Canyon Area
Percent of Change: Past PEAKLow Elevation – High Valley, Cedar City and Kolob Canyons Area
Percent of Change: Peak
Color Report:The Rangers in Kolob Canyons are reporting that due to high winds and colder weather that for the most part the leaves in the lower elevations, especially Kolob Canyons are at peak and may fall by next week.
Posted in Fall Foliage | Tags: Autumn Color, Autumn Foliage, Autumn leaf color, Fall Color, Fall Foliage, Southern Utah Fall Color
Birdwatch Magazine reports
Snowy Owls capture the popular imagination, but ornithologists know surprisingly little about how these well known and much loved birds of the far north fare during the harsh winters they endure.
Researchers behind a new study in trapped and tracked Snowy Owls wintering in Canada and found that, while age and sex affect the birds’ condition, most do fairly well and show few signs of starvation; some even put on weight over the season.
Read full story at Most Snowy Owls robust enough to survive winter weather | News | Birdwatch Magazine
Posted in Birds | Tags: Snowy Owls
New York Fall Foliage reports
Posted in Fall Foliage | Tags: Autumn Color, Autumn Foliage, Autumn leaf color, Fall Color, Fall Foliage, New York Fall Color
Audubon reported on a rare white Anna’s Hummingbird that has been in the UC-Santa Cruz Botanic Garden. The bird i
has leucism, a developmental condition resulting in the loss of pigmentation. Unlike albino birds, which can’t produce the pigment melanin, leucistic birds produce melanin but can’t deposit it into their feathers. Albino birds also have red or pink eyes, but this hummingbird’s eyes are black, along with its bill and feet.
Read story at Rare White Hummingbird Steals the Spotlight at California Garden – Albino Animals and Leucistic Birds | Audubon
Posted in Birds | Tags: Rare White Anna's Hummingbird
California Fall Color reports
California Fall Color reports
color still abounds in Alpine County despite the recent storm.
He drove along Carson Pass Highway (CA-88) today and found all kinds of color left on the aspen trees near and east of Carson Pass (e.g. the Hope Valley area)–lime, yellow, orange, and red–with orange probably being the dominant color.
There are a few places at the higher elevations near Carson Pass where the leaves were stripped by the wind, but overall it is still “Peak.”
Hope Valley – Peak (75-100%) GO NOW!
See photos at Alpine Abounds
ScienceDaily reports more than one in ten UK species is threatened with extinction
Climate change, urban expansion and agricultural intensification blamed for risk to some of Britain’s best loved species. Some of the UK’s leading nature experts have delivered a clarion call for action to help save many of the nation’s native wildlife species from extinction.
Read report More than one in ten UK species threatened with extinction — ScienceDaily
Posted in Animals | Tags: UK Extinction Threats
The Where to photograph in California – Yahoo Groups (Calphoto) discussion group had two new reports posted today
HWY 120
Saturday before they closed Tioga. The dogwoods on 120 were spectacular.
Eastern Sierra
Except for Aspendell, the fall color is pretty much gone. Most of the aspen are skeletons. Lots of color from the cottonwoods on the flatlands east of Bishop.June Lake loop still has green. Color is past peak, but there is still color to come. The slope above Grant Lake is approximately half green. Silver Lake is past peak.Most of the color around Convict Lake is gone.
Natural History Wanderings 