Pacifica Riptide: CRITTERS & WILDLIFE

Black-Crowned Night Heron @ San Pedro Creek

I've been seeing this Black-crowned Night Heron off and on by the mouth of San Pedro Creek.

Paul Donahue

Posted on February 19, 2012 at 11:22 PM in CRITTERS & WILDLIFE | Permalink | Comments (0)

Man's Best Friends, All 16 of Them

Posted on February 16, 2012 at 10:54 PM in CRITTERS & WILDLIFE | Permalink | Comments (1)

Tell Congress & The White House to Protect Yosemite

When you think of cyanide, you think of poison. You don’t think of Yosemite National Park, and neither should mining companies. But with the price of gold over $1,700 an ounce, the pressure is on to open up mining claims around Yosemite.

The home of Half Dome and El Capitan is one of the most beautiful places in the world. It’s crazy to think there are 185 active mining claims within just 10 miles of the park, and with enough pressure from mining companies, they can be reopened anytime.

You and I know that Yosemite is priceless — no matter how high the price of gold, this beautiful park and the wildlife that live there are worth much more. Will you join me in urging the president and Congress to ban new mining claims near Yosemite? President Obama has already protected the Grand Canyon National Park with a buffer zone that prevents industrial mining near that park. Now it’s time for the President to give Yosemite the same protection.

A modern gold rush would be a disaster for the Yosemite we know and love. Industrial mines remove hundreds of tons of ore from the earth to process a few ounces of gold, scarring the land and releasing heavy metals like lead into ponds and streams that flow into Yosemite. Industrial mining operations use toxic chemicals like cyanide and mercury to separate gold from crushed ore. With a heavy rain or landslide, these chemicals can escape their containment ponds and poison the surrounding area.

We cannot let this happen. Urge President Obama and Congress to save Yosemite from toxic mining. The animals and endangered species that find refuge in Yosemite National Park don’t know where the park border ends and a gold mine begins. They can easily drink from a stream or eat a fish that’s contains a lethal dose of mining waste. But if enough of us speak out, we can save Yosemite from toxic mining. Thank you for taking action and spreading the word.

(Riptide heartily endorses this action statement from Environment California. Please contact your elected representatives in Congress and the White House.)

Posted on February 14, 2012 at 09:00 PM in CRITTERS & WILDLIFE, ENVIRONMENT & NATURE | Permalink | Comments (0)

Paul Donahue: Pacifica Shorebird Alliance

Paul Donahue photo

Biologist and artist Paul Donahue recently presented a very special photographic exploration of the natural history of two of Pacifica's smallest shorebirds. Pacifica Shorebird Alliance sponsored this free public event.

Bird bio: Observers often confuse snowy plovers with sanderlings. The two species live along Pacifica 's ocean shore and look very similar. Paul Donahue examines the life histories and conservation challenges for these two shorebirds. Through fall, winter, and spring, the two species appear side by side along our sandy beaches. Sanderlings are the little whitish sandpipers that chase waves up and down the beach. Much less conspicuous, snowy plovers are generally up on the higher and drier sections of the beach. While snowy plovers remain in the south to nest on sandy beaches along the California coast, in late April the sanderlings begin migrating to their nesting grounds in the high Arctic tundra, thousands of miles to the north.

Sadly, as with so many species these days, these two shorebirds are both in decline. Snowy plover numbers have fallen far enough for the species to be federally listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. As is often the case, threats to the continued survival of these two species come from multiple sources. Despite great differences in their life histories, these two shorebirds share a common threat: human disturbance on sandy beaches they prefer.

Speaker bio: Paul Donahue is a respected ornithologist, bird artist, and photographer who has studied shorebirds extensively for more than 40 years. His work includes shorebird conservation and research projects with the Manomet Center for Conservation Science and the Canadian Wildlife Service. Recently, members of several Bay Area Audubon groups enjoyed Paul's presentation on his dramatic experiences with birds and jaguars in the Brazilian Pantanal. Now a Pacifica resident, Paul spends considerable time observing wintering shorebirds on Pacifica State Beach at Linda Mar.

If you want a close-up view of sanderlings and snowy plovers through Pacifica Shorebird Alliance scopes, a weekend field trip with Donahue can be arranged. The alliance is a local environmental organization whose mission is to engage and educate the public about protecting local coastal birds and their ecosystems.

CLICK FOR INFO ON SHOREBIRD ALLIANCE

Posted on February 13, 2012 at 07:52 AM in CRITTERS & WILDLIFE | Permalink | Comments (1)