Towhee or Not Towhee, That Is the Question
Yes, it is a brown towhee feeding its 2-month-old in Pacifica (Bill Collins photo).
CRITTERS & WILDLIFE
July 25, 2008
July 24, 2008
Don't Pass the Buck or You'll Be Sorry
Antlered resident of San Pedro Creek leaves a message across from the Creekside townhouses in Linda Mar (Wayne Jiang photos).
Lobster or Crawfish Sighted in San Pedro Creek
Is it a lobster swimming upstream in San Pedro Creek near Capistrano. Or could it be a crayfish? (Wayne Jiang photos)
July 23, 2008
Variety of Life: It's a Good Thing
Who would know about this little guy if National Georaphic didn't publish his (her?!) amazing image. Get an email each month from National Geographic about the world around you: NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC
SUMMER RHODES
RIPTIDE SCIENCE CORRESPONDENT
July 21, 2008
Two Turtle-Doves: Hey, Where's the Other One?
This little guy (above) has been visiting my neighborhood for the past few months. At first I thought he was a mourning dove, but he was too lightly colored and his call is different. Click link for info about the RINGED TURTLE-DOVE
Also, I haven't seen any kestrels in Rockaway Quarry this year. Best Western Lighthouse motel did some exterior work several months back, and that probably scared off the nesting pairs that had taken up residence there last year.
TIM BRAND
A Boy and His Boa at the Ballpark
Mary Sheppard took this picture of a San Francisco Zoo boa constrictor and its handler "entertaining" the crowd at AT&T Park after the ballgame.
July 20, 2008
A Chip off the Old Block
Dale Riehart says Papa Dove (left) has been showing one of his offspring how to mooch a meal on Dale's South Park deck.
Save Bees & Bats: Food Supply Depends on It
Scientists now know the cause of honey bee colony collapse disorder, but what are we doing about it? Without honey bees, we will have no pollinated food crops. SAVE THE BEES
Bats, our other top pollinators, are also in trouble. Help the Center for Biological Diversity SAVE THE BATS
SUMMER RHODES
Riptide Science Correspondent
Amphibian Ark: Taking a Last Look at the World
Aren't amphibians in the water already? Reading the July 2008 Scientific American, an eery feeling comes over me as I view the image of a Lake Titicaca frog in its habitat, staring out at the world, its world, with the accompanying text talking about the "amphibian ark." Why do we live in a world where, without that ark, these animals would recede from the biological record, the skein of life? How is it that a Baby Boomer like me can read this general science magazine and know that the image of a modern frog is already an archive?
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
Lessen your carbon footprint. Write your two United States Senators and your Congressional representative about lessening our carbon footprint. Do everything possible to help stop the worst effects of global warming. CARBON FOOTPRINT
The earth's climate is changing, and it is warming, due to human activity. What can you do about it? What does it take for us to change GLOBAL WARMING?
SUMMER RHODES
Riptide Science Correspondent
July 19, 2008
South Park Mourning Doves Hit the Deck
This pair of young mourning doves that had nested in a flowerpot on Dale Riehart's back porch in South Park finally outgrew the pot and took up residence today on the deck. Dale says the parents have been munching on seeds at his bird feeder.
July 18, 2008
To Feed or Not to Feed: Keep Wildlife Wild
"We've had numerous discussions on our street about the deer and raccoons (and now skunks) that one of our neighbors feeds daily. I know that she thinks it's cute, but the problem is that they become dependent on humans, and some of the raccoons are getting a little bold. Unfortunately, when the neighbors try to discuss it with her, she gets angry and defensive. None of us are animal haters. We all have either cats or dogs, but it's not good for any of the wild animals to have food left out for them or to treat them as pets. I've seen what a raccoon can do to a pet, and it's not pretty, not to mention the threat of rabies. Anyway, I found this on the Peninsula Humane Society's page FEEDING WILDLIFE and thought it might benefit all of us animal lovers. Let's keep our wildlife wild, and our pets and their food in the house where they belong. Thanks for helping to spread the word."
CYNTHIA MONTANEZ
July 15, 2008
El Gallo de Pacifica: Cock o' the Walk
The metal rooster's owner Sandy Dietrich of Francisco Street says she gets many requests for photo ops, usually tourists and other passersby. (Maybury did it with a BlackBerry.)
July 13, 2008
End of Nature: Where Are the Yellow Warblers?
If you have an opportunity to read just one book about our world this year, I recommend Bill McKibben's THE END OF NATURE. His main message is: "The reason this is vital to us all is the speed with which this is happening: in our lifetime." It's not doom and gloom. It's about the data—engagingly written, the facts in context, as in the following: "The ever more finely calibrated computer models converge on a forecast of about 5 degrees' additional warming in the course of this century unless we make heroic efforts to wean ourselves from fossil fuels. If that happens, the planet will be warmer than it's been in at least thirty million years. Not warmer than it's been in human history. Warmer than it's been since before the beginning of primate evolution."
SUMMER RHODES
Riptide Science Correspondent
July 11, 2008
South Park Mourning Doves Outgrow Their Crib
Dale Riehart's South Park drop-in doves are getting too big for their flowerpot and too big for Mom, who can't sit on 'em much longer.
July 08, 2008
July 07, 2008
Mourning Doves Right at Home in South Park
Dale Riehart took this picture of a mourning dove raising its two nestlings in a flower pot on Dale's back deck in South Park, San Francisco.
July 06, 2008
Calling All Kids: Help Find Lost Ladybugs
Cornell University entomologist John Losey is betting that children will help document ladybug populations around the country. Some native species are dwindling; exotics are on the rise. Participate in the project: Go to the Lost Ladybug Project Web site LOST LADYBUGS or e-mail ladybug@cornell.edu
Hear more about the project on National Public Radio: NPR
MARY KEITELMAN
July 04, 2008
Keep Your Animals Safe from Holiday Fireworks
The Fourth of July and other holiday celebrations can be the most dangerous and frightening times of year for animals. Loud explosions are terrifying to animals, who don't understand them. With proper planning and some common sense, your companion animals can remain safe and secure on Independence Day, New Year's, and other times when people blow things up. Here are some tips:
* First and foremost, leave your animals at home when you go to see fireworks! Resist the urge to take your companion animal to fireworks displays.
* Before you leave home for the fireworks, make sure your animals are indoors in a sheltered, quiet area. Some animals become destructive when frightened, so be sure that you've removed any items that your companion animal could destroy or that would be harmful if chewed or swallowed. Leave a television or radio playing at normal volume to keep him/her company.
* Make sure your animals are wearing identification tags (and it's even better if they're also microchipped!) so that if they do become lost, they can be returned promptly.
* Do not leave an animal in your car. With only hot air to breathe, your animal friend can suffer serious health effects, even death, in a few short minutes. Partially opened windows do
not provide sufficient air, but they do provide an opportunity for your animal to be kidnapped.
* If you know that your animal becomes seriously distressed by loud noises, consult with your veterinarian for ways to help alleviate the fear and anxiety he or she will experience during fireworks displays.
* Never leave your animals outside unattended, even in a fenced yard, and especially not on a chain. With explosions occurring, animals that normally wouldn't leave the yard may escape and become lost, or become entangled in their chain, risking injury or death. (There are lots of other reasons to never leave your dog chained! Contact a vet, humane society, or animal shelter if you want more information about the negative effects of chaining dogs.)
* If you find somebody else's companion animals running loose, either take them to the address on the tag, if you feel comfortable doing so, or bring them to the local animal shelter, where they will have the best chance of being reunited with their human families.
ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center offers the following additional tips:
* Never leave alcoholic drinks unattended where animals can reach them. Alcoholic beverages have the potential to poison animals. If ingested, the alcohol could cause the animal to become very intoxicated and weak, severely depressed, or it could go into a coma. Death from
respiratory failure is also a possibility in severe cases.
* Do not apply any sunscreen or insect repellent product to your animal that is not labeled specifically for use on animals. Ingestion of sunscreen products can result in drooling, vomiting, diarrhea, excessive thirst, and lethargy. The misuse of insect repellent that contains DEET can lead to neurological problems.
* Always keep matches and lighter fluid out of animals' reach. Certain types of matches contain chlorates, which could potentially damage blood cells and result in difficulty breathing, or even kidney disease in severe cases. Lighter fluid can be irritating to skin, and if ingested can produce gastrointestinal irritation and central nervous system depression. If lighter fluid is inhaled, aspiration pneumonia and breathing problems could develop.
* Keep animals on their normal diet. Any change, even for one meal, can cause severe indigestion and diarrhea. This is particularly true for older animals, which have more delicate
digestive systems and nutritional requirements. And keep in mind that foods such as onions, chocolate, coffee, avocado, grapes & raisins, salt, and yeast dough can all be potentially toxic to
companion animals.
* Keep citronella candles, insect coils, and oil products out of reach. Ingestion of these can produce stomach irritation and possibly even central nervous system depression. If inhaled, the oils could cause aspiration pneumonia in animals.
* Never use fireworks around animals! While exposure to lit fireworks can potentially result in severe burns and/or trauma to the face and paws of curious animals, even unused fireworks
can pose a danger. Many types contain potentially toxic substances, including potassium nitrate, arsenic, and other heavy metals.
July 03, 2008
Vinnie's Odyssey: Trials & Tribulations of an Oiled Double-Crested Cormorant
The original headline for this San Francisco Bay Oil Spill story misidentified Vinnie the oiled bird as a seagull. Six months later, a sharp-eyed birder surfing Riptide found the mistake and wrote to us. We corrected the headline to say "double-crested cormorant."
June 27, 2008
June 26, 2008
June 24, 2008
City Birds: San Francisco Wildlife
Dale Riehart photos
Dale says, "We actually have egg(s) in the nest. We've only seen one poking out from under the Mom. But the books all say two is the norm for mourning doves. We have finally figured out the male from the female. Although I can't tell which is which from this pic. Males generally
sit on the nest during the day and the female pulls the swing and night shift. We've actually seen one nest exchange. The eggs are off-white. Hope to have more pics as time marches on. They are within arm's reach, so getting pics from multiple angles will be easy as long as we don't scare them. They're said to abandon nests if they feel threatened. So far, neither cat, nor dog, nor multiple humans have been an issue for the doves."
June 19, 2008
June 18, 2008
June 17, 2008
R&R
Blue dragonfly, Ivy Creek nature trail, Charlottesville, Virginia (photo by Joel Maybury)
June 16, 2008
Friends Forever: Two Men and a Lion
These two guys reared the lion cub in England, but the authorities would not allow them to keep the big cat once it reached maturity, so they were forced to give it up. They took it back to Africa and placed it in a wildlife sanctuary; a year later they went to see it and were told it would not remember them. Click the video link below to see what happened.
June 14, 2008
Cocoa Bean Mulch Can Be Toxic to Dogs
PET POISON ALERT: COCOA BEAN MULCH CAN BE TOXIC TO DOGS
If your dog likes to spend his summer grazing in your garden, his treat-seeking nose may lead him to one danger in particular: the sweet-smelling, but potentially harmful cocoa bean mulch. Made of cocoa bean shells and considered desirable for its eventual degradation into organic fertilizer, this gardener’s choice can be toxic to canines if eaten in large quantities—and some dogs have been known to eat amazing amounts!
In 2007, the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (APCC) handled 26 cases of cocoa bean mulch ingestion—a third originating in California. “Dogs are attracted to the fertilizer’s sweet smell,” says Dr. Steven Hansen, ASPCA Veterinary Toxicologist and APCC Director, “but like chocolate, cocoa bean mulch can be too much for our canine companions.”
Ingestion of large amounts of cocoa bean mulch, which contains residual amounts of theobromine—a methylxanthine found in chocolate and known to be toxic to dogs—may cause a variety of clinical signs. These typically start with vomiting, diarrhea and elevated heart rate, and if large amounts are consumed, they may progress to hyperactivity, muscle tremors and possibly other more serious neurological signs.
Treatment includes administering medical-grade activated charcoal, bringing tremors under control, cardiac monitoring and preventing further exposure. “One key point to remember is that some dogs, particularly those with indiscriminate eating habits, can be attracted to any organic matter,” says Dana Farbman, APCC Senior Manager, Professional Communications. “Therefore, if you have a dog with such eating habits, it’s important that you don’t leave him unsupervised or allow him into areas where such materials are being used.”
To avoid contact, pet parents should consider a nontoxic alternative, such as shredded pine, cedar or hemlock bark. These will keep your pooch—and your garden—healthy. For more detailed information, please take a look at our Animal Poison Control Center online: ASPCA ANIMAL POISON CONTROL CENTER
[thanks to Camie Foust for forwarding this alert]
June 07, 2008
June 04, 2008
Support Migratory Bird Act
Birds fly. Everywhere. Please take a moment to ensure that a key bill is passed in Congress. The bill, cosponsored by Representatives Kind (D-WI) and Gilchrest (R-MD), would reauthorize the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act, the sole federal grants program targeted specifically for bird conservation in the Americas. The campaign seeks support from other representatives to pass the bill with a maximum authorized spending of $20 million each year. Currently, the act is authorized at only $6 million, and so many worthy programs go unfunded. Grants must be matched at a rate of three to one by other sources, so this program can leverage another $60 million for bird conservation each year! Please take part in this campaign today by visiting this site: BIRDS. And please pass this link on to other bird-lovers: http://www.abcbirds.org/action
MARY KEITELMAN
Riptide Science Correspondent
Nest Cams: AND MORE BIRDS
June 02, 2008
Good Buddies
Thanks to Clark Natwick for this collection of friendly critters. "Good Buddies" is now a Riptide photo album on our lower-left sidebar.
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