academy roof garden hosts diverse species

Posted on March 11, 2011 by fromthethicket

roof garden, courtesy of the california academy of sciences

At a symposium last weekend at the Academy of Sciences, Alana Hysert, Academy Naturalist, reported some interesting preliminary data on the living roof.   Recognizing the research and education potential of the new green roof, Hysert has been overseeing a citizen science project, involving 67 volunteers whom she has trained to monitor the plants, insects and birds that are adapting to life up on that aerial garden.   Data collected since June 2009 shows increasing diversity in plants, birds and insects with some species beginning to dominate.  The most prevalent plant species are the beach strawberry (Fragaria chiloensis), selfheal (Prunella vulgaris), and (surprise!) moss.  Nobody knows where the mosses came from, but they appear to be varieties of early-succession mosses, the types that commonly show up in disturbed soil.

The project is monitoring plants in four different quadrants of the roof (NE, NW, SE and SW), and another interesting finding is that in two of the quadrants, there are now slightly more non-native species than native species, while in the other two areas the native species still outnumber the non-natives significantly, although non-natives are appearing there as well.  The roof was originally planted with only native species, so, as expected, non-native plants have begun to colonize the roof.  But why this difference in different areas of the roof?

Twenty orders of Arthropods (insects) have been collected on the roof in both surface and pit traps.   The most abundant order is the one that includes flies/gnats/mosquitos.  Again, there is significant variation between the four areas of the roof that are being monitored.  Identifying insects is a time-consuming (and eye-wearying) process and more volunteers are needed for a more exhaustive analysis of this data.

Brewer’s Blackbirds are the most common bird species sighted on the roof (no surprise!  735 have been counted).    Other commonly sighted birds are Common Raven, Rock Pigeon, European Starling, Red-winged Blackbird and American Crow.  Uncommon birds sighted include Red-masked Parrots, Townsends Warbler, Pelagic Cormorant, Great Egret, American Pipit and Allen’s Hummingbird.  Most exciting was when a newly fledged Red-tailed Hawk landed on the roof from a nest in a nearby tree and the hawks foraged there until the young were able to leave. Also, a pair of Black Eyed Juncos nested successfully on the roof (the first birds to actually make it their home!).

So, that’s the latest report on the living roof.  Stay tuned for future updates!

Posted in california academy of sciences, people, plants, urban ecology, wildlife | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

hunting wild animals in golden gate park in 1905

Posted on March 9, 2011 by fromthethicket

kangaroos in golden gate park, from the SFPL Historical Photographs Collection, n.d.

A full page, illustrated article in the Sunday, August 27, 1905 edition of the San Francisco Call celebrated the many animals housed in the park at that time.  The “head keeper,” William Leland was in charge, and his duties including birthing and bottle-feeding many of them.  The author, Florence Thrale, described large herds of deer, elk and buffalo, a pair of antelope,  seven kangaroos, sixty peacocks, ducks on Stow Lake, two grizzly bear cubs, a sable and a pair of porcupines.  Most of the animals had been born and raised in the park.  This motley menagerie delighted park visitors and was the predecessor to the San Francisco Zoo.

But the real surprise in this story is the description of Leland’s colleague, Officer George William Clark.   Readers were advised:  “If you take your morning constitutional any time between 4 and 9 in the morning or your evening amble between 4 and 7 in the evening and see a sharp-eyed, white-mustached man, lean, wily and active, with a gun in his hand and a checked cap on his head lurking in the park woods, don’t suspect him of poaching.  ”  His job was to shoot “four-footed trespassers.” His take included six coyotes that year, as well as six gray foxes and thirty-seven weasels just that summer.  Also hawks and king-fishers (the nature of this threat is unclear) and numerous stray dogs and cats.

Another reminder of how times have changed!

Posted in "lost" golden gate park, history, people, wildlife | Tagged , | 2 Comments

mystery bird identified: western gull, Larus occidentalis

Posted on March 4, 2011 by fromthethicket

Mystery bird: western gull, Larus occidentalis

This leucistic individual is difficult to ID, but after staring at this bird through a magnifying glass for 3 hours and comparing it with a hundred or so photographs, I think I’ve got it!

Western gull, Larus occidentalis, photographed at Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, CA, USA.

Question:  This beautiful North American mystery bird is rather special when compared to its brothers and sisters. Can you name the species and tell me what is so special about this individual?

Response: The photographer says this is a leucistic western gull, Larus occidentalis. Because the individual lacks most (all?) pigments, I am relying exclusively on morphological features to ID this bird:

The bill: a western gull has a large, heavy bill with a pronounced hook. The gonys (on the lower mandible where the red spot is) is enlarged and curves up sharply to the bill tip. When I look at a western gull’s bill, it looks larger at the gonys than at the base to my eye.

The forehead: a western gull has a flatter forehead than a glaucous-winged gull.

I admit this is a very difficult identification from just one photograph, especially when there’s not another gull in the image to compare to, but I’ve been staring at photographs for the past 3 hours (using a magnifying glass!) and this bird does look like a good western gull from this one photograph. If anyone manages to get some DNA from this bird and does a little sequencing of this bird’s mitochondrial genes, I’d be very interested to write about what they’ve learned if they wish to share their findings with me. (hint, hint!)

You are invited to review all of the daily mystery birds by going to their dedicated graphic index page.

via Mystery bird: western gull, Larus occidentalis | Science | guardian.co.uk.

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mystery bird in the park | Science | guardian.co.uk

Posted on March 3, 2011 by fromthethicket

Mystery Bird photographed at Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, CA, USA. Image: Joseph Kennedy, 21 December 2010.

Here’s a fun challenge from the UK!  The bird is in Golden Gate Park: “This beautiful North American mystery bird is quite special when compared to its brothers and sisters — how?

Complaints about yesterday’s mystery bird being ‘too easy’ are being met with a much more difficult mystery bird today! This beautiful North American mystery bird is rather special when compared to its brothers and sisters. Can you name the species and tell me what is so special about this individual?

About the Daily Mystery Bird:

The Rules:

1. Keep in mind that people live in 24 different time zones, and some people are following on their iPhones. So let everyone play the game. Don’t spoil it for everyone else by identifying the bird in the first 24 to 36 hours.

2. If you know the bird’s identity, provide subtle hints to let others know that you know. Your hints may be helpful as small clues to less experienced players.

3. Describe the key field marks that distinguish this species from any similar ones.

4. Comments that spoil others’ enjoyment may be deleted.

The Game:

1. This is meant to be a learning experience where together we learn a few things about birds and about the process of identifying them (and maybe about ourselves, too).

2. Each mystery bird is usually accompanied by a question or two. These questions can be useful for identifying the pictured species, but may instead be used to illustrate an interesting aspect of avian biology, behaviour or evolution, or may be intended to generate conversation on other topics, such as conservation or ethics.

3. Thoughtful comments will add to everyone’s enjoyment, and will keep the suspense going until the next teaser is published. Interesting snippets may add to the knowledge of all.

4. Each bird species will be demystified approximately 48 hours after publication.

You are invited to review all of the daily mystery birds by going to their dedicated graphic index page.”

via Today’s mystery bird for you to identify | Science | guardian.co.uk.

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a wildlife photographer shares twilight adventure in golden gate park

Posted on February 27, 2011 by fromthethicket
Janet Kessler took this delightful photograph of a raccoon in Golden Gate Park for an exhibit at the main San Francisco library last summer.  The following is her description of capturing these elusive animals on film  .  .  .

“I had been invited to put on a photographic wildlife exhibit at the main library — what an honor!  As I began preparing the photographs for the show, I realized that I really needed more animals — more animals that everyone would know about.  For starters, I decided that I needed a shot of a raccoon. Raccoons normally come out after dark, so I roped my husband Jack into coming with me, because, also, I would be visiting unknown parts of the park. We had an early supper and headed out well before dark: me with my camera, and Jack with a powerful emergency flashlight which we bought years ago for, well, not exactly this kind of activity, but it was the best we had. I had no special nighttime photography equipment — the emergency flashlight would have to do.

Jack also carried his brand new iPhone — it can do anything. We started walking in the park, not knowing anything at all about raccoons, just relying on hope. Jack wanted a little more guidance — he didn’t want to stay out all night, and we couldn’t decide on where to find raccoons. So, as we walked, he looked up “raccoon” on the internet. Of absolute relevance, but a complete surprise to us, was that raccoons live in trees. Come on, give me a break! We argued this, back and forth, but finally decided to “look up” as we walked — “just in case” — maybe we would see something. As it got darker, I eventually noticed a denser area up in one of the trees. I looked and looked, and decided, without really being able to see anything, that this might  be a raccoon way up there, 75 feet above the ground.

So, we settled down and waited — until Jack had had enough and said it was time to go. After all, there were unsavory fellas roaming around, too close for comfort, and they were even looking at us. He did not like it. But I felt safe with him, and decided we needed to stay a little longer — I think my enthusiasm and sense of adventure may have overpowered him. We decided to sprawl out on the ground at the base of the tree,  to avoid neck-cramps. Here we enjoyed looking up into the tree branches — the way we all have when we were little.

We had arrived in the park at 6:00pm, and now it was 10:00pm, when slowly we began to notice movement. Ahh, something was happening. The movements occurred infrequently at first, but slowly, ever so slowly, there was more. And then, YES, we saw a raccoon tail — you could barely make out the stripes, but they were there!  Yes, this would be my chance to take a raccoon photo. The raccoon was still high up in the tree, so we remained in our prone positions so as not to cause alarm. There was more movement. And then we noticed something very strange. That tail over there couldn’t possibly be connected to that raccoon, could it? Noooo — there were two raccoons! We could feel our excitement mounting.

photograph by Janet Kessler

The raccoons were still high up in the tree when, oh no, could it be? We now counted three of them!!  It is at this time that we got up. My husband shined the light on the raccoons and I tried taking photos as they all slowly made their way down the tree trunk. A flashlight hardly produces enough light for taking photos, but we were able to get some fairly decent shots. After reaching the ground, the mom moved off, as did the larger of the cubs. But the smallest, the runt, actually turned around and came back to examine us from a high log on the ground. Hi there! The shutter of my camera kept getting stuck because of the lack of light, but we did get the photos I wanted, which I am including here.

photograph by Janet Kessler

We went home that evening, not only with a few raccoon photos, but also with an adventure to remember and a story to tell!  Golden Gate Park at Twilight!”

Here’s a link to Janet Kessler’s website:   http://www.urbanwildness.com/urbanwildness.com/Index/Index.html

Posted in people, wildlife | Tagged , , , | 6 Comments

riding the blades: golden gate park’s dutch windmill

Posted on February 25, 2011 by fromthethicket

Pranks and stunts, close calls and tragedies have become part of the lore of Golden Gate Park over the years!  Here’s a report of some incidents involving the Dutch Windmill! (courtesy of Woody LaBounty; posted in The Ocean Beach Bulletin)

This “old newsreel footage from the 1920s .  .  .  [a] depiction of ‘annual cleaning’ of the 50-foot-long blades seems to be farcical, but the prancing around with a hanky a hundred feet off the ground is no joke.

The windmills were erected not as picturesque curiosities, but as working apparatus to pump up aquifer water for irrigation purposes. A city-paid windmill keeper had to furl and unfurl sails on the wings, often in high winds or stormy weather. It was a dangerous job. On April 5, 1906, windmill keeper John L. Hansen was carrying out his duty of securing the great blades for the night when he fell off the upper platform.

Hansen died from a fractured skull after landing on the lower platform 50 feet below.

Beyond accidents, the windmill attracted suicides. Hansen’s successor as keeper, Heliodor Hammerstrom, reported in 1920 that in his tenure no less than 25 people had climbed and leaped off the Dutch Windmill.

None of this history stopped Miss Velma Tilden from taking a bet to ride the blades. A resident of 528 25th Ave., Tilden was known as “a taker of dares for many a thrilling stunt on sea or land.” As part of a publicity campaign by the American Legion for former servicemen out of work, Tilden agreed in November 1921 to get a box of candy for every rotation she hung on. Strapped to a blade, the young lady did 25 rotations in a stylish hat and stole.”

via Before Now – Riding Golden Gate Park’s Dutch Windmill | The Ocean Beach Bulletin.

Posted in events in Golden Gate Park, history, people | 1 Comment

golden gate park after dark?

Posted on February 18, 2011 by fromthethicket
golden gate park at night (by photographer Chris MacArthur, SF Weekly)

Marie Winn’s delightful book,  Central Park in the Dark: More Mysteries of Urban Wildlife (New York:   Farrar, Straus and Giroux.  2008) begins: “The first time I walked through the Ramble at night I was terrified.  I had been there in the daytime often enough;  that thirty-seven acre wilderness in the heart of central Park is where I first became a birdwatcher. But the very features that enchanted me by day — the winding paths, the thicket of trees blocking out the city in all directions, the rock formations cropping up out of nowhere, the secret coves, the rustic bridges and sylvan streams — all looked grotesque and menacing in the darkness  .  .  .

.  .  .  That was many years ago.  Today the things that once made my heart start pounding are full of possibility.  That rustling in the leaf litter could be a white-footed mouse;  the odd yips and yowls — squabbling raccoons.  Now I recognize the particular rocks and trees that cast ominous shadows on the path.  Of course I keep my wits about me walking through the park at night, but not more than I do during the day.  You learn to be jungle-smart living in New York.”

Curiosity and fascination with the mysteries of nature lured Marie Winn and her band of “nature lovers”  into the “wilderness” of Central Park after dark beginning in 1995 and they found amazing things going on  .  .  .  creatures and events that would never be seen in daylight  .  .  .  “owls flying off to hunt, bats calling unheard as they circle at the water’s edge, spiders spinning elaborate webs, slugs embracing, cicadas unfolding their lacy green wings, hawks falling asleep in concealment, large, colorful moths arriving from the mysterious dark to feed on tree sap.”

Reading these tales of adventure make me wonder about wild nightlife in Golden Gate Park.  Do we have bats, a moth tree that comes alive in the dark, mating slugs?  Where do the birds sleep?  I’m reminded of a trip I took once to the Pantanal, the world’s largest wetland which extends into parts of Brazil, Paraguay and Bolivia and is teaming with wildlife.  One night, on a night hike, our guide pointed his flashlight beam out at a nearby marsh. Hundreds of pairs of yellow eyes shown up at us out of the dark grasses  .  .  .   Yacare Caiman (Caiman yacare)!

What wildlife would we startle out of the thickets of Golden Gate Park in the night?  I’m guessing owls, raccoons, lots of rodents, bats  .  .  .  maybe a coyote?

For more photos Golden Gate Park at night by Chris MacArthur:  http://www.sfweekly.com/slideshow/golden-gate-park-at-night-30643829/

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magnolia walk: precocious blossoms harbingers of spring

Posted on February 14, 2011 by fromthethicket

learning about magnolias in the botanical garden

Take a magnolia walk in the San Francisco Botanical Garden in Golden Gate Park this month!  Yesterday afternoon, on a docent-led tour we learned many interesting facts about the magnolias in this world-renowned collection, recently listed as the 4th best in the world (the first three being in China).  Some Magnolia species are native to North and South America, but 80% come from Asia.  The Asian varieties are the precocious-flowering ones,  i.e. the flowers emerge before the leaves, in a  Dr. Seuss-like effect featuring gnarly branches conspicuously festooned with  incongruous-looking, often outsized blossoms in shades ranging from bright pink to waxy white.

Magnolia is a very old genus, perhaps as old as 100 million years?!  The flower is primitive by botanical standards, with sepals and petals indistinguishable from one another and therefore called “tepals.”  Inside the cup of the flower a mass of stamens, bearing the pollen, surrounds a column of pistils.  Beetles, a very old form of insect life (older than bees!), have traditionally pollinated magnolias;  they crawl around on the stamens, eat the pollen and munch on the tepals.  Song birds eat the magnolia seeds, which are produced in cone-like fruits.  The seeds and fleshy arils are a good food source for migrating birds.

The name, Magnolia, honors a French physician-botanist, Pierre Magnol (1638-1715), who is credited with planting the first specimen of Magnolia in the first botanical garden in France (in Montpellier).  The oldest magnolias in the SFBG collection date to between 1937 and 1957, planted by Eric Walther who was then director of the arboretum.  He introduced seventeen species of magnolia into the garden during his tenure.

The evergreen Southern magnolia, Magnolia grandiflora, native to the southeastern United States, has dark green, glossy leaves that have a brownish, hairy underside, giving the tree a two-toned effect.  These trees can vary quite a bit in size, but some can become grand indeed, reaching as much as 90 feet in height.  This is the most commonly cultivated magnolia world wide.  The large, white blossoms are showy at their peak, but, to my mind, this tree is less striking in bloom than the marvelous Asian varieties in their bare-branched, precocious blooming state.

This is peak viewing time for the magnolias in the park.  Ask for a handout for “The Magnolia Walk” at the entrance kiosks to the SFBG, and you will receive a free map with all the magnolia locations and information about the trees’ history and characteristics.

Posted in plants, san francisco botanical garden, trees/urban forest | 1 Comment

flashback to 1971: 156,000 march to protest the vietnam war

Posted on February 8, 2011 by fromthethicket

speedway meadow, golden gate park, april 24,1971

This news flashback is from http://richmondsfblog.com/

“In this month’s issue of The Richmond Review newspaper, the above photo was featured, which shows thousands of citizens .  .  . in protest against the Vietnam War  .  .  .

The photos were taken by Saul D. Feldman, who participated in the protest and captured these photos.

According to the UC Berkeley Library of Social Activism, the rally took place on April 24, 1971. While 200,000 people held a rally on the Mall in Washington DC, around 156,000 simultaneously marched here in San Francisco. It was the largest such rally to date on the West Coast.

The procession began at the Civic Center and made its way up Geary Boulevard, finishing up at Speedway Meadow in Golden Gate Park. Live music was played and people flew frisbees and coffee can lids in the park, which you can see in one of the photos below.”

via Flashback to 1971: 156,000 march to protest the Vietnam War | Richmond District Blog of San Francisco (richmondsfblog.com).

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bowling on the green with shakespeare and friends

Posted on February 6, 2011 by fromthethicket

 

the san francisco lawn bowling club in golden gate park, 1910 (all men back then!)

“To sleep: perchance to dream: ay there’s the rub;

For in that sleep of death what dreams may come

When we have shuffled off this mortal coil

Must give us pause.  .  .”

In this passage from Hamlet’s famous soliloquy, Shakespeare’s use of the term “rub” likely derives from lawn bowling.  A rub is a bump or uneven patch in the smooth surface of the bowling lawn which interferes with the ball’s intended arc.

In Shakespeare’s day (1564-1616) lawn bowling was a popular game in Britain.  Perhaps the most famous story about the game from that time involves Sir Francis Drake, who was reportedly bowling in Plymouth on July 19, 1588 when word came that the Spanish Armada had been sighted.  According to legend he cooly observed that “there was plenty of time to finish the game and thrash the Spaniards too.”  Which he did.

In San Francisco the Lawn Bowling Club dates to 1901.  At that time the sport was very popular among Scottish immigrants in the U.S.  No doubt the Scottish connection came into play when, in 1902 or thereabouts,  John McLaren, then superintendent of Golden Gate Park, found a patch of ground near the Sharon Building, for a bowling lawn.  Today, the San Francisco Lawn Bowling Club operates three bowling lawns in roughly the same spot.

The club offers free bowling lessons on Wednesdays at noon.  No advanced reservations required and it’s great fun!  Bill Campbell, Club Instructor, is a gentleman of the old school, soft-spoken and dignified but with a twinkle and lots of anecdotes.  If Wednesday noon won’t work, you can call and arrange another time for an introductory lesson:  (415) 487-8787.

The game is deceptively straightforward.  Each player has a set of four matched bowls, each weighing about three pounds.  The object is to roll the bowls so they come to rest as close as possible to the jack, a small white ball tossed out between 75 and 120 feet from the bowling plate.  The bowls are unevenly shaped, which causes them to curve gently in one direction as they lose momentum.  So, to get close to the jack you have to aim to the left or right, depending on whether you are bowling forehanded or backhanded.  It’s not that easy!  Form and follow-through are important.  The condition of the lawn is a factor.

Play is governed by old-fashioned rules of etiquette and sportsmanship.   A game begins with courtesy handshakes all around.  The bowling mat is placed precisely on the lawn and replaced just so on the rail after each round.  Divots should be repaired immediately and meticulously so as to preserve the lawn for other bowlers.   These touches, not to mention the “whites” that players sometimes wear (for tournaments), lend the game an air of decorum that seems a hold-over from another era.  Very much in keeping with the decorous, nineteenth-century setting that the park provides!

 

 

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