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Wednesday, April 23, 2025

Field Notes for April 2025

Welcome back to Field Notes!


April 1, 2025

Today we're celebrating the one-year anniversary of our new landscape! About this time last year, we toured the yard with our landscapers and signed off on the project. Since then, the garden has grown and thrived. The wildlife-friendly landscape attracts birds, bees, butterflies, squirrels and more. We love to watch the creatures that visit and listen to the birds, from the comfort of our patio.


Our new landscape turns one!


April 3, 2025

While changing the water in the terra cotta bird bath, I found an Arboreal salamander (Aneides lugubris) hanging out in a small cavity underneath the saucer. I've seen small salamanders before, but nothing as big as this one! They seem to like the dark, moist, protected environment underneath the bird bath. According to Wikipedia, this is a species of climbing salamander, an insectivore, and native to California and Baja California. The species is associated with oak and sycamore woodlands and thick chaparral.


Arboreal salamander
(notice the slug by its tail, possibly Arion fasciatus)


These salamanders have no lungs and breathe through their moist skin. As a defense against predators, they secrete toxins through their skin (handling arboreal salamanders usually doesn't pose an immediate risk, but it is a good idea to wash your hands if you touch one). There is always something interesting to find in the garden!


April 6, 2025

I'm attending the online Bringing Back the Natives Garden Tour this weekend. Doug Tallamy is the keynote speaker, and yesterday he hosted an FAQ session for those who want to transform their yards into ecologically valuable gardens. All the speakers, presentations, and online garden tours have been so informative and inspiring! The in-person garden tours are scheduled for the first weekend in May. Visit the website to learn more.



April 8, 2025

For weeks we've been enjoying the beauty of heucheras in our new landscape. They thrive in partial-shade and under oak trees. Several types are planted throughout the yard, including Heuchera maxima, Heuchera 'Wendy', and Heuchera 'Canyon Duet'. Their flowers are described as "insignificant", but they are quite lovely when swaying in the breeze or dancing in the morning sun en masse. Better yet, the native bees love them!


Heuchera blossoms glowing in the sun


April 10, 2025

This week Mari and I joined the Over-the-Hills Gang hike to Contra Loma Regional Park. Our hiking buddy, Gaymond, is globe trotting in Italy, so we were on our own. The park is located near Antioch and features a reservoir used for recreation. Picnicking, swimming, boating, fishing, and hiking are available. A trail connects the park to Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve (my husband and toured the Hazel-Atlas mine in 2018). Contra Loma is on the ancestorial land of the Julpun Bay Miwok speaking tribal group. They lived in the northeastern East Bay, encompassing parts of present-day Antioch, Brentwood, and Oakley. 


Starting out from the parking lot

View of the swimming pool from Ridge Trail

Heading down hill toward the reservoir


The day was beautiful - warm, but with a cool breeze off the reservoir. We had magnificent views of the surrounding hills from Lake View Trail and Ridge Trail, and then strolled along the East Shore Trail by the water. We saw wildflowers, kestrel hawks, swans, pelicans, red wing blackbirds, a young snake, and grazing cattle. I was interested in the tule grasses growing along the water, and learned more about the tule reed boats that indigenous people created for transport (ingenious)! I also learned that basket makers would bury prepared grass material in mud to dye it black. 


Heading up hill for the 360° view

Cookie break at the half-way point


Group leader, Anthony Fisher, brought cookies for the half-way point break (the classic Trader Joe's lemon and ginger wafters - both are delicious). Before ending the outing, we took a bonus hike up the Frederickson and Lake View Trails for additional views, and then back down to the parking lot. This hike is a great blend of flat and hilly walking, and is manageable for the 55+ crowd (a walking stick or poles is helpful for balance). Search the East Bay Regional Park District website to learn more about upcoming Over-the-Hills Gang hikes.


Intrepid Hikers (photo by Mari)


April 12, 2025

While at the Contra Loma Regional Park this week, we spotted some spring flowers and grasses. Here are a few snapshots, clockwise: purple owl face thistle (Castilleja exserta); Ithureal's Spear (Triteleia laxa); and Common Tule (Scirpus acutus) near the water. Click the photo to enlarge.


Some flora at Contra Loma Regional Park 


We also saw some critters. Here are a few snapshots, clockwise: grazing cattle (lots of green grass and fabulous views); baby California King Snake (Lampropeltis californiae); pelicans feeding in a big group; and a pair of Mute Swans (Cygnus olor). We also saw hawks and blackbirds, but sometimes it's better to watch them in action than to try to take pictures!


Some fauna at Contra Loma


April 14, 2025

Tomorrow is travel day – I'll be flying back to Southeast Alaska to spend time with my mom, dad, and brother. Today is "packing and tying up loose ends" day, but I plan to spend the afternoon in the garden and on the patio with my husband. The forecast for today is sunny with a high of 71°, and I plan to make the most of it before heading back to Juneau! There, the forecast is light snow showers with a high of 44°. Honestly, I love both kinds of weather!


California poppies catching the sun in the front planter


April 17, 2025

Greetings from Juneau Alaska! Wednesday was travel day - from Oakland to Portland to Seattle to Juneau (with a quick stop in Ketchikan) on Alaska Airlines. It was a long day, with a couple of 2-hour layovers at PDX and SEA. I took advantage of the time to walk the concourses to see what's new. The biggest changes were at the Portland airport. The timber ceiling is fantastic, and sourced from Oregonian timber forests and mills. The renovations emphasize the environment and values of Oregon. Restaurants and stores are also based in Oregon, such as Pendleton, Deschutes Brewery, and Powell Books. To learn more about the renovation, see PDX Next


The timber roof over Powell Books


Artwork in the Seattle airport

The Seattle airport is also under going expansion and renovation. I walked the whole length of Concourse A, and it took almost 20 minutes round trip. It is huge! I always enjoy seeing the large art installations distributed across the concourses in Seattle. To learn more about the renovations that are in progress, see Upgrade SEA.


April 20, 2025

Spring is poised to burst forth with new life here in Juneau, Alaska! I've seen a robin and lots of skunk cabbage, both of which are harbingers of spring for this climate. The deciduous trees and shrubs are full of buds and tiny leaves that are just waiting for a slight rise in temperature before they unfurl. It's very exciting to witness.


Salmonberry leaves and tiny salmonberries (Rubus spectabilis)


Lucky me to experience two springs - one in the San Francisco Bay Area, and one in Southeast Alaska!


April 23, 2025

I'm back in the social whirl here in Juneau, Alaska. So far, we've had dinner at Mar y Sol Restaurant and The Hangar on the Wharf; attended several events at the Juneau Pioneer Home, including TJ on Piano (wonderful) and the Friday afternoon ice cream social (delicious); and Death with Dessert (a fascinating historical presentation by journalists, Betsy Longenbaugh and Ed Schoenfeld, about a post-gold rush murder that took place in Tenakee Springs in 1906). I'm looking forward to reading Longenbaugh's books, Forgotten Murders from Alaska's Capital and Death in the Underworld.


Chocolate cupcake for dessert!


April 26, 2025

Mom and I stopped at Mendenhall Glacier late afternoon on a drizzly day to see the glacier. We thought we'd take the opportunity to see the glacier before cruise ship season gets into full swing. Turns out several busloads of tourists from the Norwegian Bliss were already exploring and photographing in the damp gray weather. The visitors were in good spirits despite the light rain. We didn't visit the Visitor Center since it is typically quite crowded during the tourist season.


Mendenhall Glacier still reaches the lake on the far left

Enjoying the views under the shelter


Recent federal cuts have reduced staff at the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center from five employees to one, so it will be interesting to see whether the park can stay open and serve tourists, when three, four, or five cruise ships are in port each day bringing 700,000 visitors for the season. The timing and logic is mysterious - cutting staff to save a few dollars when summer tourism is just ramping up (not to mention reducing access to natural treasures that should be available to We the People).


April 29, 2025

On the one sunny day in April, Ulla, Odin the Dog, and I headed to the Boy Scout Trail out the road. Ulla was a childhood friend when we grew up in Juneau Alaska, and we each have a beloved parent in the Juneau Pioneer Home. The Boy Scout Trail has always been a favorite hike of mine. The trail starts in the woods and follows Eagle River, and then opens up at the beach. You can choose to follow the beach, or go to the Boy Scout Camp. I always choose the beach route. Across the way you can see Eagle Beach and Eagle River, two other favorite destinations (see Fall Outing). 


Herbert Glacier, Mount Ernest Gruening, and the Boundary Range

This is a favorite trail for birders, and we met a lot of them as we hiked. Migratory geese and ducks, as well as local ravens, eagles, and song birds congregate in the area to feast, roost, and nest. Several of the birders gave us the opportunity to view birds up close using high powered scopes. 


Odin enjoyed exploring off leash

From the beach trail you have wide open views of the surrounding area. As you know, I especially like seeing the Chilkat Range down channel.


View of the Chilkat Mountains down Berner's Bay

We had a great time on our Boy Scout Trail hike. The sunny day brought out a lot of enthusiastic hikers, birders, and dog walkers. Ulla and I had a great time reconnecting on the hike, and catching up on each other's lives!


Intrepid Hikers


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