Winter Wildlife Watch

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Winter is an amazing season to watch wildlife. Rain or shine, the weather should not stop you and your kids from enjoying the abundant wildlife in the Bay Area as they embrace the wet season. Fortunately for us, we live in a prime spot for discovering amazing mammals, insects, birds, reptiles and more who also call the Bay Area home.

Banana Slug will not be hard to stumble across. Marvel at these remarkable mollusks on your hike as they thrive in a moist environment.

Marine animals such as the giant green sea anemones, purple sea urchins, red abalone, purple and ochre sea stars and more decorate the tide pools. One of the best places to tidepool is the Fitzgerald Marine Reserve in Moss Beach. King Tides are coming January 10-12 and February 8-9, 2020! You want low tides when looking at the tide pools.

Elephant Seals breeding season starts at Año Nuevo State Reserve. Register for the Elephant Seal Guided Walking Tours before the book up. On sale now for Dec 15, 2019 to March 31, 2020.

Whales, dolphins, seals, as well as other marine mammals can be seen anywhere along the coast. I just returned from a trip to Carmel/Monterey/Big Sur and saw tons of blow holes spouting close to shore, dolphins catching waves on Carmel Beach and even a baby sea otter nursing. It’s an awesome marine safari!

Salmon spawn along the creeks around Marin while herring spawn in the bay. Best places to view are:

  • Leo T. Cronin Fish Viewing Area at the Shafter Bridge on Sir Francis Drake Boulevard, located at the eastern boundary of Samuel P. Taylor State Park, a half-mile west of the town of Lagunitas. The Marin Municipal Water District opens a parking area next to the bridge to facilitate fish viewing from December through February. For more information, call the Marin Municipal Water District Sky Oaks Watershed Headquarters at 415-945-1193.

  • Camp Taylor in Samuel P. Taylor State Park. At the entrance station to Camp Taylor just off Sir Francis Drake Boulevard, there is a short, steep access trail to the creek's edge where one may see the fish as they swim upstream. For more information, call Samuel P. Taylor State Park's ranger station at 415-488-9897.

  • Devil's Gulch in Samuel P. Taylor State Park. A few miles west of Camp Taylor is the Devil's Gulch tributary of Lagunitas Creek. The trail begins on the north side of the road, across from a pullout on Sir Francis Drake Boulevard. A flat walk takes you along the creek, providing several spots from which to view the fish. For more information, call Samuel P. Taylor State Park's ranger station at 415-488-9897.

  • Muir Woods National Monument. Highway 1 to Muir Woods Road will take you to the entrance of Muir Woods.

Head to the Richardson Bay Audubon and Paradise Beach Park in Tiburon and look for the flocks of gulls and pelicans hovering and then crashing into the bay to feed as millions of herring eggs as they wash ashore.

Newts emerge across paths at Lake Lagunitas and other Marin reservoirs. Winter rains create breeding colonies also for salamanders, toads, frogs and other amphibians.

Monarch Butterflies are clustered in the tree groves at Monarch Grove Butterfly Sanctuary, Pacific Grove and Natural Bridges, Santa Cruz. You can spot them, along with other local species, at Muir Beach, Fort Baker, Ring Mountain Open Space Preserve, Golden Gate Park, Crissy Field, Coyote Hills Regional Park and Ardenwood Historic Farm.

Ladybugs hibernate by the millions at Redwood Regional Park in the East Bay.

Tule Elk herds thrive at The Tomales Point Park in Point Reyes.

Just a few tips before venturing out.

They say “There is no such thing as bad weather, only the wrong clothes.” If it does rain, do not let the weather stop you; dress appropriately.

  • Avoid disturbing wildlife by keeping a safe distance and using binoculars or camera lens.

  • Make sure to pick a hike suited to your child’s skill and endurance level.

  • Don't forget snacks, water, sunscreen and anything else you need on a hike.

Have fun observing the abundant wildlife, plants, geology and cultural richness that make where we live unique in the world. Rain or shine, they are there waiting to meet you.