Until a year ago, I had never seen a burrowing owl (Athene cunicularia). I wasn’t even aware we had this species locally — I thought they only lived in the desert. But that all changed in February of 2022 out in the dunes next to the Pacific Ocean. Out walking on a sunny morning, my […]
Get Out
Posted inLife + Outdoors
Snow Much Fun
The once-in-a-lifetime snowfall that hit Humboldt County last week did not go undocumented. Journal readers sent us photos of blanketed backyards, snow-heavy redwood boughs and the dusted dunes. High elevations are still winter wonderlands but down at sea level, even the last lumps of former snowmen have melted away. Enjoy a few highlights of the […]
Posted inLife + Outdoors
Standout Shorebirds
Colorful” and “glamorous” aren’t words that usually spring to mind when it comes to shorebirds, the diverse group of generally drab birds that includes sandpipers, plovers and related species. Their beauty tends to lie in sheer numbers: When flocks of thousands wheel in unison over Humboldt Bay and the light flashes off their pale bellies, […]
Posted inLife + Outdoors
In Defense of Slack
We cut people slack by overlooking their failures to perform how and when we would wish them to. But this article is about communal slack: the allowances that are just out there as part of the fabric of society and the environment. Here are some examples. We kids had the run of our neighborhood in […]
Posted inLife + Outdoors
Marine Life Tips for a Spearfishing Newbie
Getting in or under water offers an almost instant separation from the literal and figurative, gravity of life on firm ground. Whereas a mountain bike ride or trail hike may take some time to truly detach from our everyday lives, getting into the ocean offers an instant sense of separation. Sight, sound and motion are […]
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A New Year in Birding
The start of 2023 — earthquakes, torrential rain and bomb cyclones notwithstanding — has been an exciting time for birders. It begins with the ritual of that very first bird of the year. What will it be? For me, it was a tie between two birds: an American robin and a hermit thrush, both alighting […]
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Make a Wish Instead of a Resolution
Early on Sunday, Aug. 21, 2022, I drove to Crescent City. The ride on U.S. Highway 101 is one of my favorites — along Big Lagoon, then Stone Lagoon, through the redwoods and, finally, with the ocean rumbling on one side. It was a typical North Coast summer morning, foggy and chilly, but I didn’t […]
Posted inLife + Outdoors
Woodley Island Walkabout
My wife and I recently drove to Woodley Island for our daily walk with a plan to see the holiday lighting and boats in the marina at sunset. With clear skies and no wind, we enjoyed some exercise while watching the commercial fishing boats, a beautiful sunset over Humboldt Bay and a crab-pot Christmas tree. […]
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The Walmart Picnic Table Effect
A long-held belief in the world of birding is that when a rare bird is reported at a specific location, birders who flock to the spot to see it find other rare birds, attracting even more birders, who then find — well, you get the idea. This phenomenon, known as the Patagonia Picnic Table Effect, […]
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Ryan Farmer’s Need for Speed
On Nov. 11, 29-year-old Ferndale resident Ryan Farmer won their second street luge world championship at the 2022 World Skate Games in Argentina as a member of the U.S. Downhill Skate Team. Traveling down winding roads at breakneck speed while lying on a platform on wheels, Farmer is now officially the best in the world […]
Posted inLife + Outdoors
Mushroom Mania
“What did the girl mushroom say to the boy mushroom?” “You’re a fun guy.” Fun indeed. When the rain finally arrived this fall, my wife and I added mushroom hunting to our daily walks. Recently we have found 10 or more species at most of our favorite locations, like Sue-meg State Park (where collecting mushrooms […]
Posted inLife + Outdoors
Bears in the Bins
One of the great things about Humboldt County is living close to nature. It’s always a thrill to see raccoons, deer, foxes, even an occasional bobcat around the neighborhood. In fact, I just looked out my window and a saw a black bear — jumping up and down on my trash can. Bear with me […]