Park Wavelengths
The earth reaches aphelion on Friday, July 3rd - the moment in its orbit when it is farthest from the sun. A lunar eclipse occurs on Tuesday, July 7th , peaking at 2:38 am. Late watchers will barely notice the tiny shadow on the moon. Very early morning low tides correspond to the eclipse:
Tuesday, July 7 6:02 am -0.7 feet
Wednesday, July 8 6:34 am -0.6 feet
Thursday, July 9 7 7:04 am -0.5 feet
Friday, July 10 7:36 am -0.3
Common murres have been laying eggs and hatching them on the rocky Lighthouse cliffs but encountered a new challenge this year - sea lions jumping onto the rock and smashing through the eggs. The sea lions are hauling out, part of their daily routine in warming up. Murres can lay another egg - re-nest; researchers are watching the phenomenon and are not sure how it will affect the overall murre population.
The great blue herons are BUSY nesting at Bear Valley - not going 'bust' as noted in the last wavelengths!
Easy way to distinguish between the two pine species on the peninsula: Monterey (three syllables) have three needles - Bishop (two syllables) have two needles! The Bishop pines are seen through Tomales Bay State Park and along Inverness Ridge. The Monterey pines are easily noted on the Estero Trail - remnants of an old Christmas tree farm.
New artwork on display at the Bear Valley Visitor Center - butterflies and insects by Mollie Brown.
All park visitor centers are open on Friday, July 3rd, the federal holiday, and as usual on Saturday, July 4th. Fireworks are not permitted in Marin County and in Point Reyes National Seashore. A special presentation by aerial photographer Robert Campbell is scheduled at the Red Barn Classroom at park headquarters on July 4th from 1:00 - 4:00 pm.
Annual seal protection measures are lifted today - boaters may use Drakes Estero and South Blue Gums beach until next spring.
A website from NOAA allows visitors to check on forecasts and weather: http://newweb.wrh.noaa.gov/mtr/forecast.php
