Our beloved seabirds in Southern California and on the west coast are tough and built to last. But they must have access at the right times and places to the currency of the ocean: forage fish and invertebrates. For over ten years the Audubon network in California and the west coast has been collaborating with…

You are unlikely to view dead trees the same way again after Gillian Martin passionately and persuasively illustrates their contribution to the diversity and sustainability of forests. Yes, even the urban forest. In her lively presentation on death and dying, Gillian will give us a fascinating look at the tremendous habitat value of these trees.…

An aerialist of western forests, Vaux’s Swifts spend most of the day in the air, taking insects and spiders in rapid, twisting flight. Nature’s exterminator, a nesting pair can harvest nearly 12 thousand insects per day. But a single pair is a rare sighting indeed with up to 35 thousand individuals roosting in the same…

In the late 1980s, the U.S. Navy approached the San Diego Zoo asking for assistance in the recovery of the San Clemente Loggerhead Shrike. This shrike subspecies is found only on the U.S. Navy’s San Clemente Island, a highly valued training site. Numbers had dropped to as low as 14 birds and the Navy wanted…

Creator: Alan Harper Copyright: © 2013 Alan Harper. CC BY-NC 3.0.

Befitting our “Happy New Year” edition, Buena Vista Audubon is featuring San Diego County’s premier (mammalian) flyer, hosted by its champion, Don Endicott. Bats! Those strange, mysterious creatures of the night. Sporting skills of flight and acoustic navigation, bats contribute to our environment in many ways—devouring insects, pollinating wild fruits, and helping reforest disturbed lands.…

Native peoples have lived in the Californias for thousands of years in harmony with nature and the native plants found in our region’s diverse habitats. Locally, the San Luis Rey River formed a boundary of sorts, with Luiseño to the north and Kumeyaay to the south. Each tribe had a distinct language but they interacted…

Bees, ladybugs, and butterflies. Let’s face it—beyond that, insects and spiders need publicists. Enter Joy Inton and Johnson Jou, two of the most enthusiastic, creepy-crawly-ologists in our region. Johnson and Joy will educate us about the remarkable insect and spider diversity in San Diego County. Mixing natural history with a dash of storytelling, they will…