Merlin in the city. This merlin (a small species of falcon, the size of a large dove) was spotted on a recent BioBlitz at a city park in the middle of San Jose. Merlin diets consist of birds, rodents, lizards, and even dragonflies in autumn. They often catch prey mid-air, and there are documented cases of cooperative hunting! It's another example of the amazing wildlife we have all around us. If you are interested in BioBlitzes, check out my podcast episode 7 with @bioblitz.club Merav Vonshak!
I had the pleasure of having Brian Sullivan, expert birder and Digital Publications Lead at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology on my podcast recently. Brian is one of the masterminds behind eBird, and Birds of the World, two amazing Cornell products. Brian discusses these products and their evolution, as well as some amazing prognostications about how future technology will augment birding, ornithology, and environmental awareness.
Tule Elk in Silicon Valley. It surprises many to learn that Silicon Valley, home to tech giants like Intel, Apple, and Google, has a couple of small Tule Elk herds in the nearby hills. I was fortunate to catch this glimpse (Feb 2020) from Coyote Ridge, with the famous US Highway 101 below (out of view), Coyote Valley in the distance, and the Santa Cruz mountains on the other side.
