Astronomical spring, known as the vernal equinox, begins Friday, March 20, in the Northern Hemisphere. Meanwhile, meteorological spring is determined by calendar months and temperature cycles and usually begins March 1. As warmer temperatures beckon us outdoors, foggy skies have been in the way of viewing recent celestial events.
Northern elephant seals are departing our beaches as their annual breeding season winds down, and the smaller harbor seals are entering the quiet waters of Tomales Bay and Drakes Estero to give birth. March 1 signals the beginning of the annual harbor seal protective measures. It is a normal practice for seals to haul out and rest onshore and for adults to leave a pup on the beach while they go off to feed. Typically, they will be gone again by the next day. A complete beach closure list is available at nps.gov/pore.
Blooming flowers and northbound gray whales are also indicating spring. Chocolate lilies, also called mission bells, are blooming at Chimney Rock. Ceanothus shrubs were host to an irruption—a mass hatching—of California tortoiseshell butterflies at Bear Valley this past weekend. And though the southbound whale migration provided few sightings, the northbound migration has yielded numerous sightings from the lighthouse.