The year’s meteor season begins with the Lyrid shower, seen from April 16 to 25. The peak night to watch is Wednesday, April 22, beginning at around 10 p.m. Look to the east for an average of 20 meteors whose long, bright tails will streak across a dark sky.
All the signs of spring are here. The dogwood is in full bloom on Bear Valley Trail and ospreys are back for the season. Beaches are layered with by-the-wind-sailors, or Velella velella. These bluish bits of ocean life usually drift across the water, eating fish eggs and plankton, and they are pushed onto beaches as spring wind patterns change. Over in Point Reyes Station, Gulf fritillary butterflies are hatching on the passionflower vines outside the thrift store. The tall, cauliflower-like blooms of cow parsnip are popping up with foot-long leaves.
Northen elephant seals have mostly returned to sea, prompting the reopening of Drakes Beach. The road and east side of the beach are now open, while the south side remains closed until pups leave. A rare Guadalupe fur seal joined the pup club this past week. These seals range off off Baja California and are not typically seen this far north.