The Delta Aquarids meteor showers are at their peak night, seen at a rate of about 20 per hour after 9 p.m. in the eastern sky, toward Black Mountain.
As we head into late summer, we enter wasp season, a time when the over 100 species in California start nesting. Perhaps the best-known wasp is the brightly striped black and yellow wasp, commonly known as the yellowjacket. This carnivorous ground nester emits a scent when it perceives a threat to the nest. The scent draws other wasps to join the defense and they may cause painful stings. Yellowjackets use badger and fox holes to nest and may be preyed on by skunks. A related wasp species that is less colorful is the paper wasp, which builds football-sized nests of wood and plant particles mixed with saliva, which hang from tree branches and eaves. One nest may be seen in the pines at the Limantour end of Muddy Hollow Trail. These intricate structures are only used temporarily and usually fall in the wind.
It’s been a particularly good year for one of our summer visitors: brown pelicans. As food sources shift in the ocean, a plentiful supply of anchovies this year have provided a feast! Pelicans can be seen in Bolinas Lagoon and Drakes Bay, splashing and diving, taking advantage of schooling fish.