A series of autumnal celestial events begin with the Draconid meteor shower from Oct. 6 to 10, peaking on the night of Saturday, Oct. 7. This shower of about 10 per hour may be seen high in the sky near the Little Dipper, a companion to the Draco constellation where the shower originates. On the following Saturday, Oct. 14, also the new moon, an annular solar eclipse tracks from Oregon through Nevada and south through Mexico. It takes its name from sunlight creating the appearance of a ring, or annulus, around the moon. Unfortunately, we won’t see too much of it from West Marin. In late October, the Orionid meteor shower sparks up.
With crisp, cool mornings and warm days, autumn has arrived. As leaves drop, the tall, conical stick nests of dusky-footed woodrats, or packrats, emerge from their leafy camouflage along Limantour Road and White House Pool. The nests are built near water and, similar to beaver homes, contain rooms and passages for sleeping, eating and other functions.
Every kind of berry is ripened, ready to nurture many creatures. Dusty blue currants, huckleberries and blackberries, white snow berries and poison oak berries may be seen along trails. These fruits provide essential energy to sustain birds and animals through the upcoming winter.