John Muir Laws

On Grassy Hills and in Fields (Laws Pocket Guides: San Francisco Bay Area) John Muir Laws Chrt edition

This is one of the four individual Bay Area habitat guides which are part of The Laws Pocket Guide Set: San Francisco Bay Area.

The Bay Area is known for its beautiful golden hills, which are covered with the combination of grasses, tangled shrubs, and other low-growing vegetation known as chaparral. Resident mammals are magnificent--look for the tracks and droppings of coyotes and other large mammals, and for signs of smaller rabbits and rodents too. On the hills you'll find springtime welcomed by blankets of orange poppies growing abundantly alongside other colorful wildflowers. Later in the season, the hills turn brown and go to seed, attracting birds and rodents to feast. Listen for the Wrentit, whose distinct accelerating trill is known as ''the voice of the chaparral.'' Wintertime is ideal for spotting the state bird, the California Quail, which often travels in large flocks of fifty or more. It can be seen skittering along at the San Francisco Presidio fields while large raptors, like the Red-tailed Hawk, soar above.