Last weekend before Castle Rock closes for Peregrine mating season
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA (Jan. 27, 2022) — As is the case every year, the Castle Rock formation overlooking Pine Creek at Diablo Foothills Regional Park in Walnut Creek is now closed to all access to protect nesting peregrine falcons.
Actually located in Mt. Diablo State Park, the rocks are closed annually from Feb. 1 through July 31 so the falcons can mate, lay eggs and fledge their young undisturbed.
The creek is generally the boundary line between the state and regional parks. Signs advising the closure are posted at several access points along the Stage Road Trail, which follows the creek.
Peregrine falcons are amazing birds. They are about the size of crows, though slightly bulkier and with longer wings. They prey mostly on smaller birds and mammals, including rodents and bats. Their dives have been clocked at speeds of more than 200 miles per hour, which makes them the world’s fastest animal.
Peregrines are no longer on the federal endangered species list, but in California they are still fully protected under the state’s Fish & Game Code.
Over the years there has been at least one pair of mating peregrines at Castle Rock. Please do not disturb them during their nesting season. If disturbed, they can fail to mate or abandon their nest. Trespassers can be fined.
An all-volunteer natural history education team keeps watch on the peregrines at Castle Rock during the mating season. In 2021 four chicks hatched, but all succumbed to a predator owl.
Animal courtship
Animal courtship is the theme of a naturalist-led hike from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Feb. 5 at Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve in Antioch.
During a moderate, three-mile hike, the group will find out what a variety of animals are doing during Valentine month. Meet at the park’s upper parking lot at the end of Somersville Road, 3½ miles south of Highway 4. Bring water and dress appropriately for the weather.
The hike is free of charge, but registration and parent participation are both required. You can register online at www.ebparks.org, or by calling 888-327-2757, option 2. Black Diamond Mines has a parking fee of $5 per vehicle.
Saturday stroll
Crown Memorial State Beach in Alameda is the venue for a walk in the Saturday Stroll series, from 10 a.m. to noon on Feb. 5.
Meet the naturalist at the pier near Broadway and Shoreline Drive for a flat, 3.3-mile walk to Martin Luther King Jr. Regional Shoreline with beautiful bay views. No registration is necessary, just show up. For information, call 510-544-3187.
Ardenwood Farm
The chickens at Ardenwood Historic Farm in Fremont are descendants of some much larger remote ancestors. Learn more about it during a “Chickens and Dinos” program at the farm from 11 to 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 5. You can help feed the chickens, too.
Ardenwood is located at 34600 Ardenwood Boulevard, just north of Highway 84. No registration is necessary. For information on admission fees and the program, call 510-544-2797.
Shrubapalooza
Raptors and other avians will be stars of a “Shrubapalooza” program from 9 to 11 a.m. on Sunday, Feb. 6 at Morgan Territory Regional Preserve east of Mt. Diablo, led by naturalist Kevin Dixon.
The group will scan for soaring birds along windswept cliffs with the mountain as backdrop. Bring binoculars and hand lenses if you have them, plus snacks.
Meet at the park’s staging area on Morgan Territory Road about nine miles south of Marsh Creek Road near Clayton. Registration is required, and there’s a minimum age of seven years.
For registration and information, visit www.ebparks.org or call 888-327-2757, option 2.
This is just a sample. There are lots of programs planned in the regional parks in coming days. Visit the district’s website for the full story.