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February 1995 March 1995 April 1995 May 1995 July 1995 October 1995 November 1995
February
1995 UC Davis archaeologist Terry Jones sent me a copy of
his latest publication about our area, co-authored with Betty
Rivers. It is a fascinating account of the ethnogeography of the
area extending from Big Creek and Lucia over to The Indians. The
richest sources of information for their work were the notes of
J.P.Harrington, who scrawled thousands of pages of field notes
as he interviewed and traveled with his informants in the 1920'
and 30's. His approach was to really get to know his informants,
and to let them speak at length on whatever subject interested
them. His advice to his nephew, sent in 1935 to gather some follow-up
information from an elderly woman, was indicative of this approach:
"there is nothing too trivial for her to talk about in the
greatest detail. Let her talk by the hour and hour on the most
various subjects." Other sources of information were mission
records, local histories, and archaeological work.
Combining these sources, Betty and Terry concluded that the area
bounded by Escondido and Bee camp on the north, the ocean on the
west, Lucia on the southwest, and the San Antonio mission on the
southeast was known as Quiquilit (pronounced Key-killit), the
home of a "tribelet" of native Americans. There were
probably at least four villages, and a number of smaller dwelling
places, within this area. Two villages were in the San Antonio
valley, a few miles from each other, and were called Holom (near
The Indians), and Skeyem, which may have been downstream near
the confluence of the two forks of the San Antonio river. Two
others were over the mountains near the coast, including Tsalakaka
above Gamboa Point and Matalce above Lopez point. Cone peak was
called Tsowem and Big Creek, Tsatteltca.
To me it is fascinating to see how the region was used by the
peoples of those times. Clearly, Quiquilit-land included access
to coastal resources such as mussels and fish, mountain resources
such as pine nuts and game animals, and valley resources such
as acorns and tubers. The elongated shape of the area also makes
sense because the mountain ridges run east-west, with deep canyons
inhibiting north-south travel. The inhabitants probably had detailed
knowledge of the entire area, and were able to prosper by careful
use of the plants and animals found there. The depth of knowledge
that Harrington's informants had about the area also impressed
me. Even after generations of disruption of the old life ways,
these people remembered places, place names, plant resources,
and other details of the geography of their home area.
I will make a copy of the article as soon as possible and leave
at the Big Sur Library for those who wish to read it and can't
make the trip down to Big Creek.
Other notes: The creek rose to 6 1/2, maybe 7 feet during the
storms after New Year's day. The first flush of water was fairly
muddy, but after a day or so began to clear. However, the distinct
character of the two forks of Big Creek remained. The Big Creek
fork was a lot muddier than the Devil's Creek fork, even though
the flow was somewhat less. The dippers seem to love the storm,
singing and foraging for insects in the raging flood waters. I
suppose the flood brings food for them, at least temporarily,
although later they will have to forage in a scoured creek bed.....I
still am seeing large flocks of Band-tailed Pigeons in our area.
In December I saw a flock of at least 700, maybe 1000 birds.....Somebody
poached a deer on the reserve on Christmas Day or the day after.
Hunters, please realize that poaching on the reserve makes the
deer difficult to study, causing them to hide and/or vacate their
normal areas where we usually observe them. (1/18/95)
March 1995 The creek is now flowing
clear and the January floods have polished the stream bed smooth.
Last week my wife Kim Smiley directed our third "quarterly"
stream insect survey. We guessed that there would be lots of changes
because of the flooding, but we did not really know what to expect.
At one site (just up the canyon) we could not even sample in the
same areas because the current was too swift and deep, and instead
we had to look in areas which were above water in November. At
that site we found lots of tiny stream insects, including hundreds
of almost-invisible mayflies (all you could see were tiny black
eyes). These had just hatched from eggs and seemed to be colonizing
the new habitat. Above, at the confluence of Big Creek and Devil's
Creek, we found a number of very large insects that had obviously
survived the flooding. Kim found a huge hellgrammite(5 inches),
and we found several large stonefly nymphs. They were in cracks
and under stones in the deep water. In Devil's Creek the bottom
layer of calcium carbonate "marl" had eroded away (except
in small patches) and there were more cracks and loose stones
for these large critters to hide under than during the summer.
At the beach site we found fewer insects, but lots of marine organisms
such as broken barnacles and crustose algae! It turned out that
the huge waves had dumped an entire beach full of new sand into
the creek area.
The huge surf had other consequences. On some days a heavy haze
of salt spray hugged the entire coast, causing plants in the canyon
bottom to brown off on the seaward side. I took some pictures
in which the redwoods were completely brown on side and beautiful
green on the other. These events, which happen several times a
decade, help shape the canyon bottom and coastal slope plants
into streamlined, dense, lop-sided forms. The high winds during
the storms also helped shape the vegetation. Many tree branches
broke and we probably experienced winds of over 100 mph on exposed
slopes, enough to blow the tops of trees off if they stick too
high up over the ridges.
Other notes: Last week I saw a pair of Red-tail Hawks hunting
a wild Band-tail Pigeon. Their hunt was cut short when the pigeon
crashed into window of our house. A few days later Kim found another
pigeon with similar injuries lying by the road. Looking in our
"Life Histories of North American Birds" I read that
Red-tails are indeed known to hunt in pairs. I wonder if their
hunting strategy involves driving pigeons low into the trees where
they may crash into a branch and injure themselves. (2/15/95)
April 1995 At Esalen, on March
3, we held the second Santa Lucia Natural History Symposium, a
gathering of biologists and other specialists who do field work
in our area. Many had attended the first symposium last June,
but there were several first-timers as well.
Jerry Powell, an entomologist from Berkeley, talked about the
Lepidoptera (moth) diversity study he has conducted at Big Creek
Reserve. This is probably the first time anyone has really tried
to go in to an area and find all the species (of a major order
of insects). He told us that several things are needed for such
a survey: (1) lots of cooperating taxonomists to help identify
species and name and classify new species, (2) knowledge of the
life history of the different groups being surveyed, so that they
can be found and counted in their natural habitat, (3) a willingness
to look in the different habitats necessary, and (4) repeated
surveys, over and over, until you stop finding new species each
time you survey. Jerry spent 205 days looking for moths, collected
moths at black lights 286 times, and has raised 1320 caterpillars
to determine their identity. Based on the moth survey, Jerry estimates
that there are about 7000 species of insects on Big Creek property.
Jerry also found several species that have never been classified
or named, a common problem when sampling small insects. This highlights
a fundamental problem in studying biological diversity; there
simply aren't enough taxonomists to record or classify diversity,
even when it is found.
Jennifer Neilson of Hopkins Marine Station also gave an interesting
presentation on Steelhead Trout. Jennifer has recently surveyed
the genetics of steelhead up and down the coast, and has found
that the fish in each regional area, and in some cases each stream,
are genetically different. This means that our local steelhead
are probably different in important ways from steelhead elsewhere,
and that each creek has unique populations that should be protected.
She thinks that hatchery fish and other planted fish just can't
compete with native fish, and so don't reproduce. Jennifer is
planning a study to look at behavior and genetics of the steelhead
in Big Creek.
Donna Schroeder talked about her research on tiny young-of-the-year
rockfishes. These little fish cluster around rocks for protection,
in groups of 10-100, and feed off plankton floating by in the
water. Donna was able to show that these fish prefer some rocks
as opposed to others (rocks with better currents, probably), and
that they actually grow faster when feeding around those rocks.
To me the most amazing conclusion is that it is possible to do
such detailed work in our rough ocean habitat.
All the other participants presented updates on progress in their
field, and we all agreed the meeting was very worthwhile. We got
more bibliographies, including a huge list brought by Mark Stromberg
from Hastings, and these will be compiled with the first bibliography.
We also discussed plans to create a "master" bibliography
with key words that can be searched by subject.
Other notes: the March floods were even higher than the January
floods, and quite a few logs moved downstream. The diatom bloom
I noticed in February was scoured away, so I'll look for it again
as the water drops. The early spring bloom is beautiful, with
lilacs, irises, columbines, and shooting stars, and a lot of other
things are coming into bloom. I think the mild weather and early
rains may bring us things earlier than usual this year. (3/22/95)
May 1995 Last summer I collected
larvae ("maggots") of a special type of hover fly while
working in the Sierra Nevada, and brought them back to Big Creek
to raise. I fed them the eggs and larvae of the willow leaf beetle,
their only known prey. After a few weeks the larvae crawled to
the bottom of their chamber and went dormant for the winter. Since
then I have been waiting for the larvae to pupate and form new
adult flies. I need the specimens so I can photograph them and
learn to recognize their features.
In the Sierra Nevada the flies come out in July, just in time
for the willow beetles to lay their eggs. The flies then lay their
eggs right on the beetle eggs. The timing is crucial since the
willow beetles only lay eggs in late June and July. I was surprised
when the flies I am raising (here in Big Sur) pupated, about 2-3
months earlier than they "should". Of course, our local
willows here on the coast have recently leafed out, and our local
willow leaf beetles are now laying eggs. If the flies somehow
knew that fact (dormant in their little chambers on the shelf),
their behavior would make perfect sense. How could they know?
I suspect they smell the willows growing outside my office. I
don't think it is simply a matter of temperature since we have
had all kinds of warm and cool temperatures since winter. Maybe
next year I will set up some "experiments" to see if
I can figure this out.
The Harbor Seals are giving birth to their little pups now. Last
week I saw an adult Bald Eagle perched on a ledge above the seals'
favorite birthing beach, along with about 10 sea gulls. In past
years I have seen an eagle (probably the same one) eating a baby
seal, and I have seen the same bird on the ledge many times since
then. This is important because Bald Eagles need predictable sources
of prey if they are to become year-round residents of Big Sur.
Maybe this bird will eventually stay the summer instead of migrating
north with the other eagles. (4/21/95)
July 1995 This is the most "productive"
spring/early summer I have seen in the nine years I have lived
at Big Creek. What I mean by "productive" is the tremendous
growth of greenery; our roads and trails are getting buried in
ceanothus branches and poison oak vines. Feynner and I feel that
we are experiencing the equivalent of deep snow in the mountains,
only we can't depend on the plants "melting" in warm
weather.
We hosted the 7th annual "4th of July" butterfly count
on June 3. Although foggy along the coast, it was a clear, sunny
day in the highlands above 2000'. We had an excellent opportunity
to count butterflies there. In spite of the good conditions, we
saw only 30% of the usual numbers of butterflies. Some sites,
such as the serpentine barren at the head of Canogas Creek, had
millions of open flowers and bright sun, and no butterflies (usually
we catch dozens or hundreds there). At French camp we saw more,
but still many fewer than usual. The number of species seen was
greatly reduced as well. These findings are consistent with observations
in other parts of California; this seems to be a bad year for
butterflies.
A week after the count, I walked up the canyon road to catch some
veined white butterflies for a project (Sonie calls them "milkmaid
butterflies"). In about one hour I saw 72 butterflies belonging
to 11 species, more than the usual number seen there during previous
counts. This showed me that this years' "decline" is
not universal, and suggests a possible explanation. Generally,
increased rain results in more lush plant growth, which often
benefits caterpillars. However, spring storms tend to be hard
on many butterfly caterpillars, with larvae drowning or getting
knocked off their host plants. This may have happened in many
areas of the state this year, including the high ridges and exposed
slopes at Big Creek. However, we experienced relatively mild conditions
in the Big Creek canyon this year. (Feynner and I know this because
of the unexpectedly low number of tree- and rock-falls we had
to deal with.) Thus it seems likely that butterfly numbers in
late spring may reflect the severity of storm conditions in early
spring.
The black oystercatchers in Big Creek cove brooded eggs from May
22 to about June 18, a period after about 4 weeks. Now the parents
are feeding (and guarding) a pair of fuzzy black chicks on their
rocky ledge. I have watched them bringing little bits of orange
oyster meat (I think that is what they are bringing) and feeding
them to the chicks. I hope to see how long it takes for the young
to fledge and leave the nest.
Two black tail does, one with twin fawns and the other with a
single fawn, moved down into the canyon bottom for a week or so,
the first deer to do so this year. However, there still seems
to be a reduction in the numbers of deer at low elevation in the
reserve this year. (6/21/95)
October 1995 Lately, I have
been too busy to write "Nature Notes." Feynner and I
are rebuilding my cabin under the bridge (to repair storm and
termite damage), and still finishing the visitor cabin at Whale
Point (where the old Marble cabins used to be). We need money
to finish the jobs. I thank everyone who has expressed concern
over the missing "nature notes." I certainly intend
to keep writing them when I can...
This summer was relatively cool and (it seems to me) damp. Along-shore
winds kept the fog away for much of the summer, and seemed to
keep the kelp forest open. This year, for the first time since
I came in 1986, the Harbor Seals have stayed on the Square Black
Rock seal beach into September. I guess this is because the kelp
has stayed fresh instead of rotting and driving the seals away.
A couple of weeks ago a large female mountain lion was seen along
the reserve roads, on two separate occasions. At the same time
we saw tracks of a large lion (the tracks were 4" long),
probably the same one, but accompanied by a set of juvenile tracks.
The smaller tracks were quite large (3" long), walking behind
the larger tracks. My guess is that the mother lion was protecting
her yearling "baby." When a human would come by, the
juvenile would hide while the mother walked down the road in a
conspicuous way.
We have a "lone" coyote living in the vicinity of the
Big Creek bridge. About a month ago, a student was watching a
doe with her two fawns on the slopes above the gate cabin. The
coyote was waiting up the slope, and when the fawns got close,
rushed them and clumsily tried to catch one. The fawns escaped
easily, running up slope and crossing the ridge. Clearly, our
steep rocky slopes are ideal for deer survival, but not for hunting
coyotes. Perhaps the coyote was trying to make the fawn stumble
and injure itself.
We have also had a juvenile great horned owl with us all summer.
It fledged from the nest last June, and can now be heard almost
every night making its weird raspy call at Whale Point. (We seldom
hear the these owls hooting.) We have seen the mother feeding
it some kind of prey, probably mice. The other day a wood rat
was trying to make its home in our new battery box outside the
visitor cabin. It is remarkable to think how such creatures can
make a living when there are so many predators around (coyotes,
bobcats, horned owls, and many more), and it makes you realize
how important it is for these little animals to find a safe place
to nest and feed. No wonder the mice and rats are always invading
our seemingly "safe" spaces all the time.
Big Creek has more water in it this summer, as compared to past
summers, maybe 2" deeper. When collecting stream rocks for
the monthly survey, I noticed that the layer of calcium carbonate
marl is thinner than usual. I suspect the increased flow includes
water from soil seepage, which may be more acidic, keeping the
marl from depositing. In dryer years the water comes from deep
springs rich in calcium carbonate. (9/21/95)
November 1995 One morning Kim
and I found a line of mountain lion tracks, and we followed them
up the road. The tracks were fairly small, and we thought they
might have been made by a young lion. The lion kept the same even
walk for about 1/4 mile, and then headed down the canyon road.
Later in the morning I took Tye DePena, a researcher who is photographing
wildlife at Big Creek, to look at the tracks and see where they
went. We spent the next hour following that lion.
From the tracks, we could see that the lion walked at an even
pace down the road, until it detected something. Then it stopped,
started, and walked hesitantly for a while. Then the lion lengthened
its pace and moved deliberately down the road. Around a bend in
the road, the lion encountered a mature buck deer. It rushed the
deer, seeming to fly through the air (since I could see no tracks).
It killed the deer quickly, with little apparent effort. All I
saw were 5-10 hoof/paw gouges in the road, and a tiny spray of
blood. Then the lion dragged the buck down the road for about
1/4 mile, to a switchback. There it dragged the buck off the side
and down toward the canyon bottom.
While following the drag marks I was afraid the lion was headed
for the redwoods in the canyon bottom, but the trail went only
50 meters or so, then headed along the contour to a small bunch
of redwoods. Under the redwoods, Tye and I found the carcass.
The deer was medium sized (maybe 150 pounds "guestimate")
but had the thick neck and large antlers of a mature buck. I was
amazed that an apparently small lion could kill such a large,
capable animal so easily. The buck had scratches on the back and
shoulders but no sign of deadly injury (other than having its
guts pulled out through a hole in the left abdomen). Probing with
my fingers I could feel punctures along the back of the neck where
the lion cut the spinal chord with its carnassial teeth. From
the scratches and the bloody saliva dripping from the mouth, I
think maybe the lion hit the buck very hard, maybe with its paws,
then clung to its back until making the killing bite.
Tye and I spend a couple of hours setting up two automatic cameras,
in hopes of photographing the lion when it came back. Tye has
already taken some amazing pictures of lions, foxes, bobcats,
coyotes, and other animals, so he knows how to set up the cameras.
The next day Tye checked the camera and saw that three pictures
had been taken. When he developed the film a week later, the very
first photo was of a beautiful mature female lion, heavily muscled
but young-looking, with pretty facial spots and a white chin.
Her eyes had a yellow-orange, other-worldly glow. I felt that
this young, powerful animal embodied the wild spirit of the south
coast, and I have spent hours looking at, and thinking about,
that photo.
The day after the first photos were taken, Feynner Arias, our
reserve steward, found more lion tracks. He also found where the
same lion had killed another deer! This time the lion dragged
its prey down through heavy brush and we did not follow. We suspect
that when she revisited the first buck and got "flashed"
by the camera, the lion abandoned her kill and immediately went
back up the road to kill another deer. Both kills were placed
where major deer trails cross the road.
Other notes: we have seen a number of plants germinating and growing
this fall as though we had gotten some rain. We haven't gotten
any rain, but the air has been quite humid. I suppose the soil
is a little damper than usual from the rains last winter, also.
(10/21/95)