Mysteries!

Posted on August 13, 2019 | by MMPC

Spring came so late this year that it might as well have been a really long winter. But it is warm at last, and More Mesa has presented us with three different mysteries!

Mystery #1: What was actually found in our vernal pool

In our last issue we talked about the More Mesa Vernal Pool finally filling … after 8 long years of drought. Joanna Tang, a graduate student at UCSB, lead the scientific study of our pool with the aid of More Mesa supporter, Angela Rauhut, who took most of the measurements. Joanna has kindly written a synopsis of what she found after 3 months of study.

More Mesa has a vernal pool harboring several locally rare plants and animals that are vernal pool specialists. Even after being dry for 8 years, recent plant and animal surveys have revealed the resiliency of these special vernal pool species. They are adapted to live in aquatic conditions during the winter, reproduce and drop seed as the vernal pool dries out. Then they remain in the dried up pools as seeds and cysts (invertebrate eggs) that can withstand prolonged desiccation — just add water and they come to life!

After this year’s winter rains, several vernal pool specialist plants popped up. There was, appropriately enough, Popcorn Flower, a common vernal pool plant in the area.

However, we also saw Pacific Foxtail and Lemmon’s Canary Grass, small native grasses that are only found in More Mesa and a few other pools near UCSB. Another plant found commonly in the local vernal pools is Coyote Thistle, but More Mesa’s Coyote Thistle has unique leaf and stem forms that may make it a distinct subspecies. Of particular interest, More

Mesa is the only local pool sampled this year that has Clam Shrimp — this little crustacean requires deeper vernal pools that stay filled with water for longer, so the large More Mesa pool is the perfect habitat for it! Other common freshwater invertebrates like Copepods and

Ostracods were also found in the pool, as well as plenty of tadpoles of Pacific Tree Frogs!

It is so much fun to see the More Mesa pool come to life with so many species this year!

Our many thanks to Joanna and Angela for the data and photographs in this article.

Mystery #2: What’s going on with these big birds chasing one another?

One recent early evening, two of our More Mesa fans were hiking on County owned More Mesa Open Space. They came across one large bird being loudly pursued by 2 or 3 other (perhaps smaller) birds. The pursuers disappeared quickly, but the bigger bird, resolutely and overtly, perched on a nearby tree with a huge portion of food clasped tightly in its talons. Fortunately the hikers managed to capture a photo of the perched bird and asked if it could be identified. The mystery thickened … what species and why the chasing?

Immature Coopers Hawk (Photo by Chris Brehms & Mark Johnson)

After studying a few books and sites, a rank amateur guessed it might be an immature Red Shouldered Hawk, but decided to get some real experts to weigh in. Oddly enough the experts were a little more than puzzled as well. The reason it was puzzling was that the bird in the photo was NOT an adult. It was an immature, meaning its in year 1 of its life. This ruled out the scenario where we would have an adult with food and juveniles chasing it. They might be chasing, but they were chasing an immature bird with prey, either a nest-mate or some other non-related bird. It seems a likely scenario that it was a group of young Cooper’s tussling for the food brought by an adult. However, the experts agreed that there was probably an adult around somewhere

The final verdict? The proud holder of the food was this Immature Coopers Hawk.

Many thanks to Rebecca Coulter, Krista Fahy and John Storrer for their help, advice and descriptions of what was likely happening.

Mystery #3: Why are the Locks on the Southeastern Gate Gone?

This mystery is not nearly as much fun as the ones above. The locks are gone because they have been stolen.

No private vehicles are allowed on More Mesa because of the potential for disastrous fires. A case in point: Twelve years ago, a fire on More Mesa burned to the edges of Hope Ranch and Vista la Cumbre. It started as a result of sparks from a motorcycle that was illegally being ridden on More Mesa.

At that time the More Mesa Preservation Coalition took on the task of reducing the potential for fire on the eastern side of More Mesa. We collected private funds and obtained permission to finish the fence limiting entry onto More Mesa. After the fence was finished, we placed locks on the fire gate that would allow entry to those agencies that needed to have access to More Mesa. These included the owner of More Mesa, the Fire Department and the Sheriff. For many years these locks were in place and working well.

Unhappily emergency work by the gas company left the locks untended, and they were stolen. Because the special fire department locks are difficult to obtain, the gate was unlocked for several weeks. During that time, off-road vehicles and trucks decided to make More Mesa a playground and rode around in the mud after our frequent rain storms. Some of these vehicles got stuck and had to be pulled out by a tow truck. In one instance the tow truck had to be pulled out by a bigger tow truck. IT WAS A MESS!

A new set of locks was installed (several hundred dollars) and were gone the very next day. A third set disappeared in a few weeks. There is apparently a way to destroy any lock and chain … no matter how sturdy they are. Now there are no locks at all.

WE NEED YOUR HELP!! If you use More Mesa, please help to protect it. If you see vehicles illegally out on More Mesa, grab your cell phone and call the Sheriff. When you do this quickly, the Sheriff may get out there and confront the offender. We cannot let this magic place be destroyed by people who think they have a right to ride anywhere and everywhere their vehicles can possibly go. THANK YOU.

Came the Rains!

Posted on March 2, 2019 | by MMPC

More Mesa’s Vernal Pool … Full at Last

The southeast corner of More Mesa boasts one of the rarest, and most threatened, of natural communities: a vernal pool. Vernal pools form as a result of distinctive climate, soil and
topography, and are distinguished by the organisms they host. Many of these organisms are restricted to special habitats that flood temporarily in winter and early spring, then undergo a period of gradual drying and are dry the remainder of the year. Vernal pool plants and animals are adapted to these environmental extremes and as such, are among the most interesting organisms on earth. In winter the pools reach a maximum depth and duration of flooding and support numerous aquatic plants, insects, crustaceans and zooplankton; including rare and endangered species. In addition, amphibians such as Pacific Tree Frogs breed and lay eggs in the pools by the thousands. Vernal pools also provide a winter home for waterfowl during the rainy season.

Moreover, vernal pools are unique in another special way. Because they are isolated from one another and have a life span of only a few months, mutations that occur among a population in one pool are not likely to be dispersed to other populations. And since the number of vernal pools, and vernal pool sites are decreasing, the population associated with any one pool becomes more and more genetically isolated, and therefore unique. In the Santa Barbara coastal region, vernal pools occur at Ellwood Mesa, Isla Vista and UCSB and More Mesa – three distinctive areas.

These very special intermittent pools, found in many area of California, were once common to the Central Valley and other parts of the state. However vernal pools have been reduced to less than five percent of their original range, and now represent one of California’s most threatened natural communities. And … we have one of these precious sites here on our very own More Mesa*.

The last time the More Mesa vernal pool contained any appreciable water was in winter of 2011 … eight years ago! That year we had 147% of our annual rainfall. (As of this posting, in 2019, we have received slightly more than 100% of our annual rainfall.) In 2011 we collected samples and transferred them to UCSB’s CCBER (Cheadle Center for Biodiversity and Ecological Restoration) for analysis. At that time, a plan was conceived to sample the pool periodically, every year, in order to assess the life forms and determine what was happening in our More Mesa vernal pool. And then came the drought! Unhappily, with the drought there was no water, and therefore no sampling. However, we are pleased to report that this year a sampling program is already underway to study the organisms in the More Mesa vernal pool. A UCSB graduate student studying vernal pool restoration is working with CCBER to collect weekly data for water analysis. She also samples for invertebrates and surveys the vegetation. The survey has just started and we will keep you posted on findings.

* Vernal pools occur only where soils are derived from bedrock of shale that produces an accumulation of water above the water table and results in ponding after sufficient rainfall. This situation is different from soil derived from sandstone that allows infiltration of rainfall. Most of More Mesa is underlain by sandstone, so even at More Mesa the opportunity for vernal pools to form is restricted to a small area. To learn even more about these extraordinary habitats, see the Vernal Pool feature on our website.

And More About Water

tracks

Water Bars – Along with our long awaited rain, an open area such as More Mesa is likely to get significant trail erosion. However, if you are hiking out on More Mesa this season you will observe many water bars along all the trails. These features were described in detail in an update two years ago and are courtesy of an environmental hero who looks after our tails every time we get significant rainfall. Thank you whoever you are!

Wildflowers – We are already seeing some wildflowers in different areas around More Mesa. Most of them are not natives, but they are still very lovely to look at! If you would like to find out more about flowers on More Mesa, you can peruse our website sections under the “Plants” menu. There you can check out “Photos” of native wildflowers and maybe even identify the ones below. You can also look into how to “Garden With Native Plants” and “Invasive Plants” to help you plan your next native plant garden.

flowers composite — Only a few of the many wildflowers found on More Mesa.

More Mesa At Night (August-October 2018)

Posted on November 14, 2018 | by MMPC

A Very Different Walk

Night Walk on More Mesa: Continuing with our “Walk on More Mesa” theme, a very different kind of walk presented itself in late September. Jennifer Stroh of the Land Trust for Santa Barbara County invited me to an informal walk that was not only on the west side of More Mesa, but it was a night walk as well! Since I had never experienced a night walk that focused on nocturnal animals, I was eager to participate.

Our leader was Ted Mullen, a Senior Biologist, graduate of UCSB, and currently a scientist with MRS Environmental, here in Santa Barbara. As soon as we headed out onto More Mesa, Ted launched our adventure with a lesson in listening … a key skill when there is little, or no, light; and especially important when one is trying to identify birds and animals that hunt at night. He talked about identifying all the various sounds (man made and otherwise) and then sorting them out from one another. And, although the man-made intrusions on More Mesa are somewhat limited, he pointed out two important ones:

The “drone” sound of freeway and other traffic, and how that background noise affects the ability of hunting animals to hear sounds that are vitally important to them; for example sounds of rodents and other prey moving through the grasses. We did note, however, that the “drone” was not as obvious, or even discernible, in all the parts of More Mesa that we visited.
The intrusion of street lights from neighboring communities, and how they would also affect the ability to hunt … especially for the owls that make their homes on the north facing side of More Mesa.

night walk map

At the beginning of the walk, on the northwestern edge of More Mesa, we heard three species of Owls: Barn, Great Horned and Screech. Then Ted surprised some of us by noting that Screech Owls did not screech at all, and proved it by playing several of their calls. We were also treated to the sight of an owl flying quite close to us.

great horned owl in flight — Great Horned Owl in Flight
Photo by Larry Friesen

One of the “owl” stories Ted told, and one that I got a big chuckle out of, concerned Great Horned nest building. The Great Horned, being a bigger bird, hunts larger animals, like rabbits and skunks. Moreover, skunks are regularly on their menu because, unlike the rest of us, the Great Horned is not bothered, at all, with the stench of skunk spray. Ever-vigilant parents, the Great Horned will therefore sometimes line their nest with skunk carcasses. This clever strategy prevents predators from being tempted to carry off the chicks … because most of the rest of the world is definitely not fond of skunk spray!

As our walk progressed towards the coast, we saw and heard Spotted Bats and, at one point, we even heard a Towhee; a bird that should have been asleep. Maybe we woke it up … or something else woke it up?

The sky was brilliant and clear. Amateur astronomers had a blast and we even got to see all the lobster boats out on the first day of the season. It was an absolutely wonderful walk and I was privileged to be part of it.

How You Can Help

Our coalition very rarely solicits donations from our supporters, only in times of real need. While More Mesa is not in immediate jeopardy (no building plan has yet been submitted to planning), we spend additional funds to remain in a “ready state” for when the developers make their move.

That means continuing to build and maintain a database of supporters who can help us by contacting their elected officials, testifying at hearings, recruiting their friends, contacting the media and coming together for a show of community support. Lastly, we maintain a small contingency budget so that we can react quickly when the time arises.

Our immediate expenses for the next year are not large (unless things change with development plans), no more than $5,000. But without those funds to replenish our budget we could be flat-footed the day the development plan is filed.

I am sure that you support many other important causes; I just wanted to put in my request for the White-tailed Kites, the Great Horned Owls, the Red-tailed Hawks … and even the Spotted Bats of More Mesa. A gift of $50 or $100 to keep us in a ready state would be terrific.

Thank you so much, from all the critters of More Mesa.

A Summer Walk on More Mesa (2018)

Posted on September 14, 2018 | by MMPC

Since things have changed quite a bit since our last report, it was time for a Summer Walk on More Mesa. Taking the same route as reported in our previous Update we noted two very heartwarming and special sights.

trails

First, the White-tailed Kites that historically nest on the east side of More Mesa have fledged two youngsters this year! This is extremely good news since drought years have produced a very small number of youngsters … for More Mesa and indeed the whole Goleta Valley. You can find all manner of interesting information on the importance of More Mesa’s kites on pages 29-33 of our More Mesa Handbook.

Lorquins Admiral — Lorquin’s Admiral – one of 17 species on More Mesa.

With summer comes butterflies when More Mesa hosts up to 17 different species of these beautiful creatures. In addition to the Buckeyes reported in our last issue summer brings the lovely, and large, Anise Swallowtails that lay their eggs on our ubiquitous fennel. For a detailed discussion of the Swallowtail and its appearance on More Mesa see our late summer issue for 2017.

If you have taken the walk above, and parked on Puente Drive you will have noticed how many cars have been there … almost every day this summer. The extreme heat has brought hundreds of visitors to More Mesa and the beach below. Which brings us to the story below …

A Legend From the Past

The intense hot spell we have been experiencing lately, with its record breaking temperatures, seemed to echo a story I had come across while researching for an article on More Mesa’s asphalt mine in a previous issue. According to our colorful, always interesting, and “go-to” reference Goleta, the Good Land (by Walker A. Tompkins), a scorching one-day heat wave occurred in the Goleta Valley on June 17, 1859. Further, it was the first and only simoon ever recorded in North America. Never having heard the word “simoon”, I looked it up. What’s a simoon anyway? It’s a strong, dry, dust-laden local wind that is caused by intensive ground heating under a cloudless sky. The word simoon is Arabic and describes winds that occur in the Sahara, Israel, Jordan, Syria, and the deserts of Arabian Peninsula.

So what did happen in June 1859? According to Tompkins, it was about 80 F by noon on that fateful day… a little high for our lovely Goleta Valley … known for its moderate temperatures. Then, about 1 PM according to Tompkins, a ‘blast of superheated air’ came from the direction of Santa Ynez Peak and hit the Goleta Valley, alarming the residents and sending them scurrying for cover inside thick-walled buildings. Tompkins wrote that by 2 PM the temperature had reached an incredible 133 F, with the northwest wind bringing ‘great clouds of impalpable dust’. People reportedly took refuge in several places including behind the 3-foot-thick walls of the Daniel Hill adobe. Calves, rabbits, and cattle died on their feet according to a “government report”, and fruit fell from trees to the ground, scorched on the windward side. Birds fell dead from the sky and others flew into wells in search of cooler air and drowned. About 5 PM the searing, hot wind died down, the report said, the thermometer ‘cooled off’ to 122 F.

Supposedly the temperature in the Goleta Valley hit 133 F, and went into the record books as the highest temperature for all of the U.S. … remaining a record for 54 years, when it was barely surpassed by a 134 F reading in Death Valley.

I thought this was a thrilling story and all More Mesa supporters would love it!

But …

However, while finishing up my research on the word “simoon” I ran across an article by Bill Norrington that was posted on the UCSB Geography Department website. My hopes for relating this exciting (and “hot”) story about La Rancho Goleta … the ranch that included More Mesa … were trampled, if not dashed!

Unhappily, the story appears to exist only in the Tompkins book, with no scientific evidence whatsoever for the event appearing in, or being corroborated by, any other record, “government” or otherwise. Norrington goes on to chronicle Thompkins’ life as a writer of western novels (fiction), a reporter, a radio personality, and a staff writer for the Santa Barbara Newspress.

In addition, when Professor Joel Michaelsen of the Geography Department was asked about the event he commented: “I have never found any outside source to validate Tompkins’ story, and I am highly skeptical of its veracity. I don’t doubt that strong hot, dry down-slope winds could kick up lots of dust and produce very high temperatures – but in the 110 F- 115 F range at most. The 133 F just isn’t physically reasonable, as it would require the creation of an extremely hot air mass somewhere to the northeast. Our recent weather was a very good strong example of the sort of conditions that would produce such a heat wave, and our temperatures topped out at least 20 degrees below Tompkins’ figure. Stronger winds could have increased the heating a bit, but not nearly that much.”

If you add Professor Michaelsen’s factual and scientific skepticism to the fact that Thompkins was a known spinner of tales … the 133 F probably !never happened. Science triumphs!

We are deeply indebted to Bill Norrington and the Geography Department at UCSB for allowing us to share their fascinating story with you.

Stay Cool and Enjoy More Mesa!

Finally Spring! April-May 2018

Posted on May 26, 2018 | by MMPC

A Spring Walk on More Mesa

If you are wondering why it has been so long between updates, it’s because we’ve been waiting patiently for spring. It finally happened a couple of weeks ago and the treasures that we usually see on More Mesa in February and March are here now … at least most of them are. The reasons for this extremely late spring are many and varied. Principally, it was colder, drier and it rained at the “wrong” time. Specifically, 8% colder, only 50% of normal rainfall and, unhappily, most of that rainfall occurred in March, rather than earlier in the year. Now that the scientist in me has been satisfied as to the reason for this really late spring, I decided to celebrate by taking a walk of the kind we talked about in our last post. Most of the signs of spring described were found on the main eastern north-south trail … marked in blue on the map below.

trails

high grasses

Starting at the gate off Mockingbird Lane, I ambled toward the coast noting fairly high grasses that were not quite the bright green of wetter years. Most of these grasses are introduced non-natives like Harding Grass… brought to More Mesa for grazing cattle in the first half of the 20th century. We do also have many native grasses like Purple Needle Grass, but those are more difficult to find.

buckeye

There were several Buckeyes flitting near the ground. The caterpillars of these small but beautiful brownish butterflies … with large eye-spots … feed on the ubiquitous plantain found on the eastern north-south trail to the coast.

kite-twig

White tailed kites can also be easily observed in their
historical perching and nesting sites from this path as well. Recent reports of nest building are welcome news, as the drought had drastically reduced the number of kites in the entire Goleta Valley until last year.

As expected, our avian winter visitors (Northern Harriers, Short-eared Owls and Burrowing Owls) have departed for their mating and nesting habitats. There were, however some beautiful Common Egrets hunting in the wetter areas of our grasslands.

cottonwood

Further south, the largest of our three Black Cottonwood groves, with two 70-90 foot trees and many, many smaller trees, is showing lovely new growth. Unfortunately since sufficient rains did not materialize, our only vernal pool, at the southeastern corner of More Mesa is virtually indistinguishable from its surroundings. We hope for a wetter year next year.

dolphins

A stop at the top of the stairway to the beach was a respite and provided some wonderful views of sea birds including pelicans and gulls. Not this time, but there have been times, when I have seen gray whales and dolphins from this same vantage. As the day was quite clear, the four Channel Islands off our coast were plainly visible.

I headed west to look at the coastal habitat in full bloom at, and over, the edge of the cliffs. Prominent was the California Bush Sunflower blooming in profusion over large portions of the cliff. Limited groupings of Lupine, Fiddle-neck, Blue-eyed Grass, Deerweed and a few Poppies can be found in various spots around More Mesa, especially in the sandier soils of the west end. However, except for these, it has not been a year for a wealth of wildflowers. This was probably due to the lateness of rains and the inability of the wildflowers to compete successfully with the grasses. A similar effect happened last year but was not as pronounced as this year.

wildflowers

I returned home … invigorated, and once again, feeling truly blessed that More Mesa is in all our lives.

Thanks so much for caring about this most special of places!

Valerie Olson

President, MMPC