Roundstonefarm Blog

Karen and I were beginning to worry, for we had not heard the peeper chorus at the pond so far this year. The peeping usually starts in December, but nothing this year. To our joy they started two-nights ago. I don’t know why they’re late…maybe it’s the abnormally cold weather we’ve been having?

It is quite common for me to find fox scat or pee on one of the two morning papers laying at the head of the B&B driveway. I think it’s one of the adult Gray Fox that hunts the property routinely that is doing it, but I haven’t caught him/her in the act.

Last summer (2010), we had a litter of Gray Fox  at Roundstone Farm. This was the first litter in years,  for a distemper outbreak  a few years back greatly impacted the local population.  Anyway, last spring and summer I watched an adult fox (I’m assuming one of a pair) routinely hunt in the pastures surrounding the pond and on the backside of the inn.  I watched the adult(s) catch many a gopher or vole in the volunteer hay. As long as I stayed about 5o yards away, it would let me watch it without running off.  Once it caught whatever it was, it would head immediately towards the barn and lower pastures. It wouldn’t stop or slow down for anything…it was on a mission. I never did follow the fox, for I didn’t want to scare it off its den, wherever it was. Years back we often found a bunch of kits in one of our large Eucalyptus tree stumps. But, that wasn’t the case with this particular pair of fox.

Later that summer, in August, I was down by the barn checking out the summer’s blackberry crop, when I spotted a kit slink out of one of the smaller blackberry batches heading to the largest one in the middle of the bottom pasture. Once I got my “fox eye” I noticed a different kit watching me from a runway in the largest patch. It just sat there on its haunches watching me, it didn’t seem to care, it just watched. Almost immediately I saw another kit walking up the hill behind the patch towards it. The kit walking stopped abruptly and caught a huge alligator lizard. Well as would have it, the first kit that I noticed saw the third kit with the lizard and proceeded to try to take the lizard from it. Not a chance! The third kit ran off with it to some tall grass and chomped on that lizard for at least 20 minutes. I watched the three of them for another 30 minutes and headed home. I went back to that blackberry patch a couple of times after that, but never did see them again. It looked to me that they were about the size to head out on there own anyway.

So, I don’t know which one of the five (3 kits & 2 adults) is leaving me their little tid bits, but one thing I do know…they must be eating pretty good.

Cindy Muldoon has been named the Superindendent of Pt. Reyes National Seashore and will start her new position in mid-May. Ms. Muldoon has been with the National Park Service since 1985  and has occupied varied Park  Service positions throughout the United States. She is currently serving as the deputy regional director of the National Park Service’s Pacific West Region. Ms. Muldoon replaces Don Neubacher whom, since February, is  serving as the Superintendent of Yosemite National Park.

Coming up in late April, 2010 is a great venue of birding related activities. This four-day event, is the first of a planned annual birding festival in the Pt. Reyes area. Jules Evens, Rich Stallcup, David Wimpfheimer, and other well-known area experts will be leading many of the programs. Register on-line at www.PointReyesBirdingFestival.org.

Pt. Reyes National Seashore and the West Marin Chamber of Commerce (www.pointreyes.org) are cosponsoring “Celebrating Life on the Edge.” This is a weeklong event to celebrate Pt. Reyes winter wildlife and maritime heritage. Multiple events are scheduled daily from Saturday, January 16 through Sunday January 24. Check-out the special events hosted by local businesses at: www.ptreyes.org. www.bwkayak.com, Drakes Beach Cafe (415) 669-1297, Farmhouse Restaurant (415) 663-1264 and Station House Cafe at www.stationhousecafe.com. Roundstone Farm will be offering a 3 for 2 night special Monday thru Thursday. Request your reservation at www.roundstonefarm.com or by leaving me a message at (800) 881-9874. It’s the first time we’ve ever had anything out here like this,  it should be great! Frank