Native Wildlife
“An understanding of the natural world and what’s in it is a source of not only a great curiosity but great fulfilment.”
– David Attenborough
While we raise animals, plant gardens, and maintain the landscape, we are ever mindful that we share this land with a myriad of native wildlife species, from tiny insect pollinators, to full grown adult Mountain Lions. The farm is situated within a fully functioning wild ecosystem, but human encroachment into wildland areas is fracturing habitat, and making it ever more challenging for some species, especially apex predators, to thrive.
As responsible livestock owners, we have built numerous lion-proof enclosures over the years, not just to keep our goats and poultry safe, but to protect the wildlife that lives here. With a little effort, we can coexist, share resources, and avoid any need to remove the wildlife that calls Curbstone Valley home.
Cat Among the Chickens
Unlike the similarly titled Agatha Christie novel…there’s no mystery here, and today’s Fowl Friday post clearly falls into the non-fiction category. Late Wednesday afternoon, just after 4 PM, I was on the phone, when out of the corner of my eye I saw the side of the...
Syrphid Flies
Syrphid flies, also known as hover flies, or flower flies, are often overlooked, but these small beneficial insects are worth attracting to any garden. An important component of organic gardening is being aware of predator and prey relationships among the leaves and...
Bombus melanopygus edwardsii
We've mostly focused on installing the orchard and vegetable gardens this year, but our gardens would only be marginally productive without some help from our resident pollinators. Some estimates suggest that bumble bees are believed to be responsible for the...
Agapostemon texanus
As the gardens and orchard were both newly installed this year, that part of the property has been host to numerous insect species since spring, some good, some bad, and a few ugly in recent months. As we produce everything organically, we don't spray here, beyond...
Coast Range Fence Lizard
As mentioned previously, we have two primary species of lizard here at Curbstone Valley, Alligator Lizards (Elgaria multicarinata multicarinata), and Coast Range Fence Lizards (Sceloporus occidentalis bocourtii). The most common of the two species by far is the Coast...
Pacific-slope Flycatcher – Hatched!
Two weeks ago we posted about a pair of Pacific-slope Flycatchers (Empidonax difficilis) that had chosen to make a nest on our front porch light. Tuesday morning, while drinking coffee and looking out the front windows, it was obvious that the Flycatcher air-traffic...
Seeing Spots
In the past week we've been seeing lots of spots here, on our hillsides, in the meadow areas, and near the office. These spots... One, two, three...awwwwww. Some of you are no doubt well aware that our resident deer population has caused us more than a few...
California Alligator Lizard
We have two predominant lizard species here at Curbstone Valley, California (Southern) Alligator Lizards, and Coast Range (Western) Fence Lizards. The Southern, or California Alligator Lizard (Elgaria multicarinata multicarinata) is the less common of the two species...
Coast Range Newt
Yesterday's rain brought out another salamander species here at Curbstone Valley, the Coast Range Newt (Taricha torosa torosa), also known as the California Newt. Each year, as the rains return, these newts can be seen scrabbling about the forest, and occasionally...
California Slender Salamander
I wasn't intending on posting another fauna piece so soon, but a few nights ago I met someone new on the property. Well, new to me. It was just dark, and I went to lock our hens up for the night. I entered the chicken run where the hens were still milling about,...
Banana Slugs
It's fall, and we've noticed the banana slugs are more active around the property again, no doubt due to the cool damp weather. Slugs are not usually favored in most gardens but, with a little research, we've come to realize these are actually beneficial creatures,...
Curbstone Valley Farm Becomes a Certified Wildlife Habitat
On November 2nd, 2009, Curbstone Valley Farm became a Certified Wildlife Habitat by the National Wildlife Federation. As much as we joke about the deer devouring the vegetation, gophers gnawing their way from one end of the property to the other, and rampaging...
Anna’s Hummingbird
This past Sunday, during an impromptu trip to the garden center, we picked up a half dozen Mexican Bush Sage plants (Salvia leucantha). This is a popular semi-evergreen plant in this part of California, blooming late in summer and early autumn, when many garden...
Native Brush Rabbit
As I was getting ready to take the dogs out for their early morning excursion, I looked out the front door, and was met with this view. I immediately muttered "It's YOU!" and went zipping down the hallway to grab the camera off my desk. Usually this maneuver results...
Santa Cruz Gartersnake
This afternoon a Santa Cruz Gartersnake (Thamnophis atratus atratus) was found sunning itself in the middle of the driveway. This particular species is a very common, and very welcome, inhabitant of the farm. We are surrounded by woodland and have two seasonal creeks...