Welcome to the Daily Bucket. This is the place to record observations of any natural phenomena you might have encountered during your day to day activities. Tadpoles in the neighborhood pond, the arrival of Chimney Swift, an unexpected meteor shower, the last flowers of autumn. All potential contents of the bucket. These reports then become a valuable resource, every bug, bud, & bird - each note is a record that we can refer to in the future as we try to understand the patterns that are quietly unwinding around us.
You too!
Please contribute in the comments and please tell us where, to a reasonable approximation, you are.
Botulism in the Bay
I have previously commented on the botulism outbreaks on the margins of San Francisco Bay, especially those in the Hayward Shoreline area. I even devoted an entire diary to an outbreak last November 26th. [http://www.dailykos.com/...] Note that date. The primary victims are ducks, but other animals that prey upon or scavenge the infected ducks also get it.
Timing and Worries
As I note in that prior diary, these outbreaks are frequent enough that I used to believe that they were annual. As it turns out, they are merely very frequent. Something I did not note in that diary is that they always happen in the fall, starting in middle to late October or November as I recall. We are seeing a botulism outbreak right now, which is way off the charts early. What we don't know is if this is a mini outbreak, or if it will continue on for the rest of the summer and fall.
OK, your turn
Let's hear what is happening in your neck of the woods.