What is BioBlitz?
BioBlitz is a race against time to see how many species we can find and count in a 24-hour period, since different species can be found at different times of day. At the end, all findings will be catalogued and tallied.

BioBlitz brings together scientists, naturalists and volunteers to document biodiversity present in our community. BioBlitz is a unique opportunity to explore, discover, educate and investigate the tremendous amount of biodiversity that surrounds us in our local environment. It also helps us understand and take better care of our local flora & fauna.

 

Save Mount Diablo acquires land around Mt. Diablo and has signed a deal to acquire 320 acre Irish Canyon. We will have our first BioBlitz to take an initial inventory of species on this beautiful property.

 

Why have BioBlitz?
BioBlitzes have been conducted in numerous locations throughout the nation to bring attention to the fact that biodiversity exists not only in exotic places, but also in the local environment. This event is designed to increase public awareness of the variety of life in their immediate neighborhood and the services these various species provide to improve the quality of our lives. BioBlitz provides opportunities for interested members of the public to learn first-hand about the ways scientists study the natural world and about the number of different species found in the BioBlitz area. It’s a rare occasion to have so many different types of biologist in the same area working together with the public. This is the perfect opportunity for adults and children to learn from scientist about what they do, how they do it, and what their work means.

BioBlitz works as an important resource for data generation. Cataloguing the list of species found in Irish Canyon is the first step in successfully understanding our its environment. BioBlitz has the potential to identify various species that inhabit the area. It also provides insight into species that may need to be controlled or monitored on the property. It may even identify unique aspects of the area that may have otherwise not been known.

 

What we found on Irish Canyon

Biologists, including from LSA Associates, Nomad Ecological Consulting, and EDAW—normally competitors—as well as from East Bay Regional park and the California Native Plant Society participated in the search and identification of species.

 

The preliminary count of 273 species (several lists are still being completed) represent a significant snapshot of the property’s biodiversity, especially given that conditions were cool and a little wet. They included 10 mammals; 61 bird species; 3 reptile and 3 amphibian species; 25 invertebrate species including three native ants; and 171 plant species. Among the most significant finds: three different amphibian species were recorded in one pond, including the Federally threatened California red-legged frog, Western toad, and Pacific tree frog.

 

Three different owl species were recorded, Barn, Western Screech and Great Horned owls, as well as Golden eagles and sharp-shinned hawks. The number of western screech-owls was quite unusual, calling from all around the biologists who camped over night on the property. A Solitary Sandpiper was observed feeding in a pond; it is considered very unusual, only occasionally seen, and found locally only during migration. Normally sandpipers are shore birds which nest on the ground but Solitary Sandpipers are most often found at ponds and streams, and nest in abandoned songbird nests. A number of Lawrence’s Goldfinch were observed; they are unpredictable and relatively unusual in Contra Costa; Black-throated gray warbler, a migrant passing through the area was found; and oak titmice were sighted, including a nest. They are a good indicator species of the health of oak woodland.

 

Of plant species, Balsamroot was observed, a locally rare plant known from only 3-5 regions of the East Bay’s 40 plant regions. What was missing is as important as what was found. Relatively few insect species and no snake species were found, probably because of cool weather. More importantly, very few ground squirrels were recorded although they are found on adjacent parcels. Ground squirrels are considered a ‘keystone’ species because so many other species rely on them for food and for shelter in their burrows. Evidence of feral pigs was found but none were sighted. Fox squirrels were seen; they have largely replaced the native Western Gray squirrels.