Twenty-one individuals of all ages enjoyed the “bird hike” offered by Friends of Boggs on Saturday, May 11, on the Interpretive Trail in Boggs Mountain State Forest. In addition to Cobb residents, there were participants from Kelseyville, Lakeport, Middletown and Hidden Valley as well as Marin County. The hike, led by Peg Landini and Darlene Hecomovich, was split into two groups: one for beginner and the other for intermediate to advanced birders.
Some of the especially interesting birds seen were the elegant Violet-green Swallow, Western Bluebird, Black-throated Gray, Nashville and Wilson’s Warblers, the cryptic Brown Creeper, and Western Tanager. Two lucky birders had a quick view of the Pileated Woodpecker fly up the creek – a bird that is always a delight to see.
In addition to that particular event, birding enthusiasts have been contributing their sightings on the kiosk. Other birds discovered at Boggs have included the Hutton’s, Cassin’s and Warbling Vireos, Pygmy & Red-breasted Nuthatches, Yellow-rumped and Orange-crowned Warblers, Black-headed Grosbeak, Pacific Wren, Pacific-slope Flycatcher, Spotted Towhee, Dark-eyed Junco, and our local friends, the Stellar’s Jay and Common Raven!
Many thanks to the volunteers, participants and contributors who keep us informed of our winged residents!
“Dogs at Boggs” drew nearly fifty attendees and their well-behaved canine pals.
The first annual dog gathering at Boggs Mountain Demonstration State Forest, “Dogs at Boggs”, took place on a balmy weekend earlier this month (5/4/13). Participants came on foot/paw, by bike, car, and motor trike, and from places as far as Marin County.
Co-sponsor Friends of Boggs Mountain limited the number of canine participants to a manageable thirty. However, two doggone cute latecomer additions were also warmly received.
“WOW, Mom, this is so awesome!” wags Sadie, the Norwich Terrier. (You can’t see it but she IS wagging.)
The event was kicked off by dog handler and AKC member Leslie Puppo, who demonstrated the basic “sit-stay” exercise, and provided specifics on trail etiquette to achieve friendly and positive encounters on Boggs trails shared by hikers, equestrians, and mountain bikers.
Leslie Puppo discusses trail etiquette.
For instance, taking the downhill side of the trail to allow horseback riders to pass is a practice seldom known to hikers and bikers. Because a horse is a prey animal, any moving object looming above it can trigger its flight response. You and your dog (or other surrounding people and animals) certainly don’t want to be standing in the way if that happens.
Off-leash dogs in the forest can be problematic particularly for breeds with strong prey drive, herding or protective tendencies, and who are not responsive to voice control. Puppo recommends always to keep your dog on leash, and to shorten the lead when trail users are in close proximity. As for bikers who’ve literally been hounded by canines, a gentle squirt from a water bottle can befuddle the pursuer and allow a quick escape.
Before the group took off for a short hike on the Interpretive Trail, FOBM Director, event organizer and animal lover, Karen Rhoads, demonstrated the delicate technique of discarding Fido’s waste using poop bags. Amid chuckles from the audience, she also informed them of FOBM’s recently-installed poop bag dispensers in the main parking area, near the campgrounds, and horse camp.
The brief lesson on poop disposal appeared quite effective, according to Middletown High School volunteer, Carli Fauci, who owns three dogs.
“It was so funny. The dogs all got excited when they were out on the trail, and next thing you know, everyone was fumbling in their pockets for their poop bags,” she laughs.
Karen demonstrates the fine art of using a poop bag.
Keeping the trails poop-free certainly made the hike more enjoyable. The native dogwood trees were smothered in beautiful white blooms, and spring wildflowers were putting on a good show.
Following the hike and refreshments, every canine received a goodie bag and the coveted “I’m a Boggs Dog” button. Co-sponsor Evanger’s Dog and Cat Food Company got high marks for the generous goodie bags: all-natural dry food samples, a bag of jerky treats, two canned specialties and coupons.
Reluctant goodbyes were exchanged, and many participants asked that Friends of Boggs Mountain host the event again next year.
“It was a lovely day and wonderful to be around such well-behaved canines and their handlers,” remarked Peggy Campbell, who looks forward to the next gathering.
Her friend, Lynne Bruner added, “The pups, Frankie, Lucy, and Roscoe, had a wonderful time and slept well that afternoon.”
Many thanks go to the dedicated volunteers who donated their time and enthusiasm, and who helped make “Dogs at Boggs” a tail-wagging, tongue-lolling, howling success!
Moby, the toy poodle, with co-passengers Carole Christe and Buzz Foote leaving Boggs on their snazzy motor trike. (Editor comment: I want!)
Our “Dogs at Boggs” event is full up! We look forward to seeing you at our first annual “Dogs at Boggs” event for canines and their companions on Saturday, May 4, 2013, from 10am to noon at Boggs Mountain Demonstration State Forest!
Leashed, friendly dogs and their companions are welcome!
American Kennel Club member Leslie Puppo will provide 30 minutes of dog-handling tips specifically for forest visitors. Following the lesson, participants will enjoy a fun exploration of the 1.3-mile Interpretive Trail. No leaf will remail unsniffed!
Canine participants will receive the coveted “I’m a Boggs Dog” button and a bag of treats. Refreshments will be provided for humans.
This free event is sponsored by the Friends of Boggs Mountain and Evanger’s Dog & Cat Food Company. We are looking for more volunteers to help out with setup, wrangling, and/or cleanup so please contact us if you can help!
Reservations are required as space is limited. Please note that the organizers reserve the right to turn away any human or dog in this event for any reason.
The winter and spring weekends are a popular time for bike riders and cycling groups to enjoy the forest and prepare for races. All visitors are advised to be mindful of blind corners, travel speed, and the right-of-way courtesies in a multi-use trail system that we have on the right navigation bar of this site. As a reminder:
Hikers and cyclists yield to equestrians. Horses are easily spooked, and it is advisable and proper etiquette to be quiet, calm, put aside your hiking sticks, and give a thousand-pound animal a wide berth.
Cyclists yield to hikers, and should be mindful of their speed especially around blind corners. At the same time, hikers need to be aware that anything can come around a blind corner.
Deer yield to cyclists. Ok, that was lame. We just wanted to give cyclists recognition for having to be the most gentle(wo)manly, and kudos to those who are working hard to excel at a sport, simply enjoying the outdoors, and/or exercising to trim those hibernation layers.
Let’s all have a great time enjoying and sharing the forest!
On Saturday, Nov. 10, the Friends of Boggs Mountain hosted a mushroom talk and walk for beginners, featuring Darvin DeShazer, Co-founder and Science Advisor of the Sonoma County Mycological Association, and Chairman of the Science Department at St. Vincent High School in Petaluma. Almost 50 forest visitors attended the brief talk, followed by a walk in the forest to find and hopefully, identify mushrooms.
New as well as seasoned mushroomers excitedly took off for the woods to see what they could find both on the ground and in the trees. Despite the meager rainfall this season, several mushrooms were found, in particular two diminutive yet fascinating Strobilurus species – delicate little white mushrooms that grow on pine cones.
Might this be a Gymnopus mushroom?
After a couple of hours poking in the duff, people returned to the tables and Darv helped identify the ‘loot’ and answer questions. While Lake County is not particularly well-known for its mushrooms (the primo destination is coastal Mendocino and Humboldt Counties where Darv often goes to hunt both for the table as well as for research), some years produce prolific fruitings of milk caps, boletes, russulas, and sulfur shelves at Boggs.
Turkey Tail mushrooms
Participating in mushroom club forays and attending fairs and meetings is the best way of becoming more familiar with the fungal world. The field guide by Sonoma resident and author David Arora: All That the Rain Promises and More: A Hip Pocket Guide to Western Mushrooms, is also a good start to identify and learn about some of the most common mushrooms in our area. To find the nearest mushroom club in your area, consult the North American Mycological Association Website.
Many thanks to Darv DeShazer for his visit, CalFire for the permits, and all who participated in this event!
Darv DeShazer discusses mushroom finds at Boggs Mountain Demonstration State Forest
Twenty-one individuals of all ages enjoyed the “bird hike” offered by Friends of Boggs on Saturday, May 11, on the Interpretive Trail in Boggs Mountain State Forest. In addition to Cobb residents, there were participants from Kelseyville, Lakeport, Middletown and Hidden Valley as well as Marin County. The hike, led by Peg Landini and Darlene Hecomovich, was split into two groups: one for beginner and the other for intermediate to advanced birders.
cryptic Brown Creeper, and Western Tanager. Two lucky birders had a quick view of the Pileated Woodpecker fly up the creek – a bird that is always a delight to see.
