Even when the parents dive for food, the young hang on. Grebes can be seen at Tule Lake and Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuges. Humpbacks and gray whales visit the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary for a few months each year. Humpbacks may be seen May through August and grays may be seen June through September. Offshore winds are strong during the spring months and create an upwelling of nutrient-rich water which in turn provides abundant food for the whales.
Morel mushrooms appear in recently burned areas such as old campfire areas or near mulch piles.
Young songbirds are fledging and can be seen hopping around on the ground, attempting short flights. Help by keeping cats and dogs away. WildCare in Marin, Lindsay Museum in the East Bay, and the Peninsula Humane Society in the South Bay, are a few. Lupine Mariposa lily , Indian paintbrush, buttercup , shooting star , and spring vetch are in full bloom this month on many hillsides in northern California. The seeds of the lemon-yellow colored California buttercup were sometimes eaten by California Indians.