West Nile Virus in Birds of OC, and Lyme Disease Killers (Western Fence Lizard)

The OC Register has reported the first documented case of the West Nile virus in Orange County in a bird this season - in a crow - found dead in Irvine at the end of February 2009.
The find seems to be "ringing in [the] West Nile season" in Southern California, as the article mentions, however, there is good news to be told - "Vector Control, which tracks animal diseases that can jump to humans, is finding more West Nile antibodies in the blood of wild birds." Conclusion: be aware of any insect bites you may get while outdoors, but don't let this phenomenon scare you from being outside.
Read the entire article HERE.

On a somewhat related note, I thought I'd share that on a recent hike with some naturalists, I was also told that the common western fence lizards found in our natural surroundings produce a canceling effect on the Lyme disease bacteria that our OC ticks can sometimes hold and transmit. According to Berkeley scientists, "ticks who feast on the blood of the common western fence lizard are purged of any Lyme disease bacteria hiding in their gut," leaving them disease-free and incapable of transmitting the disease to their next contact. (See the article posted HERE for more details - it's rather fascinating!).

Weather Update for This Weekend

Hello all!~
If you are planning on going hiking this weekend or early next week, be advised of the special weather report released by the National Weather Service concerning the next few days:

COLD AND RAINY WEATHER PATTERN FOR SOUTHWEST CALIFORNIA... A DEEP LOW PRESSURE TROUGH DEVELOPING OVER THE WEST WILL SEND A SERIES OF WEATHER SYSTEMS INTO SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA NEXT WEEK... BRINGING PERIODS OF RAIN AND MOUNTAIN SNOW AT TIMES.

THE FIRST CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION WILL BE THIS WEEKEND AS THE MARINE LAYER RAPIDLY DEEPENS. A BETTER CHANCE OF MORE SIGNIFICANT PRECIPITATION WILL BE MONDAY AND TUESDAY WHEN A STRONGER STORM MOVES INLAND. COOLER WEATHER WITH PERIODS OF RAIN WILL CONTINUE THROUGH MUCH OF NEXT NEXT WEEK.

PRELIMINARY RAINFALL ESTIMATES THIS WEEKEND THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK RANGE FROM ABOUT ONE TO TWO INCHES WEST OF THE MOUNTAINS... TWO TO FOUR INCHES ON THE WEST FACING MOUNTAIN SLOPES AND UP TO ABOUT AN INCH IN THE DESERTS.

SNOW LEVELS WILL START OUT ABOVE 7000 FEET AND THEN LOWER TO ABOUT 4000 TO 5000 FEET MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY... ALTHOUGH IT COULD GET LOCALLY LOWER. THERE COULD BE ONE TO TWO FEET OF SNOW AT THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF THE SAN BERNARDINO AND RIVERSIDE COUNTY MOUNTAINS WITH ABOUT HALF A FOOT IN THE SAN DIEGO MOUNTAINS AND ON THE PEAKS OF THE SANTA ANA MOUNTAINS. SNOW... BLOWING SNOW AND DENSE FOG WILL MAKE TRAVEL HAZARDOUS THROUGH THE MOUNTAINS DURING THIS PERIOD.

PERIODS OF HEAVY RAIN WILL INCREASE THE FLASH FLOOD POTENTIAL.

RESIDENTS LIVING IN AND BELOW RECENTLY BURNED AREAS SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR POSSIBLE FLASH FLOODING AND DEBRIS FLOW. PEOPLE PLANNING OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES SHOULD MONITOR THE LATEST WEATHER FORECASTS.

(Found at: http://weather.msn.com/bulletin.aspx?wealocations=wc:USCA0573&q=Laguna+Beach%2c+CA+forecast:bulletin)

As always, make sure to check out http://www.ocparks.com/ for any park closures and alerts. Stay tuned!

Biggest Full Moon in 15 Years - Tonight!

Read up on the biggest full moon in 15 years, tonight, HERE: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/weather/article5327206.ece

More exciting news to come SOON!

OC Parks Still Closed

With all the rain that Orange County recently got, most Orange County parks are still closed. Check up with www.ocparks.com for more information.

And, if you're in the mood for an OC Register article on the same news, read HERE.

All OC Parks Reopened; Red Flag Warning Remains

From the www.ocparks.com website: http://www.ocparks.com/newsroom/default.asp?Show=1001885&subshow=A

All Parks Reopened; Red Flag Warning Remains

Four parks closed due to high winds on Monday.

by Marisa O'Neil, Public Affairs Manager on 10/14/2008


Four OC Parks facilities that closed due to high winds reopened to the public on Tuesday morning.

Rangers on Monday closed Laguna Coast and Aliso & Wood Canyons wilderness parks and Irvine and Santiago Oaks regional parks as a fierce Santa Ana windstorm blew across Orange County. Though the parks reopened on Tuesday morning, the County remains under a red flag warning, meaning a high fire danger, until 6 p.m. Tuesday night.

Park visitors are asked to exercise caution and to remain aware of their surroundings. Report any wind damage, smoke or fire to the Park Ranger.

Rangers will be keeping a close eye on areas of dry brush.

Monday's windstorm damaged trees and signs in some OC Parks.

Check your park of choice's page on this site for the most up-to-date information on conditions and closures.

From the OC Register: "Fire watchers on alert in the canyons"

From the OC Register online:
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/fire-volunteers-canyons-2178206-county-watch (Article below):

Fire watchers on alert in the canyons

Volunteer force says it will be well prepared when winds whip up fire danger.

By MARK EADES and PAT BRENNAN

The Orange County Register

| Recommend 2

The fire watch volunteers in the canyons are ready for the upcoming fire season.

Wearing bright green vests, with "Fire-Watch" signs on their car doors and toting radios, volunteers from the canyons will be on patrol this year watching for any potential arsonists, careless smokers and other fire dangers during times of high winds and peak fire danger.

Devastating fires have occurred throughout the western United States already this year, said Orange County Fire Authority chief Chip Prather. The agency is working with the volunteer programs in all the canyons and with a group with the Irvine Ranch Conservancy.

"We can't do this alone," Prather said. "We need the help of these volunteers."

The volunteers from each group will work with each other and with groups such as the Inter Canyon League in the county's eastern canyons.

During times of fire alerts, the volunteers will make their presence known, talk to members of the public – and do things like note down license plates of cars in wild land areas in case a fire breaks out later.

The fall months, especially October, are the Santa Ana wind months, and the fire-watch volunteers are expecting an active season. Dry conditions are making Orange County's vegetation especially vulnerable.

"I think that just our appearance of being there makes people aware of the danger," said volunteer Judy Andreosky. "Hopefully, our presence will be a deterrent to people who are not there for the right reasons."

Volunteers don't act as law-enforcement officials, but can report suspicious activity to authorities.

To be better prepared for future fires, OCFA is in the process of acquiring 11 "brush" engines for wildfires, and training helicopter pilots with night vision goggles. The agency has purchased seven of the compressed air fire-retardant foam units, which can spray homes ahead of wildfire, with five more on the way. One unit has been deployed in Silverado Canyon, and another in Coto de Caza.

Contact the writer: meades@ocregister.com or 949-454-7352

Google Maps has Major Fires displayed

Visit: http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en&ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=103014136534897026967.000459297be1421fde023&ll=37.492294,-118.937988&spn=8.57416,14.0625&z=6 to see the major fires in California at the moment.

Fire in Newport Beach

From KTLA's news online, seen here: http://www.ktla.com/content_landing_page/?Brush-Fire-Threatens-Homes-in-Newport-Be=1&blockID=97895&feedID=171 at 5:58 PM

October 13, 2008

NEWPORT BEACH -- A brush fire burned at least 100 acres in the Bonita Canyon area of Newport Beach Monday afternoon.

Four water-dropping helicopters and 15 ground crews were battling the blaze, which was reported around 3:30 p.m. The fire broke out somewhere off Bonita Canyon Drive, according to Newport Beach Fire Department spokesperson Jennifer Schulz.

An evacuation was issued for homes in the neighborhood east of San Miguel Drive, but the order was later halted, according to Schulz.

She said the fire was contained, with just some spot areas of flames remaining.

Keep our Natural Parks Safe: REPORT ANY SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY, STAY VIGILANT!

If anyone has any photos of this fire, or has extra information to share, please comment!

UPDATE 6:27 PM: THE OC REGISTER HAS ARTICLES ONLINE, such as THIS ONE

Crkkkkkkk! Snap! Trees Down due to Santa Ana Winds...

In Irvine, as in many Orange county cities, the trees have been affected by the high Santa Ana Winds.
Here is but an example of a fallen tree in a residential area...
Be careful about where you park your car today!

Red Flag Weather Conditions - Wilderness Parks Closed

Due to a high risk of FIRE (low humidity + Santa Ana winds), our Wilderness parks have been closed. Please be extra vigilant when driving through sensitive areas, refrain from smoking or any activity that could set off sparks, and do not visit the parks until the county and rangers announce their official reopening.

For more information on the status of your favorite regional/wilderness park, visit: http://ocparks.com