Park Incidents List New Incident TEST Trail flood damage Rock City Location August 5, 2026 Date End Date (if multi-day) Active Status Update TEST - Road Closure South Gate Location August 4, 2026 Date End Date (if multi-day) Inactive Status Update Test Restrooms Closed BBQ Terrace Location August 17, 2026 Date End Date (if multi-day) August 21, 2026 Active Status Update TEST Pothole repair Northgate road Location June 18, 2027 Date End Date (if multi-day) Active Status Update

Wildflower Mount Diablo Golden-fleece Scientific Name: Ericameria arborescens Family: Asteraceae (Sunflower Family) Blooms: Aug - Sep Color: Yellow-Orange Shrub Native, endemic to California Jump to Blooming Now Blue / Purple Red / Pink White Yellow / Orange Invasive Plants Hank Fabian, iNaturalist

Wildflower Mount Diablo Contra Costa Manzanita Scientific Name: Arctostaphylos manzanita ssp. laevigata Family: Ericaceae (Heath Family) Blooms: Jan - Feb Color: White Shrub Native, endemic to California California Rare Plant Rank: 1B.2 (rare, threatened, or endangered in CA and elsewhere ). This plant is rare in Mount Diablo State Park. See full list Jump to Blooming Now Blue / Purple Red / Pink White Yellow / Orange Invasive Plants Kevin Hintsa

Living With California Coyotes Reproduced from the California Department of Fish and Game publication January 1, 1999 Coyotes in California Observing wild animals is one of the many benefits of living in or near wildlife habitat. The experience can turn unpleasant or even dangerous, however, when well-meaning people feed wildlife. When fed by people, coyotes can become unnaturally bold and the result is conflict between coyotes and people, which too often ends in serious harm, or even death, to people or the coyotes. The coyote (Canis latrans ), a member of the dog family, is native to California (and Mount Diablo). It closely resembles a small German shepherd dog with the exception of the long snout and bushy, black-tipped tail. The coyote's high-pitched, yodel-like yapping can frequently be heard at night. Coyotes are extremely adaptable and can survive on whatever food is available. They hunt rabbits, mice, birds and other small animals, as well as young deer and sheep. They will also fee on the carcasses of dead animals and will accept "hand-outs" from people in the form of table scraps, pet food and garbage. Coyotes are found throughout California, from desert and mountain habitats to urban areas. Problems occur when people begin feeding coyotes, either deliberately or inadvertently. Coyotes will quickly lose their natural fear of people and become bold,even aggressive. Pets are often attacked, injured or killed by coyotes. In a few tragic cases, coyotes have attacked small children, causing serious injuries and death. Help Keep Coyotes Wild We can reduce conflicts with coyotes by ensuring that they remain cautious of humans. Practice these safety guidelines and encourage your neighbors to do the same. Never Feed a Coyote Deliberately feeding coyotes puts you, your pets and your neighbors at risk. Some communities have ordinances that ban feeding of coyotes or other wildlife. You may be inadvertently feeding coyotes by leaving pet food or garbage where they can get to it. Feed pets indoors or promptly remove outdoor dishes when pets finish their meals. Store bags of pet food indoors. Use trash cans with lids that clamp shut, which will prevent spilling if the cans are tipped over. If you leave garbage outside, don't use trash bags as garbage containers" coyotes can easily rip them open and scatter the contents. Put trash containers out the morning of the scheduled pick-up, rather than the night before. This will give the coyote less time to scavenge. Clear brush and dense weeds from around dwellings to reduce protective cover for coyotes and make the area less attractive to rodents. Coyotes and other predators may be attracted to areas where rodents are concentrated, such as wood and brush piles and seed storage areas. Protect Children Although rare, coyote attacks have seriously injured young children. Never leave small children unattended in areas known to be frequented by coyotes, even in your yard. Protect Pets and Livestock Keep small pets, such as cats, rabbits and small dogs, indoors. Don't allow them to run free at any time. They are easy, favored prey. Some coyotes seek cats in residential areas. Large dogs should be brought inside after dark, and never be allowed to run loose. Rabbit hutches should have a solid bottom. A hutch standing above ground, with only a wire bottom, makes your rabbit an easy mark. When building a chicken coop, dig a one-foot trench around its perimeter. Extend the chicken wire fence well into the trench, then bury it. Use Negative Reinforcement If coyotes begin frequenting your neighborhbood, let them know they're not welcome. Make loud noises, throw rocks, or spray them with a garden hose. For everyone's safety, it is essential that coyotes retain their natural wariness of humans. If coyote problems persist, contact your local city government or county agricultural commissioner for assistance. Report Threats and Attacks Immediately If you see a coyote behaving aggressively or attacking people, contact the nearest office of the California Department of Fish and Game during regular business hours, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. If an encounter or attack occurs after business hours, call the Department of Fish and Game's 24-hour dispatch center at (916) 445-0045. The Department will take appropriate action. Northern California California Department of Fish & Game Office 530-225-2300 Coyote | Carl Nielson BACK TO LIST

Wrentit by Dan Sandri January 1, 2024 Dan Sandri Perhaps a Wrentit (Chamaea fasciata) has been curious enough to have briefly shown itself to you? Wrentits are often heard and less-commonly seen, although if you wait one out, it may pop up for you. The male’s call is a distinctive sound of the chaparral landscape: an accelerating sequence of toots, sounding like a bouncing ball. Another description is it sounds like 3 – 5 pits, followed by an accelerating trill. The female’s call is a series of pits. A Wrentit is about the size of a Song Sparrow, with a yellow eye, round head and short wings, such that it appears plump in appearance. It has long legs and a quite a long tail, which is often held up and away from its body. Its bill is short and slightly curved. Males and females are visually indistinguishable from each other. Wrentits are found primarily in chaparral and brush along the coasts of Oregon, California and Baja California, although it is also in the Sierra foothills. On Mount Diablo, look for wrentits in the chaparral areas and in poison oak, such as along Red Road and Twin and Eagle Peaks. Wrentits don’t usually migrate - a bird may spend its entire adult life in an area of just a couple of acres. They are primarily insect eaters, but will also eat berries, including those of poison oak! Wrentits mate for life, and males and females take turns incubating eggs during the daytime, but females incubate the eggs at night. Wrentits belong to Family Paradoxornithidae - the Parrotbills, and all other birds in the family are found in SE Asia. It is the only member of Genus Chamaea. A rare bird indeed! Bird Guide: https://www.mdia.org/birds-1-1/wrentit Wrentit (Chamaea fasciata ) 2 DSandri.jpeg Wrentit (Chamaea fasciata ) 3 DSandri.jpeg BACK TO LIST

Wildflower Mount Diablo Brewer's Western Flax Scientific Name: Hesperolinon breweri Family: Linaceae (Flax Family) Blooms: May - Jun Color: Yellow-Orange Annual herb Native, endemic to California California Rare Plant Rank: 1B.2 (rare, threatened, or endangered in CA and elsewhere ). This plant is rare in Mount Diablo State Park. See full list Jump to Blooming Now Blue / Purple Red / Pink White Yellow / Orange Invasive Plants Mike Woodring

Western Screech-Owl Owls and Nightjars Western Screech-Owl Megascops kennicottii All Year Owls and Nightjars Daniel Fitzgerald A bird of wooded areas, typically oak and riparian forests. Note the small size, yellow eyes, and ear tufts. Usually, plumage is grayish, but some birds are more brownish in color. Usually heard calling after dusk or before dawn. You may occasionally find a single individual perched in a tree during broad daylight. Nests in tree cavities. Preys on small mammals and birds.

Wildflower Mount Diablo Coast Paintbrush (formerly Indian Paintbrush) Scientific Name: Castilleja affinis ssp. affinis Family: Orobanchaceae (Broomrape Family) Blooms: Feb - Jun Color: Red-Pink Perennial herb Native Jump to Blooming Now Blue / Purple Red / Pink White Yellow / Orange Invasive Plants Mike Woodring Terese Dixon

Wildflower Mount Diablo False Baby Stars Scientific Name: Leptosiphon androsaceus Family: Polemoniaceae (Phlox Familiy) Blooms: Apr - Jun Color: Red-Pink Annual herb Native Flowers can be pink, lavender or white Jump to Blooming Now Blue / Purple Red / Pink White Yellow / Orange Invasive Plants Kevin Hintsa

Hermit Thrush by Dan Sandri January 1, 2024 Dan Sandri Have you seen a Hermit Thrush (Catharus guttatus) this Fall, either on your hikes or at home? They are back in the Bay Area, as well as farther south, after a Summer of breeding in the woods of Canada, southern Alaska, and the northeastern and western United States. They leave early for the North in the Spring and, depending on location, may raise 1-3 broods per year. These birds are pretty distinct this time of the year In the West; they are the only brownish, spotted thrushes around now (Swainson’s Thrushes have gone far south). Adult Hermit Thrushes are mainly grey-brown on the upperparts, with reddish tails. The underparts are white with dark spots on the breast and grey or brownish flanks. They have pink legs and a white eye ring. They forage on the ground, but also can appear in trees or bushes, and eat insects and berries. If startled from the ground, it often perches low, flicks its wings nervously and slowly raises and lowers its tail. Hermit thrushes have a truly beautiful song, but we don’t hear it here much, as they sing where they nest. We are more likely to hear their "tchup-tchup-tchup" call, which indicates perceived danger. The Hermit Thrush is the state bird of Vermont. Bird Guide: https://www.mdia.org/birds-1-1/hermit-thrush hermit thrush2 DSandri.jpg BACK TO LIST

Western Bluebird Thrushes and Thrashers Western Bluebird Sialia mexicana All Year Thrushes and Thrashers Daniel Fitzgerald Daniel Fitzgerald Found in open, riparian, or woodlands with scattered trees. Note the dark bluish upperparts, reddish breast contrasting with blue throat (grayish in females), and grayish-white belly. Nests in natural or man-made cavities (e.g. nest boxes). Its diet changes with the season, with small fruits, berries, and seeds predominately in the winter, and mostly insects eaten in the summer.

Trail Through Time Hike A Geological Journey BACK TO LIST