Cian 🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️ (he/him)
@cbdawson.bsky.social
• San Francisco Bay Area • Queer • Too many nature pix • FAIR and open gov science in the public interest • Geoscience • Water Resources • Birds! • Public Lands • Burrowing Owl & Pupfish stan acct •
This is a personal account, obviously 🙄
This is a personal account, obviously 🙄
New contender for the worst ever disaster TV show! I'm only on S1E1, but it's about Mauna Kea, located in Oahu, erupting. They figured it out from ground observations in the tropical forest ~80 miles north. The complex topography looks similar to the Alps, complicating where to drop the bombs. 🌋
November 16, 2025 at 4:27 AM
New contender for the worst ever disaster TV show! I'm only on S1E1, but it's about Mauna Kea, located in Oahu, erupting. They figured it out from ground observations in the tropical forest ~80 miles north. The complex topography looks similar to the Alps, complicating where to drop the bombs. 🌋
And proof that there really were thousands of birds (this is zoomed in between the two trees in the previous photo, when there was a big takeoff) . Sound up!
November 15, 2025 at 3:24 PM
And proof that there really were thousands of birds (this is zoomed in between the two trees in the previous photo, when there was a big takeoff) . Sound up!
Got rained on, but then lucked out with these great sky/water reflections 😍!
Enjoyable birding day overall. Low volume, but good diversity. Confirmed that, yes, I can manage my scope, binoculars, and me all under an umbrella ☔️🤣
Enjoyable birding day overall. Low volume, but good diversity. Confirmed that, yes, I can manage my scope, binoculars, and me all under an umbrella ☔️🤣
November 15, 2025 at 7:10 AM
Got rained on, but then lucked out with these great sky/water reflections 😍!
Enjoyable birding day overall. Low volume, but good diversity. Confirmed that, yes, I can manage my scope, binoculars, and me all under an umbrella ☔️🤣
Enjoyable birding day overall. Low volume, but good diversity. Confirmed that, yes, I can manage my scope, binoculars, and me all under an umbrella ☔️🤣
Anyone good with random California melon identification?
~4-5" diameter. I think it's some kind of watermelon, based on its (very weak) flavor. I am not sure if the weak flavor is because it's not ripe yet, or just its normal taste.
Gleaned while birding in the delta.
~4-5" diameter. I think it's some kind of watermelon, based on its (very weak) flavor. I am not sure if the weak flavor is because it's not ripe yet, or just its normal taste.
Gleaned while birding in the delta.
November 13, 2025 at 5:07 AM
Anyone good with random California melon identification?
~4-5" diameter. I think it's some kind of watermelon, based on its (very weak) flavor. I am not sure if the weak flavor is because it's not ripe yet, or just its normal taste.
Gleaned while birding in the delta.
~4-5" diameter. I think it's some kind of watermelon, based on its (very weak) flavor. I am not sure if the weak flavor is because it's not ripe yet, or just its normal taste.
Gleaned while birding in the delta.
Here, have a rock haiku & art from a Central Valley 3rd grader, spotted at the Lodi Crane Festival. 🩶
Shoutout to them for sticking to their rock joy, amidst a sea of art about birds, butterflies, and other living critters. ⚒️
Shoutout to them for sticking to their rock joy, amidst a sea of art about birds, butterflies, and other living critters. ⚒️
November 10, 2025 at 5:13 AM
Here, have a rock haiku & art from a Central Valley 3rd grader, spotted at the Lodi Crane Festival. 🩶
Shoutout to them for sticking to their rock joy, amidst a sea of art about birds, butterflies, and other living critters. ⚒️
Shoutout to them for sticking to their rock joy, amidst a sea of art about birds, butterflies, and other living critters. ⚒️
The Central Valley dawn mist provided a scenic backdrop to an early boat ride on the South Fork of the Mokelumne River near Terminous this morning.
November 9, 2025 at 4:03 AM
The Central Valley dawn mist provided a scenic backdrop to an early boat ride on the South Fork of the Mokelumne River near Terminous this morning.
Sandhill cranes are always 🤩. Numbers up north around the Sacramento Delta (I've been to 5 refuges in the last two days) seem pretty low so far this year, though, so personally I might check the ebird numbers first before making that haul to Pixley. (But that depends if you are looking for volume)
November 8, 2025 at 2:21 AM
Sandhill cranes are always 🤩. Numbers up north around the Sacramento Delta (I've been to 5 refuges in the last two days) seem pretty low so far this year, though, so personally I might check the ebird numbers first before making that haul to Pixley. (But that depends if you are looking for volume)
I was going to make a joke about this, but got stymied when bluesky asked if I was going to write it in Icelandic!
November 7, 2025 at 4:02 AM
I was going to make a joke about this, but got stymied when bluesky asked if I was going to write it in Icelandic!
Fit in a quick jaunt to Hayward Regional Shoreline since I was down the street for something else. Did some birdwatching and well watching 😆.
The well network is for monitoring for migration of contaminants from the old West Winton Landfill (behind me) toward the bay.
#EBRPD #PublicLands
The well network is for monitoring for migration of contaminants from the old West Winton Landfill (behind me) toward the bay.
#EBRPD #PublicLands
November 4, 2025 at 4:14 AM
Fit in a quick jaunt to Hayward Regional Shoreline since I was down the street for something else. Did some birdwatching and well watching 😆.
The well network is for monitoring for migration of contaminants from the old West Winton Landfill (behind me) toward the bay.
#EBRPD #PublicLands
The well network is for monitoring for migration of contaminants from the old West Winton Landfill (behind me) toward the bay.
#EBRPD #PublicLands
What a gorgeous day along the SF Bay shoreline. I don't go to Middle Harbor Shoreline Park in Oakland often, but it is such a great spot to view some iconic bay area landmarks. Today was all about the birds, though.
#PublicLands
#PublicLands
November 3, 2025 at 1:20 AM
What a gorgeous day along the SF Bay shoreline. I don't go to Middle Harbor Shoreline Park in Oakland often, but it is such a great spot to view some iconic bay area landmarks. Today was all about the birds, though.
#PublicLands
#PublicLands
Visited another new-to-me park: Coyote Lake - Harvey Bear Ranch County Park. The lake is part of the Santa Clara water district reservoir.
We were at the base of the dam. I insisted on a seismic safety chat -- and that was before I realized it is built on top of the Calaveras fault 😆.
#PublicLands
We were at the base of the dam. I insisted on a seismic safety chat -- and that was before I realized it is built on top of the Calaveras fault 😆.
#PublicLands
November 2, 2025 at 5:23 PM
Visited another new-to-me park: Coyote Lake - Harvey Bear Ranch County Park. The lake is part of the Santa Clara water district reservoir.
We were at the base of the dam. I insisted on a seismic safety chat -- and that was before I realized it is built on top of the Calaveras fault 😆.
#PublicLands
We were at the base of the dam. I insisted on a seismic safety chat -- and that was before I realized it is built on top of the Calaveras fault 😆.
#PublicLands
My neighbors are hallucinating if they think this is true 🤦♂️
Folks were handing these flyers out at a @berkeleyca.gov meeting about the proposed San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan.
Interesting proposals, but I was surprised the city didn't allow any questions during the large group presentation 🤔
Folks were handing these flyers out at a @berkeleyca.gov meeting about the proposed San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan.
Interesting proposals, but I was surprised the city didn't allow any questions during the large group presentation 🤔
October 31, 2025 at 5:34 AM
My neighbors are hallucinating if they think this is true 🤦♂️
Folks were handing these flyers out at a @berkeleyca.gov meeting about the proposed San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan.
Interesting proposals, but I was surprised the city didn't allow any questions during the large group presentation 🤔
Folks were handing these flyers out at a @berkeleyca.gov meeting about the proposed San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan.
Interesting proposals, but I was surprised the city didn't allow any questions during the large group presentation 🤔
Fit in a quick birding visit to the Corte Madera shorebird marsh. It can be fabulous winter birding. Even mid-afternoon, it did not disappoint: saw 35 different bird species.
Not sure of the agency, I think it's technically outside of the Corte Madera Marsh State Marine Park?
#PublicLands
Not sure of the agency, I think it's technically outside of the Corte Madera Marsh State Marine Park?
#PublicLands
October 31, 2025 at 4:46 AM
Fit in a quick birding visit to the Corte Madera shorebird marsh. It can be fabulous winter birding. Even mid-afternoon, it did not disappoint: saw 35 different bird species.
Not sure of the agency, I think it's technically outside of the Corte Madera Marsh State Marine Park?
#PublicLands
Not sure of the agency, I think it's technically outside of the Corte Madera Marsh State Marine Park?
#PublicLands
On the bright side, it was gorgeous out today. Fit in a couple quick excursions in the neighborhood.
October 28, 2025 at 4:54 AM
On the bright side, it was gorgeous out today. Fit in a couple quick excursions in the neighborhood.
Did a quick birding stop at McNabney Marsh in Waterbird Regional Preserve, also in Martinez.
The land was set aside in part using restoration funds after a 1988 oil spill inundated wetlands here & nearby.
#PublicLands #EBRPD
The land was set aside in part using restoration funds after a 1988 oil spill inundated wetlands here & nearby.
#PublicLands #EBRPD
October 26, 2025 at 2:31 AM
Did a quick birding stop at McNabney Marsh in Waterbird Regional Preserve, also in Martinez.
The land was set aside in part using restoration funds after a 1988 oil spill inundated wetlands here & nearby.
#PublicLands #EBRPD
The land was set aside in part using restoration funds after a 1988 oil spill inundated wetlands here & nearby.
#PublicLands #EBRPD
It was a good park day, visited 4 all in all. Radke Martinez Regional Shoreline was 1000 shades of grey. Thought I'd gotten lucky with the weather, but got drenched at the end. 🌧️
#PublicLands #EBRPD
#PublicLands #EBRPD
October 26, 2025 at 2:31 AM
It was a good park day, visited 4 all in all. Radke Martinez Regional Shoreline was 1000 shades of grey. Thought I'd gotten lucky with the weather, but got drenched at the end. 🌧️
#PublicLands #EBRPD
#PublicLands #EBRPD
Even the crows wanted in on the moodiness, at least a couple hundred flew over.
October 26, 2025 at 2:07 AM
Even the crows wanted in on the moodiness, at least a couple hundred flew over.
Moody clouds over the bay tonight.
Views from Berkeley shoreline along the #SFBayTrail in Eastshore State Park.
#PublicLands #CAStateParks #EBRPD
Views from Berkeley shoreline along the #SFBayTrail in Eastshore State Park.
#PublicLands #CAStateParks #EBRPD
October 26, 2025 at 2:03 AM
Moody clouds over the bay tonight.
Views from Berkeley shoreline along the #SFBayTrail in Eastshore State Park.
#PublicLands #CAStateParks #EBRPD
Views from Berkeley shoreline along the #SFBayTrail in Eastshore State Park.
#PublicLands #CAStateParks #EBRPD
I do try to be inclusive, but today I realized I've been discriminating against dry streams. So here are a few shots of a very dry stream bed that I crisscrossed multiple times. In a few weeks after the rains finally arrive, these will probably be flowing quickly. I think it's Fife Creek.
October 25, 2025 at 12:57 AM
I do try to be inclusive, but today I realized I've been discriminating against dry streams. So here are a few shots of a very dry stream bed that I crisscrossed multiple times. In a few weeks after the rains finally arrive, these will probably be flowing quickly. I think it's Fife Creek.
On the way home I took a quick detour to Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve. Hadn't been there in ages.
Always rejuvenating to spend time in the redwoods.
Crossed paths with several school groups of very young, very excited kids. Mushrooms! Slugs! Trees! 🎉🎉
#PublicLands #CAStateParks
Always rejuvenating to spend time in the redwoods.
Crossed paths with several school groups of very young, very excited kids. Mushrooms! Slugs! Trees! 🎉🎉
#PublicLands #CAStateParks
October 25, 2025 at 12:57 AM
On the way home I took a quick detour to Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve. Hadn't been there in ages.
Always rejuvenating to spend time in the redwoods.
Crossed paths with several school groups of very young, very excited kids. Mushrooms! Slugs! Trees! 🎉🎉
#PublicLands #CAStateParks
Always rejuvenating to spend time in the redwoods.
Crossed paths with several school groups of very young, very excited kids. Mushrooms! Slugs! Trees! 🎉🎉
#PublicLands #CAStateParks
Sometimes the locals aren't happy about you being there, and leave you a sign 🤣
October 25, 2025 at 12:41 AM
Sometimes the locals aren't happy about you being there, and leave you a sign 🤣
Spent a few days up along the Russian River at Sonoma Coast State Park 🏕️. Gorgeous mix of sun & fog.
Had the whole campground to myself! Well, except for the snakes, all the birds, a lot of slugs, and various highly nocturnal mammals. And a curious harbor seal.
#PublicLands #CAStateParks
Had the whole campground to myself! Well, except for the snakes, all the birds, a lot of slugs, and various highly nocturnal mammals. And a curious harbor seal.
#PublicLands #CAStateParks
October 25, 2025 at 12:41 AM
Spent a few days up along the Russian River at Sonoma Coast State Park 🏕️. Gorgeous mix of sun & fog.
Had the whole campground to myself! Well, except for the snakes, all the birds, a lot of slugs, and various highly nocturnal mammals. And a curious harbor seal.
#PublicLands #CAStateParks
Had the whole campground to myself! Well, except for the snakes, all the birds, a lot of slugs, and various highly nocturnal mammals. And a curious harbor seal.
#PublicLands #CAStateParks
