Shot at Ardenwood Farms in Fremont, Flickr user sunmallia captured this group of monarch butterflies. "It took me a long while to really see them as they look like a clump of dead leaves but when I did see them it was amazing," sunmallia said, adding, "they mostly stayed in clumps and every now and then the clumps would flutter. Am amazing site to see for sure." more ›

Mentioned in Morning Links, but too good not to award its own post: Berkeleyside gives us yet another reason to visit Berkeley—our goal in 2012 is to head over there at least once a quarter—with these wild turkeys roaming the streets of Berkeley (and a far off land called Albany) with nary a care in the world. More than a dozen birds ran around the two East Bay cities this week, spotted by local photogs. more ›

Break out a new Brita filter, folks. San Francisco Public Utilities Commission has received several complaints about the taste and odor of their tap water. It seems, according to SFPUC, an algae bloom in one of their reservoirs is to blame. But fret not, worrywart. Neither the taste nor rank-ass odor poses a health hazard. "Customers can remove taste and odor by using carbon and reverse osmosis filters, and refrigeration of tap water should reduce taste and odor." more ›

The California Academy of Sciences launched its new Shark Lagoon Cam on Thursday, which features a lovely mix of Blacktip Reef sharks and Bamboo sharks, Cownose rays, Honeycomb rays, and Blue-spot stingrays, along with Mono fish, Longnose Butterfly fish, and Raccoon Butterfly fish, all swimming amongst mangrove trees and a colorful Philippine coral reef. more ›

Tonight, celebrate the longest day of the year at Muir Beach, enjoy a British cult classic-inspired horror film set in a remote and beautiful locale, or draw some lovely gals dressed in Star Wars garb. more ›

The UC Santa Cruz Predatory Bird Research Group has set up a falcon cam that live streams little baby falcons perched in downtown San Francisco. These babies and their mother are located on the 33rd floor of the PG&E building at 77 Beale Street. And they're so cute! SCPBRG notes: "Falcons arrive in early February to begin courtship at this nest box on the PG&E headquarters building in downtown San Francisco. PG&E has been a terrific host to the birds since we established the first nest camera on the building in partnership with them in 2005. In addition, PG&E helps underwrite conservation education school assemblies by SCPBRG throughout Central and Northern California." more ›

At around 9:30 a.m. this morning, a developing funnel cloud touched down at Ocean Beach. There's mildly jarring footage of it, too! NBC Bay Area explains: "The tornado on the water was captured on video off Ocean Beach in San Francisco by Rick Gutierrez. He posted it on YouTube with a caption that explained it was taken Friday at 9:24 a.m. 'I was looking outside my window. There was a very dark cloud and there it was,' Gutierrez wrote.The tornado on the water was captured on video off Ocean Beach in San Francisco by Rick Gutierrez. He posted it on YouTube with a caption that explained it was taken Friday at 9:24 a.m. 'I was looking outside my window. There was a very dark cloud and there it was,' Gutierrez wrote." more ›

Due to shifting sands, Great Highway, between Lincoln Way and Sloat Boulevard, will be closed to vehicle traffic this week during the hours of 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. starting Monday morning. Crews will be trimming vegetation from the medians and relocating sand to improve visibility. [Via BCN/SFA] more ›

"Redwood Eye" by andertho. more ›

Several onlookers in Pacifica's Linda Mar Beach spotted what they described to be a great white shark attack and devour a sea lion about 200 yards from the beach on Monday afternoon. The shark was reportedly approximately 18 feet long or larger, and half a dozen witnesses reported seeing it jump out of the water from various vantage points, splashing "blood all over the place." more ›

The Nature Conservancy, "the leading conservation organization working around the world to protect ecologically important lands and waters for nature and people," picked their top favorite coastal lands in which to "soak in the surf, sand and sun." San Francisco's The East Bay's Eastshore State Park nabbed 'Best Urban Retreat' for maintaining miles of walking and biking trails and stunning views of the bay, along with fascinating "tidal wetlands, marshes and sandy beaches" that are home to thousands of birds. An impressive feat considering it's "amidst one of the most developed areas in California." more ›

...It gets cleaned up in 30 minutes flat. more ›

This is what shutdown Great Highway last night? Really? That's, like, a handful of medium-sized small sandcastles. At best. (We really have turned into a too tender bunch here in SF, haven't we?) more ›

One hundred and fifty firefighters from around Solano County and CalFire are on the scene battling a six-alarm fire west of Vacaville near the Lagoon Valley Regional Park this morning. Flames were first spotted around 1:30 a.m. in the area of Pleasant Valley and Cherry Glen Roads, near I-80. Four hundred acres had burned by 5 a.m., and 50 percent of the fire was contained by 6:45 a.m. Full containment is expected later today. No one has been injured, and evacuations are not expected. The Cherry Glen Road off-ramp of I-80 has been closed indefinitely to accommodate responding fire crews and equipment. more ›

Oh, holy hell. A snake! Eeps! Somebody KILL IT! KILL IT NOW! SLICE ITS HEAD OFF and BURN THE THING!! Oh, look, nature found its way to the parking lot near Bernal Hill this afternoon. How fun. more ›

As SFist reported back in January, a proposal to prune the California park system's $150 million general fund budget, money that goes to staff salaries and maintenance, might result in the closure of 25 Bay Area state parks. And said cuts could come as soon as July 1. A few parks of note in danger of closing? Candlestick Point State Recreation Area, which is known for "some of the best winter bird-watching on the bay," (our fingers are crossed for you, Walter Kitundu), Mount Tamalpais, Angel Island (!?), Jack London Park, Sonoma Coast, and many more. The governor's possible park pruning would also affect 279 parks throughout California. more ›

Holy smokes, this is the most harrowing thing we've ever reported. Allan Hough over at Mission Mission reports (via Inhabitat's Mike Chino) that bees have descended upon the Mission district. And they're out for blood! Check it: more ›

Made by Toto (no, not this Toto, but a swank Japanese company) , Google employees at their California offices can release their urine and evacuate their bowels like space-age kings using this ultra-modern and terrible chic toilet. Not happy with merely wiping, Google employees have the option to wash the rear area, wash the front area (something people should really do more often), dry, perform something called "wand cleaning," and so much more. more ›

Green hornets arrive in SF to save the day. more ›

Don't F*** with a Falcon Mommy more ›

Since you've already figured out your plans for tomorrow night, what about during the day? It is Earth Day tomorrow and everyone is displacing their guilt celebrating by participating in cleanups and events around the bay. Upcoming and Going listed some of the Earth Day events and we're helpfully listing them here in hopes that we'll encourage you to get off your couch and do something useful. more ›

While taking in the (allegedly) gorgeous weather yesterday, a 20-year-old Marin hiker fell from the cliffs above Rodeo Beach in the Marin Headlands, and died. The unidentified woman, while walking with her hiking partner who was hurt during a "rescue attempt," was, according to SFGate, "hiking ahead of her partner when he heard her scream and saw rocks falling. The man hiked down the hillside to help her. It was unclear how he was injured." more ›

Flower seller in Lucien Labaudt's 1936 mural in the Beach Chalet. more ›

We've been fans for awhile, and now NBC 11's Traci Grant -- who seems like a lot of fun, and someone should throw a local Emmy at her -- has also picked up on the awesome public art piece Muni Hot or Not of the Now over at Nature abhors a vacuum. more ›

• Caught on tape: drunk Dolores Park guy...stealing our heart. [SFBG]
• Cyclist deaths on rise. [Left in SF]
• Bay Area nurses prepare to stage a 10-day walkout. [SJ Merc]

• Reiser takes the stand. [SFGate]
• 71 MIles goes to Tijuana, interviews pimp. [71Miles]
• XOXO, God Damn [Nature abhors a vacuum]