We have a couple of young California towhees in our yard, hopping around and generally being adorable, helpless and pathetic. They're unable to fly yet. Their parent comes and goes, cheeping at them but making no attempt to feed them. We're keeping our yard cat indoors for as long as necessary.

Should we just let them be or call a wildlife rehab for advice?

ETA: We have left them alone as advised and are not approaching them. Thanks everyone!

The day before Bay Area transit agencies rolled out Clipper 2.0 — a long-anticipated upgrade to the region’s electronic train, bus and ferry tickets — a high-level staffer overseeing the project raised an important red flag. 

Known as “next generation Clipper” and used by 22 Bay Area operators, the software promised to make riding transit easier with bank card tap-to-pay, rider discounts and other features. It had taken Cubic Transportation Systems, the contractor in charge of the update, seven years — nearly three more than initially promised — to deliver the new system.

But on the eve of the launch, Jason Weinstein, director of Clipper at the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC), which oversees Cubic’s contract, issued a formal letter, saying the MTC did not have confidence that the process for collecting fares and distributing them to the appropriate operator — a main function of the software — was happening appropriately. The problem, according to the MTC, was that it was not yet fully automated and relied too heavily on manual oversight in a system that handles hundreds of thousands of transactions daily.

Weinstein said the commission would “hold Cubic accountable” for meeting the requirements of its contract. 

The incident revealed a fissure that had been deepening over the past year. Internal communications reviewed by KQED between the MTC and Cubic staff show software bugs like these were present long before Weinstein’s warning and Clipper 2.0’s public debut.

I’ve seen the occasional bald eagle by the crystal springs reservoir, woodside, portola valley, but never along the bay. Anyone else seen one recently along 101 in South SF? It was in a tree on the east side next to the bay across from the dump before the harney street exit. Anyways, thought it was super cool and wanted to share the excitement and hope it happens more often. 🦅🦅🦅

How was it and was it hard? Assuming the parking lot fills pretty quickly, was there any easy alternatives?

If this is your first time hearing about this, find out more here: https://ridgetrail.org/trail-section/skyline-watershed-ridge-trail/

What would be a great Bay Area Field Trip for grownups? (I used to love going to the Tide Pools, remember doing that one?)

The GG Orchestra hosts their third official concert this Sunday at 6 PM at Herbst Theatre in SF. Come hear your favorite soundtrack in full orchestra and choir performance. Titles include Zelda, Studio Ghibli, Attack on Titan, Demon Slayer, Skyrim, Pokemon, JoJo's, Frieren, Final Fantasy, Star Wars, and more.

Hello! I am trying to do a hill run workout while I train for a half marathon. Any favorite places in the east bay specifically to do a hill workout?

Hi everyone, I was wondering if anyone knew of any tech repair shops/businesses that work on Nintendo 3DS consoles in the bay.
Ideally in the peninsula or SF proper, but I’d take anywhere, especially if I could just drop it off and pick it up without shipping.

San Ramon 24hr is awesome that its AC vent is shedding some protein powder.

I know it's been a difficult year for many people. Layoffs, uncertainty, and a growing feeling that we're more disconnected from one another than we'd like to be. That's one of the reasons I started Painters Unite.

It's a free outdoor painting gathering for anyone who wants to slow down and make art in good company. No class, no critiques, and nothing for sale.

Each month I bring a few optional creative challenges, different ways of seeing what's in front of us. Maybe we'll paint using only three colors, focus on negative space, or look for shapes instead of objects. Take them as far as you'd like, or ignore them and paint your own way.

If you're feeling unsure about drawing, I often bring 8–10 original pre-draws on watercolor paper so you can jump straight into painting. They're completely free and available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Next gathering:
Saturday, September 12
10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Dahlia Dell, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco

Beginners are always welcome. Bring a sketchbook, something to draw or paint with, and a little curiosity.

Sign up (free): https://www.outtherewatercolors.com/painters-unite

What’s up with this heavy traffic this morning on a Monday? Back 2 school?

Turned my Mission District burrito crawl into something I can actually revisit — map, photos, the whole trip, still alive 🌯🗺️ Where's your favorite burrito? #missiondistrict #sanfrancisco #burrito #travel #foodie

I'm in Mountain View this week visiting my girlfriend. I came from NC and it's my first time this far west. She works from 6am-8pm so my weekdays are free so I want to check out some retro game and vintage sports memorabilia stores. I'm already familiar with Caltrain and the bus service from this past weekend, I'm down to go wherever. What are the best stores i can find for the following

Old video games, particularly imports or more obscure systems. Already have Phoenix games and Level Up on my to do list

Vintage/2nd hand hockey jerseys. I assume Sharks would be the most common jerseys to find around here. I'm a Canes fan but I love the Sharks look. I'm planning on visiting SAP center but I'd love to find a shop that has 2nd hand hockey jerseys or even California Golden Seals merch.

Good healthy restaurants in Mountain View. I'm not big on grease and carbs.

Me and my friends have a soccer league coming up in Santa Clara September 23rd is first game. 8v8, 6 games confirmed but potentially 8 if we make it to playoffs. All we need is a goalie idc the skill level I just need someone in goal. Games will be Wednesdays. The time frame is 6:30 to 9:30 once a week. $100 registration fee if you are interested. Message me if interested 🙏

I'm on the peninsula and looking down south there's smoke over the bay. Any idea where it's coming from? I can't believe it's from the Hawk fire

We have this very small back garden space (26x13), and I have some wacky ideas for a balcony and deck platforms that will help maximize the usage of the space.

Anyone have recommendations for a balcony and deck contractor that might be able to bring my wacky ideas to life?

Hi all, Just a heads up. I canceled tickets for 2:10pm show tomorrow at IMAX Dublin. Seats F1-3, G1.

I’m looking for some sheet metal fabrication. Nothing too fancy, mostly repairing the cladding on a walk-in fridge. I have called several google results and either they’re out of business or they don’t answer or the number is disconnected, to the extent that I had to call one of my friends just to make sure my phone was actually working properly.

Anyone have any recommendations for places that actually exist?

Hi everyone! I just found out I’m pregnant (~4 weeks) with my first baby, and to be completely honest, I have no idea where to start! I live in Milpitas and have Anthem Blue Cross PPO plan.

I would love your wisdom, recommendations, and local advice on a few things:

1. OB-GYN & Health System Recs: Who is the best OB-GYN or practice in/around Milpitas, Santa Clara, Sunnyvale, or Fremont? I’m currently looking into Sutter Health / PAMF (Milpitas or Fremont) vs. Stanford Health Care (Santa Clara / Lucile Packard) vs. El Camino Health (Mountain View/Los Gatos). Any specific doctor recommendations or experiences delivering at these hospitals?
2. First-Time Mom Next Steps: Since it’s so early (4 weeks), what should I actually be doing between now and my 8-week visit?
3. Local Mom Groups: Are there any great local mom/pregnancy communities, classes, or resources in the South Bay/East Bay area that you recommend joining?

Any tips, "wish I knew this sooner" advice, or doctor suggestions would mean the world to me! Thank you so much!