The one with the small crest

 

Oak Titmouse (Baeolophus inornatus) at our backyard water bath, 31 March 2020

P.S.  The genus, Baeolophus, means "small crest."

 

A clam, a sea squirt, and a snail

Well, I didn't get a chance to take any photos today, so I browsed through photos from the last month or so (from various locations) and picked a few that caught my eye.  I hope they brighten your day!

 

Juvenile Pacific Razor Clam (Siliqua patula)

 

A golden colonial tunicate (sea squirt), Pycnoclavella stanleyi 

 

Red Turban Snail (Pomaulax gibberosus) with coralline algae

P.S.  What did the clam say when the sea squirt and the snail walked into the bar?  "Sorry, I'm just about to close up for the night."  :)

At home under a log

During a neighborhood walk a couple of days ago, Eric peeked under a log and was surprised to see quite a gathering:

 

Arboreal Salamanders, a Sierran Treefrog, isopods, and a spider!  There must have been something special about that spot.  We gently replaced the log, but it's hard not to wonder how all of them might have been interacting.

Flashes of blue

 

It was breezy in Cotati this afternoon.  When we went for a walk around the neighborhood, we came across a small group of Western Bluebirds (Sialia mexicana) hovering in place while facing into the wind over a field.  They would drop down to the grass after insects, but then rise to hover again, making it fun to watch those flashes of blue across the landscape.

Colors in foam

 

I've been working on some photo organization, so tonight's photo is somewhat random.  It's the photo I happened to end on tonight.  Colors in sea foam from 20 February 2017.

P.S. Can you find the little alien face with the big eyes?  :)

Point A to Point B

Last week Eric and I noticed this looping trail on the beach (below).  Immediately both of us thought of an illustration from a card we like, so we added an A and a B:

 

Here's the card:

 

This illustration has seemed relevant at various times in our lives, as the paths we find ourselves on are often unpredictable and rarely follow a straight line.  This seems to ring true right now, with the way this coronavirus has upended the world.  It's helpful to think about the big picture, though, and to visualize the entire path, right?  Although it's often hard to know exactly how we'll get there, we will get to the next point!

P.S.  Thanks to the mole crab for making the path in the sand and to PAPYRUS for the wonderful card.

 

March-supial

 

While working from home today, Eric noticed a small Opossum (Didelphis virginiana) walking quickly along the fence in our backyard.  The Opossum made its way to the far back corner of the yard and then paused.  We could hear it chewing on something, but couldn't see what it had found.  The Opossum was below some fruit trees, so perhaps it discovered an older fallen plum?

Eventually the Opossum turned, looked around, and started back the way it had come, providing an excellent view of its wonderful ears, grizzled fur, pink toes, and long tail:

 

Perhaps you can tell that this Opossum is quite small — its body (without the tail) was only ~7-8 inches (17-20 cm) long.  We've seen Opossums in our yard before, but it's been a while.  Here's a photo from August 2016 in a post called "Looking for summer fruit."

Stopping by for a drink

 

Although they're not necessarily rare in Sonoma County, we don't see Red-breasted Nuthatches (Sitta canadensis) come to our water bath very often, so here's a photo for the record.  Photographed in Cotati on 23 March 2020.

 

Morning and afternoon views

 

This morning a Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) rested at our water bath for a few minutes.  It was a good opportunity for a close view of the beautiful pale blue color around its eye.

This afternoon Eric looked out to the east and asked, "Why is it so dark outside?"

 

Then we heard the thunder, saw several lightning flashes, and watched as a long rainbow formed and paused over the inland mountains:

 

 

Here's to being hopeful during stressful times.

Signs of spring

 

We took a short walk around our neighborhood this afternoon.  It was pretty warm today, and a few butterflies were taking advantage of the afternoon sun.

Above, a Mourning Cloak (Nymphalis antiopa) basking on the ground among the leaves and needles.

Below, a Common Checkered Skipper (Pyrgus communis) on a bare patch along a trail:

 

I hear we might see some rain on Monday/Tuesday.  Although I'm guessing the butterflies would prefer more sun, it would be nice to increase our rainfall season total beyond ~13.5 inches!

Flow

 

Flow patterns in the sand, 20 March 2020

Nest building

During the last couple of days while working near a window that provides a view of our backyard, some Bushtit (Psaltriparus minimus) behavior caught my eye.  The Bushtits weren't coming to the water bath, and it didn't look like they were searching for food.  My guess was that they were gathering nesting material, e.g, bits of bark and lichens.  

I kept an eye on their flight direction.  Eventually, after several tries, I spotted the nest in a neighbor's yard:

 

Bushtits build a long, pendulous nest, primarily of plant materials.  (This one has some strips of white, human-made material, too.)  You can see the small entrance near the top.

I watched for a little while, but didn't see any Bushtits near the nest.  I went back to work, but then heard the Bushtits calling, so went out to check again.  They were very busy for a few minutes, so I took a few photos from a distance:

 

 

 

I hope the Bushtits continue building their nest.  I really appreciate an occasional backyard wildlife distraction right now!

 

The Emperor

We had to make a run down to the post office today, and since word had been passed along that an Emperor Goose (Anser canagicus) had been spotted on the offshore rocks just off the Bodega Head parking lot, we swung by to take a quick look.  Luckily, it was still there!

Emperor Geese are more often associated with arctic and sub-arctic Alaska (and Russia).  It sounds like there are four prior records in Sonoma County (in 1978, 1994-1995, 1996-1997, and 2001).

Here are a few photos from different perspectives.

Sitting:

 

Watching the waves:

 

 

With Black Oystercatchers: 

 

Searching for food and eating some green algae:

 

 

Profile view:

 

Many thanks to Scott for spotting this goose and to Dea for passing along the sighting. 

P.S.  I was curious about the species name.  Apparently "canagicus" refers to the island of Kanaga or Kyktak (in the Aleutian Islands).

Bluer than blue

 

Another thing I'm grateful for?  Visits by neighborhood birds, like this Western Bluebird (Sialia mexicana) photographed in Cotati on 16 March 2020.

Reflective

 

During these anxious times, I couldn't be more grateful for a walk by the ocean.  View from Dillon Beach, 15 March 2020.

The nutcracker

We walked along the beach with a raven for a little while this afternoon (14 March 2020).  It was searching the wrack line for potential food.  At one point the raven found a walnut (see below).  [I think the walnuts wash down the creeks and rivers and then end up on the beaches.]

 

The raven walked over to a piece of driftwood and held the walnut in place with its foot:

 

 Then it tried to open the walnut by hammering it with its bill:

 

This walnut was apparently too hard to crack, or the raven decided it wasn't worthwhile, so it left the walnut behind and started searching for something else.

 

Little palms

This one goes out to Sarah Ann — 

I know what it's like to miss seeing a species that you connect with.  So here are a few Sea Palm (Postelsia palmaeformis) photos.  I'll post some images from 2020 some time this spring, but for now I browsed my archives and found some nice shots from the past 14 years.  Enjoy!

Sea Palm is a wonderful kelp that looks like a little palm tree.  It lives along the rocky outer coast in wave-exposed sites.

 

 

 

 

 

Restless and resting

 

Mixed shorebird flock, primarily Dunlin (Calidris alpina) and Sanderling (Calidris alba), flying over Bodega Harbor on 3 March 2020.

Marbled Godwits (Limosa fedoa) resting in Bodega Harbor at sunset, 3 March 2020.

True or false?

Last night (9 March 2020), while I was doing a survey in the rocky intertidal zone, an interesting little brown seaweed caught my eye.  I had to get some other things done, but I took a few photos to review later (see below).  The thin and slender brown blades were ~8-10 cm (3-4 inches) long:

 

 

 

Right now I'm guessing that this is Petalonia fascia (sometimes called False Kelp, because it looks like a small kelp at first, but it's not a true kelp).  I'll try to check in with a few seaweed folks to see if that's correct.

Above and below

 

Looking south over the tidal flats in Bodega Harbor on 9 March 2020.  Sometimes it's worth working late!

 

At home in the sand

 

We noticed this small (~5 mm across) sea anemone in the low intertidal zone in Pacific Grove this weekend.  When I zoomed in on the photo on the camera, I realized it wasn't a species I was familiar with.  Later on, after doing a little research, I eventually figured out that this is Cactosoma arenaria — a new species of sea anemone for us!

There are a couple of things to notice about this speciecs.  As mentioned, it's small — typical height is only ~2 cm.  Look for the alternating brown and white bands on the tentacles (they generally have 24 tentacles).  Some of the bands are V-shaped (especially in the last photo of this post, below).  Also look for the brown cuticular sheath on the column (the lower portion of the anemone, see photo above).  The sheath includes embedded sand grains and shell fragments.

 

Cactosoma arenaria can be found around kelp holdfasts, and also among sand-encrusted tunicates (or sea squirts) in the low intertidal zone, which is where we observed these.  The species name, "arenaria", refers to sand.

 

This is a southern species, with known occurrences from about Monterey to San Pedro, CA.  So we're not likely to see it in Bodega Bay, but if you're in Central or Southern California, keep your eyes open for this little beauty.

Like blackberry swirl

A mystery close-up for you.  Can you tell what type of organism this is?

 

The next image shows the entire animal:

 

 

Bat Star (Patiria miniata), photographed in Pacific Grove, CA.  In the first photo, the little bumpy curved purple and cream-colored pieces are spines.  Aren't they intriguing?

We were impressed with the diversity of Bat Star color morphs we saw this afternoon — red, orange, gray, brown, in various mottled combinations.

Have you been eating willow flowers?

 

Who me?

Golden-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia atricapilla), 4 March 2020