While walking in Wellfleet, MA, yesterday (29 September 2022) every now and then we noticed these tracks crossing the sand.
I had an idea about the animal responsible for them and I was hopeful that we might find one, but for a while we just keep running across more tracks:
These turtles live in salt marshes on Cape Cod and the young turtles emerge from nests at this time of year.
Here's a view of the hatchling from the side:
Muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus) out for an afternoon swim in Walpole, MA, on 26 September 2022.
A close-up view:
I took a short walk in Walpole, MA, today (26 September 2022). I ended up at a small pond and started noticing a few interesting animals in the warm afternoon sun (more on that later). I was taking photographs and noticed a dragonfly a bit further away along the shoreline. It was a female ovipositing (laying eggs), so it was in the same area long enough for me to snap a few distant photos.
When I finished photographing the first subject, I decided to take a quick look for the dragonfly as I wasn't certain which species it was. I was scanning for a dragonfly in flight and wasn't having any luck when I noticed a fluttering movement near the ground. I looked down to see this:
Eric captured this nice underwater shot of a Forbes' Sea Star (Asterias forbesi) in Scituate, MA, today (24 September 2022). Here's a close-up:
A couple of quick photos of a Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) visiting flowers while we were visiting family today in Massachusetts (23 September 2022).
Eric spotted these tiny flies hovering among the grasses in a coastal prairie site up in Mendocino County on 11 September 2022. Although they were quite small, when they landed it was easy to appreciate the beautiful colors and patterning on their abdomens and the light reflections in their wings.
We don't have experience with this group of flies, but our best guess right now is that they are Margined Calligraphers (Toxomerus marginatus).
A couple more views:
Interesting weather today, with rainfall totals so far in Bodega Bay at around 0.5-0.7 inches. The clouds in the late afternoon were impressive — towering, and changing so quickly! Photographed looking east from Cotati on 18 September 2022.
A nice orchid from a coastal grassland in Mendocino County on 11 September 2022. I think this one is Hooded Ladies' Tresses (Spiranthes romanzoffiana). You can also see this species along the Pomo Canyon Trail or the Kortum Trail.
Photographed in Mendocino County on 12 September 2022.
P.S. I'm going to be giving an online presentation on Thursday night (15 September 2022) for the Stewards of the Coast and Redwoods. I'll be telling four tidepool stories. Everyone is welcome to join (via Zoom) — you can register here if interested:
Eric spotted this Bobcat hunting in a field (10 September 2022). It paused to check on us and then continued on.
I made a quick stop this morning (8 September 2022) when I noticed two Peregrine Falcons on the top of sea stack off Highway 1 near Gleason Beach.
When one of them dove, I tried to get a photo of the falcon in a stoop. I was so focused on the bird, that I missed the shadow entirely until I downloaded the photos after dinner. Pretty cool!
We lingered at the coast for a little while after work today (6 September 2022). The tide was pretty high, but there were some shorebirds gathered along the harbor side of Doran Beach. Above, a shorebird flock mostly made up of Western Sandpipers (Calidris mauri) but there's one Least Sandpiper (Calidris minutilla), too. [Look for the one with the brownest back.]
And below, a Pectoral Sandpiper (Calidris melanotos) was feeding on the flats. It's the bird on the far right. There are two Semipalmated Plovers (Charadrius semipalmatus) in the center and on the left, and a Least Sandpiper on the foreground.
Although air temperatures in Santa Rosa rose to 112°F (44°C) today, temperatures in Bodega Bay peaked at around 68°F (20°C). But since it's going to stay warm for a few days, I thought this photo of a Harbor Seal (Phoca vitulina) might be a good one for bringing cooling thoughts to the surface.
I made a quick stop at Harmony Farm Supply & Nursery in Sebastopol this morning. There was a lot of butterfly activity at the flowers.
Above is a female Fiery Skipper (Hylephila phyleus). Male Fiery Skippers look quite different:
And there were several duskywings zipping around. Not a great shot, but here's a Mournful Duskywing (Erynnis tristis):
While eating lunch outside today, a bird flew by flashing a bright white tail band. I immediately recognized it as an Eastern Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus), but didn't have a camera with me.
I retrieved my camera and then caught up with the kingbird again. It was somewhat distant, but I zoomed in and ended up with some photos for documentation:
Eastern Kingbirds are vagrants to this area — I think there are fewer than 20 records total for Sonoma County. Not sure if this bird will still be around over the weekend, but it might be visible from other areas on Bodega Head, e.g., the Campbell Cove area or the Overlook Trail from the State Parks parking lot.
