Soon to be jellies?

 

 

Once again Eric and his summer students found some beautiful jellyfish polyps in Bodega Harbor.  This photo is from 28 June 2023.

 

I shared more information about these polyps and an example of a jellyfish life cycle back in 2020.  Check out the post called "The polyp that packs a wallop".

Orange moustache

 

 

Well, I've been having a lot of computer issues lately, so I'll admit that I'm not too keen on spending time on a computer at night.  I apologize for the infrequent posts this month!  But here is a nice nudibranch photo that Eric took on 23 June 2023.  

This is Phidiana hiltoni at Pinnacle Gulch.  We're still tracking where and when this more southern species shows up in Sonoma County, so if you happen to see any, let us know! 

(Refer to the post "A new home for Hilton's" back in 2015.)

A fluffle?

 

 

We've been seeing a *lot* of Brush Rabbits (Sylvilagus bachmani) recently, and have been wondering if the timing of this winter's rain contributed to their high numbers this year.  Have you been seeing Brush Rabbits, too?

 

P.S.  I read that a group of rabbits is sometimes called a "fluffle."  I'm not sure how often that word is used, but I was intrigued enough to include it.

Perfect match

 

 

What a cool shrimp!  Such amazing camouflage, matching all of the colors in the sand grains -- white, brown, gray, black, green, and orange.  Meet Crangon handi!  [You can click on the image for a larger version.]

 

The eyes of the shrimp are on the right side (two rounded brownish eyes); the body tapers back to the left; and the tail is on the far left side (look for two narrow white bands above the larger white sand grain).  [I'm calling it sand (≤2 mm), but it's possible it should be called gravel (≥3 mm).]

 

This species is known to inhabit gravelly tidepools, and lucky for us, one of the UC Davis Bio Boot Camp instructors spotted it this morning.  Thanks, Kaitai!

 

P.S.  If the species name sounds familiar, it's true this species was named in honor of Professor Cadet Hand, first director of the Bodega Marine Laboratory.

Glossy

 

 

Nesting Pelagic Cormorant (Urile pelagicus), 21 June 2023

 

The smallest of the local cormorant species. From a distance they look black, but in the right light, their feathers look glossy green, purple, and bronze.  Also note the red near the base of the bill.

Settling into summer

 

 

A nice trio of barnacle species on a mussel shell: 

- two Thatched Barnacles (Semibalanus cariosus), the ones with the ribbed look, at the bottom and upper left

- two Acorn Barnacles (Balanus glandula), the ones with the smoother look (center and upper right)

- seven Little Brown Barnacles (Chthamalus dalli), the smaller ones with a brownish gray coloration, four at the upper left, one between the upper two whiter barnacles, and two on the right side. 

(There are also some very tiny barnacles growing on the other other barnacles, but I'm just pointing out the larger barnacles for now.)

It's been a good spring for settlement of juvenile barnacles.  Now we'll see what the summer brings!

Happy Summer Solstice!

Golden grooves

 

 

Close-up of Sea Palm (Postelsia palmaeformis) blades, 10 June 2023.

 

Two skimmers skimming

  

A few more photos of two Black Skimmers (Rynchops niger) in Bodega Harbor yesterday (10 June 2023).  Although a small number of Black Skimmers nest in south San Francisco Bay, they are more common in southern California, so it was fun to spend a few minutes with them.

Most of the images I have show the skimmers skimming.  This is a highly specialized feeding technique — dropping the lower mandible into the water while in flight, hoping to make contact with a fish.  

First, here's a photo where you can see the difference in length between the upper and lower mandibles:

 

 

 

In the close-up photos you can see a small "wake" behind the bill as the lower mandible slices through the water:

 

 

 

Often one skimmer followed close behind the other:

 

 

 

 

It was a foggy, overcast day, but the lighting emphasized the length of the skimmers' wings and their graceful flight:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cutwater

  

Running out of time tonight, but here's a quick photo of a Black Skimmer (Rynchops niger) in Bodega Harbor on 10 June 2023.  [You can click on the images for larger versions.]  I'll share more about them tomorrow! 

Mottled

  

Whew, we've had a busy week of field work during early morning low tides.  At the end of our surveys today in Mendocino County, Eric photographed this wonderful Six-armed Sea Star (Leptasterias sp.).  Thanks, Eric!

Morning owl

  

We were getting ready for early morning field work today (7 June 2023) when Sam noticed a large bird swooping across the field nearby.  We had great looks at this Barred Owl (Strix varia) before we left the area.

Thanks for the sharp eyes today, Sam!

Blown into the harbor

  

Quick shot of a Bonaparte's Gull in Bodega Harbor at the end of the day today, 1 June 2023.