May the gourds be with you

  

 From our pumpkins to yours -- Happy Halloween, everyone!  

Among the roots

  

Quick photo of a large Arboreal Salamander (Aneides lugubris) on Bodega Head today, 27 October 2025.  Although we only received ~0.2 inches total of rain this weekend, it was pretty nice salamander weather with consistent moisture for a couple of days.

W(elk)ome to West County?

  

Driving to the coast the other day (20 October 2025), I was a little surprised to see a large Elk (Cervus canadensis) fairly close to the side of the road.  We pulled over to take a photo for the record.

I had a vague recollection that an elk had been spotted in western Sonoma County before, so I contacted Brock at the Occidental Arts & Ecology Center for an update.  He confirmed that a male Elk has been observed off and on in this area for 6-7 years now.  (It also looks like it's possible a few others have been spotted in West County.)

With many thanks to Brock for keeping track of and confirming some of the local elk history!

Morning pairing

  

Waning crescent Moon on the left and a bright Venus on the right.  Photographed from Cotati in the early morning of 19 October 2025.

And here's a close-up of the Moon:

 

 

Berry gathering

  

Heard some Cedar Waxwings (Bombycilla cedrorum) calling in the parking lot at Oliver's and looked up to see a large flock feeding on berries.  

There was a mix of juveniles (above) and adults (below):

 

 

Other species were attracted to the activity, too.  Here's a Western Tanager (Piranga ludoviciana): 

 

 

Morning swim

  

Nice view of a River Otter along the shoreline of Bodega Harbor this morning (15 October 2025).

When the otter dove, it was calm enough to see bubbles trailing at the surface, offering hints of its route under water: 

 

 

P.S.  We wondered about the origin of the bubbles.  Sounds like air trapped in the otter's fur might be released as it swims.
 

A little rain, a lot of color

  

An amazing rainbow between Bloomfield and Valley Ford this morning (14 October 2025).

This was a full rainbow, but I could only get photos of either end.  

Above is the east end, below is the view to the west:

 

 

So bright! 

A little rain, a little color

  

A rainbow appeared briefly to the east when we got home from work tonight (13 October 2025).  

Looks like we received ~0.5 inch of rain in Bodega Bay today.  

Lift off

  

Humpback Whales off Bodega Head this morning (10 October 2025).

Here's a view of the splashdown after the breach:

 

 

It's been an amazing summer and fall for seeing Humpbacks off Bodega Head.  Whales were visible across the entire horizon today, both close to shore (within 1 mile) and far offshore.

 

A few more views, showing a dorsal fin, flukes, and spouts:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

East and west

 

 

Rising moon to the east (on the left) and setting moon to the west (on the right).

 

The moon rise photo was taken ~7:30 p.m. on 6 October 2025, while the moon set photo was taken ~12 hours later at ~7:15 a.m. on 7 October 2025.

And here's a close-up of the moon rise so you can see some of the details:

 

 

 

A beautiful Harvest Moon!
 

Changes in latitudes

  

Wow!  News started trickling in yesterday afternoon that a Waved Albatross (Phoebastria irrorata) had been spotted at Cordell Bank (5 October 2025).  I wasn't on the boat, but I asked if I could share a couple of photos because this is an intriguing record — and a first for North America!

Waved Albatross are more often seen off Ecuador, Peru, and northern Chile.  They nest on Española Island in the Galápagos and on Isla de la Plata off Ecuador.  They are unusual among albatross species in having a primarily tropical distribution.  Prior to this record, the farthest north one had been observed was off Costa Rica (looks like possibly two records there, one in 1993 and another in 2014?).  Marin County is the farthest north a Waved Albatross has been seen by far.

This is a distinctive albatross.  Note the pale head and dark body/wings, the large yellow bill, a hint of yellow (sometimes called a suffusion) along the back of the head and neck, beautiful black-and-white vermiculations along the lower neck area, and blue legs and feet.  [You can click on the images for larger versions.]

 

 

Not sure why this species appeared in Marin County at this time, but others have mentioned that prior out-of-range records might have been associated with warmer water conditions.

With many thanks to Glen Tepke who kindly provided these terrific photos.

At the end of the day

  

A quick shot of Marbled Godwits in end-of-the-day light in Bodega Harbor on 3 October 2025.  [You can click on the image for a larger version.]