Tripping the light fantastic

  

During a walk at Dillon Beach on 27 December 2025, we came across several large masses of egg capsules.

Here's a photo in Eric's hand for scale: 

 

 

These are egg capsules of the Opalescent Inshore Squid (Doryteuthis opalescens).  When you look at the capsules up close, if the embryos are far enough along in their development, you can see tiny squid inside.  Look especially for the two large eyes.  Each compartment holds one squid (so an individual egg capsule can hold 50 or more developing embryos):

 

 

 

Development time is dependent on water temperature, but it can take 6-10 weeks for the little squid to hatch out in cooler temperatures. 

 

One of the egg capsules (above) appeared to have mature squid larvae that looked like they'd be ready to hatch soon.  We put the capsule into a large ziploc bag with seawater and what do you know, about an hour later, tiny (~3 mm long) squid larvae had emerged from the capsule and were swimming around.

 

Eric was able to capture some amazing video of the squid larvae and their beautiful chromatophores under a microscope (see below).  [If you can't see the video player in your e-mail, click on the title of this post above to go directly to the NHBH website to watch the video.]  It's fascinating to see the pulsing chromatophores in action.

 

We thought you might enjoy a little light show to ring in the New Year!

 

Best wishes for 2026! 

 

P.S.  For more information about how chromatophores work in squid and octopus, check out this "Hide and seek" video that Eric made in 2021.

 

Well-defined

  

Eric looked up just after sunset tonight and noticed the craters on the Moon looked particularly sharp in the crisp evening air.  Photographed from Bodega Bay on 29 December 2025.  [You can click on the image for a larger version.]

Warming up in the sun

  

I helped out with the Western Sonoma County Christmas Bird Count today (28 December 2025).  It was a very calm and warm day at the coast, with air temperatures reaching at least 56°F (13°C) and perhaps even higher.  (I think it's my first Christmas Bird Count wearing a t-shirt for part of the day!)  

Although it was a nice day for birding, I also saw quite a few insects — a half a dozen bumblebees, at least 4-5 butterflies, and possibly one dragonfly.  Some of the butterflies flew by too quickly for an i.d., but at least two of them were Red Admirals (Vanessa atalanta) basking in the sun. 

Weathered

  

Close-up of weathered driftwood at Point Reyes, 26 December 2025.  With thanks to Eric for the beautiful photo! 

Christmas bow

  

Such dynamic weather today (25 December 2025).  Frequently the conditions were different on either side of our house.  Sun on the east side and rain on the west side led to a bright rainbow this morning.

To owl of you

  

Happy holidays to owl of you!

 

 

The second photo is a Short-eared Owl (Asio flammeus) photographed in Petaluma at the end of the day today (24 December 2025). 

Drop after drop

  

We went for a short walk in Petaluma this morning (22 December 2025).  One of the plants there had water droplets at the tip of every branch — a field of droplets as far as you could see! 

The shortest day

  

  Happy Solstice!  

(Snowman from last weekend in Massachusetts.) 

Of Light and Air

  

We're back from a trip to visit family in Massachusetts, and we felt very lucky to be there during a beautiful Winslow Homer exhibit at the Museum of Fine Arts.

Above, The Blue Boat by Winslow Homer in 1892.

The Of Light and Air: Winslow Homer in Watercolor exhibit runs through 19 January 2026, so if you're in the Boston area and have an interest in Homer's watercolors (as well as a few bonus oil paintings, e.g., The Fog Warning), I recommend trying to get to the MFA!  There are also lots of photos and videos with additional details on the MFA's website (see link above).

On a lark

  

It was a cold and windy day here in Scituate, Massachusetts, but we went for a short walk this afternoon (11 December 2025) and caught up with a small flock of Horned Larks (Eremophila alpestris).

I love how the russet tones in their feathers match the colors in the salt marsh at this time of year (above).

We also saw a few Horned Larks in a rocky area and it was fun to see how well they blended in with the rocks...although check out those beautiful golden head and throat markings!

 

 

 

 

 

One more photo, as I always appreciate when you can see a little more of an animal's behavior — in this case, searching for seeds among some of the upper marsh plants:

 

 

  

Star-spangled back

  

Red-throated Loon (Gavia stellata), Scituate Harbor, MA, on 9 December 2025.

Here's the entire bird (below). Note the spangled patterning on the back.  The species name — "stellata" — apparently means "set with stars" and refers to this beautiful design in the loon's non-breeding plumage.  [You can click on the images for larger versions.]

 

 

Flashy time of year

 

 

This green flash photo is from last week, but perhaps it'll be a reminder to keep an eye out for green flashes around sunset at this time of year.  (Just don't look at the sun until it's almost entirely below the horizon.)

Find the fish

  

Quick photo of a sculpin in the rocky intertidal zone after field work tonight (5 December 2025).  Amazing how much it looks like the surrounding rock, gravel, and shells.

Sunset watcher

 

 

The sunset was quite something tonight (2 December 2025), and we weren't the only ones watching!

 

Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus) perched on top of a CODAR antenna that monitors ocean currents.

 

And here's a close-up of the owl in silhouette against that purple sky: 

 

 

 

December dragon

  

Air temperatures reached the mid-high 50's today, but the afternoon sun was warm enough to activate this dragonfly.  It zipped into our backyard and landed on one of the remaining hot peppers in the garden.

Variegated Meadowhawk (Sympetrum corruptum) photographed in Cotati on 1 December 2025.  

With many thanks to Eric for the great photo!