Walking over to the farmers market this morning, I caught a glimpse of a dragonfly exploring the sun-exposed branches of a willow tree. It disappeared, but when I turned the corner I started scanning up high, looking for potential sites where it could have landed. I was about to give up, when my eyes caught the blue of the darner's eyes.
Blue-eyed Darner (Rhionaeschna multicolor) in Sebastopol on 17 May 2026.
Eric and I have been busy with lots of early morning field work recently. As we were walking on a beach in Marin County this morning, I looked down to see a Blue Buoy Barnacle (Dosima fascicularis) attached to a By-the-wind Sailor (Velella velella).
Blue Buoy Barnacles are pelagic (offshore) barnacles that float at the surface of the ocean. They are unusual in northern California and can be indicators of warm-water conditions, or water that's normally farther offshore coming closer to the coast. I'll have to check my notes, but I think the last time we saw one in our area was ~10 years ago (back in 2016).
With the high numbers of Velella washing ashore at this time, the chances of finding Dosima are greater as this barnacle often attaches to Velella floats.
We're interested in other observations of Blue Buoy Barnacles in northern California, so keep your eyes open and if you happen to come across one, I'd love to hear about it!
P.S. For an introduction to Blue Buoy Barnacles, see the post called "Blue buoys!" on 31 August 2014. And more information (and a great video!) can be found in the post called "Driftin' blues" on 23 September 2014.
The beautiful wings of a California Darner (Rionaeschna californica). Note how shiny and new they look. [You can click on the image for a larger version.] I could see this darner's wings glittering in the sun as it flew across a grassland. When it landed nearby, I leaned in for a closer view. Because the wings are so fresh, it's likely this individual metamorphosed recently. Once a dragonfly has been flying for a while, the wings lose their shine and can show nicks and other impacts.
Air temperatures reached at least the high 60s in Bodega Bay today (7 March 2026). I started seeing butterflies zipping by in the morning, so I went out after lunch for a short walk and took a few photos.
California Tortoiseshells (Nymphalis californica) were the most common butterflies I saw today (photo above), but I also noticed quite a few Margined Whites (Pieris marginalis) and at least one Western Pine Elfin (Incisalia eryphon).
Many of the tortoiseshells were nectaring on willow catkins:
Air temperatures reached a balmy 65-70°F in Cotati yesterday (1 February 2026). I took a quick look for butterflies in the afternoon. Here's a West Coast Lady (Vanessa annabella) from above (above) and from below (below). :)
Nice to see a Black Saddlebags (Tramea lacerata) over our backyard this afternoon (8 June 2025).
Pink Volcano Barnacle (Tetraclita rubescens) on 31 May 2025.
Thanks to Eric for another great barnacle photo!
Last week, Eric snapped a great photo of Ligia occidentalis. You can find this interesting isopod scurrying across rocks in the high intertidal zone.
Satyr Anglewing (Polygonia satyrus)
Wow! When Claire started to ask me if I could help with a moth i.d. today (1 May 2025), I had no idea she would be taking me to see this beautiful Ceonothus Silkmoth (Hyalophora euryalus)!
Claire and Emma spotted this amazing moth while they were eating lunch. It was cool at the coast today and the moth was very still, so we were able to get some nice photos.
Here's a close-up of her very fuzzy body, including the wonderful striped pattern on her abdomen:
It warmed up quite a bit in Cotati today — at one point our outdoor thermometer was reading ~80°F (~26°C). Butterflies were definitely taking advantage of the sun.
Above, a Mourning Cloak (Nymphalis antiopa).
Next, a Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta):
And, a Satyr Anglewing (Polygonia satyrus):
Also, we checked on the Anna's Hummingbird fledgling. Eric spotted it very high, about 50 feet up in a tree adjacent to the nest site. Mom flew in a couple of times to feed the fledgling, but only about every 20 minutes (see below). In between feeding visits from mom, the fledgling probed nearby buds and leaves and practiced short flights among the branches.
