Elemental

  

One of the things I enjoyed most about Iceland is how close you feel to the basic elements of the earth.  

Here are some photos that represent different forms of earth, water, and air.  As always, you can click on the images for larger versions.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Such inspiring landscapes and seascapes!

Rock art

Sea cliffs on the approach to Heimaey in the Vestmannaeyjar archipelago in Iceland on 8 September 2024.  [You can click on the image for a larger version.]

A bigger anchor

 

 

I was leading a walk about seaweeds today and we encountered a few of these Bull Kelp (Nereocystis luetkeana) holdfasts attached to small rocks.  The rocks likely served as anchors when the kelp was small, but once they grew larger these rocks just weren't heavy enough to keep the kelp in place.

 

 

 

Fun to see the little kelp "feet," but maybe next time the microscopic stage of the kelp will find a larger rock.  You know the famous quote, "You're gonna need a bigger boat anchor."  ;)

Rock fall

  

We've been busy with field surveys recently, but I wanted to share one photo illustrating the impacts of the intense storms in January this year.  We're currently visiting sites that we survey once per year, so we're just now gaining additional insight into the impacts from the winter storms.

This is one example of wave impacts to a rock wall causing it to fracture resulting in giant sharp-edged rocks filling a surge channel.  The clean gray angular rocks towards the middle of the photo are newly fallen off the wall to the left side of the channel.  (We estimate those rocks are ~5 feet tall.) 

Another reminder to be careful near bluff edges and coastal outcrops!

Sheared off

 

 

It's been a couple of weeks since the significant wave event during the early January storms, but I've been working on a small side project to document some of the storm impacts on Bodega Head.  

 

At the offshore buoy maximum recorded swell heights reached ~31 feet during the early morning of 5 January 2023.  Impressively, there were sustained swell heights of over 25 feet for at least 5 hours that day (coincident with a high tide), and swells over 20 feet continued for at least 24 hours.  These powerful waves sheared off many pieces of rock from the bluffs on Bodega Head.  Here's one example from a site that is ~30-40 feet above sea level.  The smoother, somewhat orange-colored rock is the new rock surface exposed after the storms.

Cinnamon belly

 

 
Say's Phoebe (Sayornis saya) and lichens, 21 December 2022

Like granite

  

Fingered Limpets (Lottia digitalis), Eroded Periwinkles (Littorina keenae), and a few acorn barnacles (Chthamalus dalli) on Bodega Head granite, photographed 9 July 2022.

In a wilderness of stones

  

On our way out to a field site recently we came across a Black Oystercatcher (Haematopus bachmani) nest.  We moved on so as not to disturb the birds, but I took a quick photo with my telephoto lens.  It is such a beautifully constructed nest!  Hundreds of rock chips gathered to produce a shallow bowl.

Later I was reading a short story by A.S. Byatt and was struck by the phrase "in a wilderness of stones."  She was writing about "moor birds" (perhaps grouse in Great Britain?), but my mind went immediately to this oystercatcher nest.  Looking at the photo we were struck by the number of stones used to make this nest, and the phrasing seemed just right, describing both the eggs surrounded by stones as well as the world of Black Oystercatchers.

With thanks to A.S. Byatt, the oystercatchers, and the stones, and the elements that shape them.

Rooms with a view

  

After field work this morning, I was hearing some Cliff Swallows (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota) calling and was wondering where the swallows were.  In trying to locate the birds, I was puzzled at first the my ears were leading me to an offshore sea stack.  But then a few birds appeared and swooped up into a groove in the rock!  I'm probably not in the right places often enough to see this, but I couldn't recall observing them nesting on a sea stack before.  Looking more closely, I eventually found a few nests.

Above is a view of the sea stack.  The nests are in two locations — next to the jagged notch (cut-out) at the upper right corner of the rock, and along the dark groove that curves down vertically at the lower right corner of the rock.  Below is a closer view where you can look for the rounded mud nests attached to the rock:

 

 

 

If you couldn't see the nests in the photo above, here are two even closer views.  The first shows the upper notch (with a bird looking out from the opening), and the second with a few nests at the top of the curved groove:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now that's a room with an ocean view!

Ocean surge

 

 

Along the shore in northern Sonoma County, 19 August 2021

Rockscapes

  

A few photos of rocks from along the northern Sonoma coast this past weekend.  Thanks to Eric for his excellent eye and framing some beautiful patterns!

 

 
 

And here's one from me:

 

 

 

One more, from Eric, because the fence lizard matched the rock so nicely:

 

At the crossroads

  

Barnacles following the grooves in the rock.  They like to live along edges!  

P.S.  If you're wondering, the barnacles pictured are primarily Chthamalus dalli.

Burrowing among the boulders?

 Rocks, lichens, mosses...and an owl!  Can you spot it?

 

 

 

There's a Burrowing Owl (Athene cunicularia) just right of center.  If you're having a hard time spotting it, here's a slightly closer view (below).  [And you can click on the image for a larger version.]

 

 

 

Photographed in Petaluma on 31 January 2021.

Rock art

 

We had to do some work in northern Sonoma County today (10 November 2019).  It was foggy along most of the coast, but the sun broke through in a few spots late in the afternoon.  There's always something to see in these beautiful rock formations!

Lobos Rock

I've been reviewing photos from our short visit to Monterey County in late August.  Here's a view of one of the Lobos Rocks near Garrapata State Park.  I hadn't taken a photo of this offshore rock with a larger lens before.  While scanning this image, I realized there were quite a few sea lions ("lobos marinos") on the rock.  Can you see some of them?  [You can click on the photo for a larger version.]

 

Eventually I noticed there were a few sea lions near the peak of the rock. Here's a zoomed in view.  Check the uppermost right hand corner:

 

So, which route do you think the sea lions took to reach the top?

 

Erosion as art

 

 

Rock formation at Cape Arago, Oregon.  I couldn't decide which view I liked better, so here's a horizontal image (below) so you can choose!

 

In the sun and the shade

So many interesting pictures from The Cedars, it's been hard to choose which to show!  Here's another view of a creek surrounded by the dry, rocky landscape:

 

And Sagebrush Lizards (Sceloporus graciosus) in the sun (Check out those toes!):

 

 

And back to the water, with some columbine, too:

 

More to come! 

Scales and stones, Part 2

We were working farther north in Sonoma County this morning.  On our walk back, we had some nice views of the local lizards and stones.  Here are a few of my favorites:

Green patina:

 

Inner circle:

 

Outer circle:

 

ADDENDUM (26 April 2019): Thanks to Lotsoflux's comment/question, I recalled another time when we observed Black Oystercatchers eating sea urchins.  Here's a photo showing examples of oystercatcher prey items at a site in Mendocino County in May 2013 (clockwise from top left) — Mossy Chiton (Mopalia muscosa), Purple Sea Urchin (Strongylocentrotus purpuratus), limpet (likely a Shield Limpet, Lottia pelta), and California Mussel (Mytilus californianus).  [I positioned them for the photo.] 

 

Scales, stones, and shadows

While up on the northern Sonoma Coast this past weekend, we were having a snack on some sunny rocks when we realized we weren't alone:

 

When Eric leaned over to greet this Western Fence Lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis), he managed to get a wonderful close-up highlighting the scales:

 

What a nice home this lizard has!  We especially enjoyed some of the smooth curves and shadows on the rock faces:

 

And check out these patterns.  There's something interesting to see everywhere you look!

 

Many thanks to Eric for sharing his photos of the lizard and rock formations. 

Down on the rocks

 

American Pipits (Anthus rubescens) are often seen on sandy beaches in Bodega Bay, but sometimes we encounter them along the rocky outer coast.  Here's one on lichen-covered rocks just above the intertidal zone on 12 January 2019.