Although inland (e.g., Santa Rosa) air temperatures have almost reached 90°F during the last couple of days, Bodega Bay has stayed cooler. The high temperature at the coast today (19 March 2026) was ~68°F (20°C).
Views of mirages over Point Reyes were eye-catching in the mid-afternoon today — see above and below.
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:
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.
We went out to the rocky shore early this morning to start some surveys. Right away Eric noticed that the tidepools looked unusual. All of them appeared cloudy or milky. We were aware recent ocean conditions might trigger spawning in some marine invertebrates, and sure enough, this was a massive spawning event of California Mussels (Mytilus californianus), probably the largest we've encountered.
In the photo above, the orange coloration is eggs released by female mussels. Here's another example, with clusters of eggs concentrated along the edge of a pool:
In other pools, the color was white or gray, clouded by vast quantities of sperm released by male mussels:
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.
