In like a lion?

 

Did you notice this, too?  

The wind really picked up near sunset tonight (1 March 2025).  

Fun to see the clouds racing across the sky...

 

 

 

Blowing offshore

  

Not sure about you, but I was a little surprised by the strength of the wind this morning.  I think the prediction was for ~6 mph, but it was more like 18 mph with gusts to 28 mph.  And it was from the east or east-northeast (blowing offshore), so it created some interesting foam line patterns perpendicular to the shore.

Conditions were also good for clean waves and spindrift:

 

 

 

 

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!

Wind and waves

  

Another photo of the stormy conditions on 7 January 2023.  

[You can click on the image for a larger version.]

Storm bird

 

 

I was doing some work on the coast today when some movement out my window caught my eye.  It was quite stormy and the light was dim, but I thought I could see a dark-winged bird with white flashes in the wings.  I haven't seen a jaeger so close to shore off Bodega Head, but sure enough, a jaeger was struggling in the wind and landed on the bluff!

Here's another quick shot for the record -- my first Pomarine Jaeger (Stercorarius pomarinus) on shore in Bodega Bay:

 

 

In this area jaegers are mostly found pretty far offshore, but with recent storm conditions, I can see why this one was sheltering on land:

 

 

Waves were in the 18-20 foot range this afternoon with winds at 25 mph with gusts to 40 mph.

 

After a gale

  

Like clockwork — after a few days with gale force northwest winds in April, a flock of Bonaparte's Gulls (Chroicocephalus philadelphia) appeared in Bodega Harbor today (11 April 2022).

I counted 57 birds in the flock, but here are a couple of close-ups.  [You can click on them for larger versions.]

 

 

 

 

 

I don't know if these birds will be around tomorrow, but they were resting on the water at the north end of the harbor (near Whaleship Road).

P.S.  Here's an older post under similar conditions, "Taiga bound" on 4 May 2015.

Scituate light

  

Early morning view of Scituate Light in Scituate, MA, on 14 December 2021.

During this same morning I was somewhat surprised to hear a Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher (Polioptila caerulea) in Scituate Harbor, but here you go!

Nice breeze on the bay

  

We haven't been sailing since the pandemic started last year, so it felt really good to get out on Tomales Bay today (5 July 2021) — a beautiful, breezy afternoon.  Tomales Point is in the background.

Calming effect

  

The wind picked up this afternoon (9 June 2021), but it remained calm among the Eelgrass (Zostera marina) in Bodega Harbor.

Waiting out the wind

  

Well, when it comes to phalaropes, I just can't help myself.  I caught up with a few more Red-necked Phalaropes (Phalaropus lobatus) in the early evening (20 May 2021).  So here's another selection of these beautiful sea-shorebirds that spend nine months out of the year at sea, but that we're lucky to observe at the coast every now and then.

Hunkered down in the wind:

 

 

Female preening:

 

 

 

 Male walking along the shoreline and then preening:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And one more.  I was hoping for a nice flight shot.  I didn't have much luck tonight, but here's the best so far:

 

 

 

Stopping by on the way to the Arctic

 

 

Shorebird week continues!  I recently came across several Red-necked Phalaropes (Phalaropus lobatus).  They were busy feeding, so I just sat quietly and watched for a few minutes.  Luckily I had my camera and larger lens at the time.  Here are a couple of photos of the brighter female:

 

 

 

 

And several of a browner/grayer male:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I've heard of a few other phalarope reports recently — they're migrating through this region on their way to breeding areas in the Arctic.  Although they're usually farther offshore, with the windy conditions of today/tomorrow, more might be pushed towards the coast.  Sometimes phalaropes show up in the marsh/entrance pond at Doran Beach, or near the mouth of Salmon Creek, so if you're in those areas, keep your eyes open!

 

 

 

8 years ago

  

Not much time tonight, but here's an older photo of Bodega Rock from 14 May 2013 — 8 years ago today!  (This is the island off the southern end of Bodega Head — home to many sea lions and cormorants.)

Wind and water

  

A windy day along the Sonoma Coast, 2 May 2021

A windy start to May

  

Classic upwelling conditions along the Sonoma Coast today.  Winds blowing from the northwest at ~25 knots (30 mph).  This view is from up near Fort Ross on 1 May 2021.

Windy with a chance of Bonaparte's

  

Back-to-back days with strong northwest winds in April brings a chance of seeing Bonaparte's Gulls (Chroicocephalus philadelphia).  I spotted this flock out over Bodega Harbor this afternoon (at least 16 individuals, not all in the photo).  I thought they might have been terns at first, but I stopped the car and got out to take a quick photo with my zoom lens and then could see their head and wing markings.

For another example of Bonaparte's Gulls with some closer views, check out the post called "Taiga bound" from 4 May 2015.

Spring winds

  

Spring winds off Bodega Head, 7 April 2021

To the horizon

 

25-30 mph northwest winds and whitecaps as far as you can see.  Off Bodega Head on 5 June 2020.

 

Classic

 

We had some pretty classic spring upwelling conditions yesterday, with strong winds from the northwest.  Strong = 30 knots, with gusts to 40 knots (or 35 mph, with gusts to 45 mph).  

These are shots of the wind patterns on the waves off Bodega Head during the afternoon of 29 February 2020.

 

Silver and green

 

West-northwest swell and south-southeast winds made for some pretty waves today (20 January 2020).  [You can click on the images for larger versions.]