Reflections for the New Year

 

The Pacific Ocean on a calmer day in October 2012.  Click on the image for a larger version.  (I spent some time organizing photos today, so this one is from the archives.)

Frost before the storm

 

Sensors on Bodega Head recorded air temperatures of ~34°F (1°C) this morning, resulting in frost patches in low-lying areas.  This was one of my favorite views — a close-up of frost crystals on moss, reminiscent of tiny snowflakes.

Stay safe during the storm this weekend!

Early morning light

This morning I had to go for an early walk.  I was just thinking that it seemed like a lot of animals were out in the morning sun...and then out of the corner of my eye I noticed a little golden head and eyes peaking out of a burrow.

 

This is such a classic view of a Burrowing Owl, I couldn't help showing it!

P.S.  This photo was taken from a distance with a zoom lens and then heavily cropped.

In the shadow of El Niño

After work tonight we went for a short walk on Salmon Creek Beach.  Of particular note were some claws and legs of Pelagic Red Crabs (or Tuna Crabs), Pleuroncodes planipes:

 

I posted about Pelagic Red Crabs in October 2015 and February 2016.  I had heard they were observed in San Francisco this past fall, but we didn't see any in Bodega Bay at that time.  Checking iNaturalist tonight, there are recent records for Pacific Grove, Monterey, Pescadero, and Point Reyes (from November and December 2016).  

I wonder if more will appear on local beaches during the storm this coming weekend?  Time will tell...let me know if you find any!

P.S.  The appearance of Pelagic Red Crabs north of their normal range (off Baja California) is generally associated with El Niño conditions.  Although the 2015-2016 El Niño has ended, there can be El Niño "shadows" or "lags," with some warm-water species showing up after the event has officially ended.  (I'm curious about why/how that happens!)

In case you were wondering

I've been receiving some inquiries about these gelatinous objects washing up on beaches.  Since so many people are wondering about them, and it's been a couple of years (I think) since I posted about them, I thought I'd share a recent picture and refer back to some earlier posts where I explained a bit more about this species.

 

The gelatinous pseudoconch of Corolla spectabilis, a pelagic snail, washed ashore on 2 January 2017.

For an introduction to Corolla, review the post from 11 August 2012 ("Gelatinous thimbles").  There are also pictures in the posts from 19 November 2012 ("Crystals on the beach") and 25 January 2014 ("Gelatinous assortment").

P.S.  Interestingly, I didn't see as many Corolla pseudoconchs washing up during the last two years while the water temperature was above average.  Now that the water has cooled down, they have been much more obvious (and numbers have been noticeably higher).  Their abundance might not be connected to water temperature, but I thought I'd make a note for the record.

Variable weather

Every time I stepped outside today the sky and sea conditions were different.


Mid-morning wave:

 

Rain and hail approaching across the ocean:

 

Mid-afternoon rainbow to the east:

 

Later afternoon showers on the horizon:

 

Quite a day!

First day

I helped out with the Western Sonoma County Christmas Bird Count today.  Whew!  A blustery day!  Not much time for pictures, but here are a few to remember the first day of the year:


A Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus) basking in the early morning sun:

 

Sunset rays and showers:

 

Venus and a waxing crescent moon: