Point A to Point B

Last week Eric and I noticed this looping trail on the beach (below).  Immediately both of us thought of an illustration from a card we like, so we added an A and a B:

 

Here's the card:

 

This illustration has seemed relevant at various times in our lives, as the paths we find ourselves on are often unpredictable and rarely follow a straight line.  This seems to ring true right now, with the way this coronavirus has upended the world.  It's helpful to think about the big picture, though, and to visualize the entire path, right?  Although it's often hard to know exactly how we'll get there, we will get to the next point!

P.S.  Thanks to the mole crab for making the path in the sand and to PAPYRUS for the wonderful card.

 

March-supial

 

While working from home today, Eric noticed a small Opossum (Didelphis virginiana) walking quickly along the fence in our backyard.  The Opossum made its way to the far back corner of the yard and then paused.  We could hear it chewing on something, but couldn't see what it had found.  The Opossum was below some fruit trees, so perhaps it discovered an older fallen plum?

Eventually the Opossum turned, looked around, and started back the way it had come, providing an excellent view of its wonderful ears, grizzled fur, pink toes, and long tail:

 

Perhaps you can tell that this Opossum is quite small — its body (without the tail) was only ~7-8 inches (17-20 cm) long.  We've seen Opossums in our yard before, but it's been a while.  Here's a photo from August 2016 in a post called "Looking for summer fruit."

Stopping by for a drink

 

Although they're not necessarily rare in Sonoma County, we don't see Red-breasted Nuthatches (Sitta canadensis) come to our water bath very often, so here's a photo for the record.  Photographed in Cotati on 23 March 2020.

 

Morning and afternoon views

 

This morning a Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) rested at our water bath for a few minutes.  It was a good opportunity for a close view of the beautiful pale blue color around its eye.

This afternoon Eric looked out to the east and asked, "Why is it so dark outside?"

 

Then we heard the thunder, saw several lightning flashes, and watched as a long rainbow formed and paused over the inland mountains:

 

 

Here's to being hopeful during stressful times.

Signs of spring

 

We took a short walk around our neighborhood this afternoon.  It was pretty warm today, and a few butterflies were taking advantage of the afternoon sun.

Above, a Mourning Cloak (Nymphalis antiopa) basking on the ground among the leaves and needles.

Below, a Common Checkered Skipper (Pyrgus communis) on a bare patch along a trail:

 

I hear we might see some rain on Monday/Tuesday.  Although I'm guessing the butterflies would prefer more sun, it would be nice to increase our rainfall season total beyond ~13.5 inches!

Flow

 

Flow patterns in the sand, 20 March 2020

Nest building

During the last couple of days while working near a window that provides a view of our backyard, some Bushtit (Psaltriparus minimus) behavior caught my eye.  The Bushtits weren't coming to the water bath, and it didn't look like they were searching for food.  My guess was that they were gathering nesting material, e.g, bits of bark and lichens.  

I kept an eye on their flight direction.  Eventually, after several tries, I spotted the nest in a neighbor's yard:

 

Bushtits build a long, pendulous nest, primarily of plant materials.  (This one has some strips of white, human-made material, too.)  You can see the small entrance near the top.

I watched for a little while, but didn't see any Bushtits near the nest.  I went back to work, but then heard the Bushtits calling, so went out to check again.  They were very busy for a few minutes, so I took a few photos from a distance:

 

 

 

I hope the Bushtits continue building their nest.  I really appreciate an occasional backyard wildlife distraction right now!