Green glass

 

 

A couple of quick wave shots from 11 October 2020.  There was a 8-9 foot northwest swell this afternoon.  [You can click on the images for larger versions.]

 

 

 

 

Looking out

  

 

A very calm Pacific Ocean off Bodega Head on 9 October 2020.

 

Up on the roof

  

Ligia pallasii, a high intertidal zone isopod.  This one was up high in a shady rock crevice.  If you look closely, you can see a very small juvenile isopod a bit below the left antenna of the adult (it has gold markings).  [You can click on the image for a larger version.]

Nostalgia for stars

  

Sunflower Star (Pycnopodia helianthoides).  Sometimes I really miss seeing Sunflower Stars, so here's an older photo from 2006.  (We haven't seen this species in the Bodega Bay area since 2014 after their populations were decimated by disease.)

 

Captivating capsules

  

We came across several squid egg capsules washed up on the beach yesterday (3 October 2020).

These elongate gelatinous capsules contain lots of developing embryos (somewhere between ~50-300, depending on the capsule), each within their own compartment.  It's somewhat similar to a beehive, so if you look carefully at the photo above, you can see that the capsule contains many roughly hexagonal-shaped areas and each one of those has a tiny squid embryo.  (The squid larvae are ~3 mm when they hatch.)

Here's a closer view:

 

 

Above you can see several embryos, each with two bright red eye spots, a relatively short body section behind the eyes, and a drawn out teardrop-shaped yolk.

When you zoom in even further, you'll notice small chromatophores (pigment spots) on the mantle/main body section!

 

 

The time it takes for the embryos to develop is dependent on water temperature.  In our area it might take ~45-75 days (faster development in warmer water) before the tiny squid larvae are ready to hatch and swim away from the capsule.

P.S.  If you'd like to see squid embryo chromatophores in action, I posted a short video clip back in 2014 — scroll down to the bottom of the post called "Be dazzled!" on 8 October 2014.

A new tweed?

  

This beauty of a moth showed up at our house tonight (2 October 2020).  I spent quite a bit of time trying to identify it, but came up short.  I'll keep trying, but if this moth looks familiar to you, let me know!

Here's a close-up of the amazing scales.  Eric and I both think this mix of colors has great potential for a tweed fabric: violet, teal, indigo, and charcoal, with flecks of white.  Pretty spectacular!

  

 
P.S.  ADDENDUM (3 October 2020): I think I've figured this one out.  My best guess right now is a Subterranean Dart Moth (Feltia subterranea).

 

The kelp and the moon

 

 

 

Two photos showing the smoky light in Sonoma County today (1 October 2020).

 

Above, Bull Kelp (Nereocystis luetkeana) off Bodega Head in the afternoon.

 

Below, the first full moon of October 2020, photographed from Cotati.