Pipit and plantains

 

 

 

American Pipit (Anthus rubescens) showing some breeding colors — a nice blue-gray above and buffy below.

 

The pipit was foraging among clusters of Seaside Plantain (Plantago maritima) along the bluffs:

 

 

 

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

Hope is the thing

  

Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus) in Cotati, 6 April 2021

Keen on crevices

  

At the end of our field work yesterday (4 April 2021), Eric snapped a couple of quick photos of these dense Eroded Periwinkle (Littorina keenae) clusters along rock crevices.  

This high intertidal species has been noticeably abundant during the last few years and the snails were packed into narrow crevices (likely gravitating towards cooler and/or moister sites).

 

 

Now that's orange!

  

Not sure which lichen species this is, but it sure was dramatic in the gray overcast light this morning (2 April 2021).  Many thanks to Eric for capturing this orange beauty along the bluffs!

CORRIGENDUM and ADDENDUM (3 April 2021): I heard back from a few NHBH readers and learned that (1) this is *not* a lichen, but an alga (!) and (2) it's likely Trentepohlia aurea.  (3) After further reading, it's also possible that T. aurea is no longer the accepted name for this species and it should be called T. flava instead, but I'll defer to experts.  Thanks so much for the assistance!

String of lights

  

Whew, we've been really busy with field work recently, but here's a cool fish we found washed up on the beach back in February.  Note the beautiful silvery photophores (especially along the gill cover).  What do you think?  Possibly a midshipman (Porichthys sp.)?  Which species?  Any thoughts would be appreciated!