For fall

  

Eric photographed this gorgeous Moonglow Anemone (Anthopleura artemisia) at Point Reyes last week.  Seemed like an appropriate photo to help celebrate the autumn equinox!  

Notice that the markings in the center of the oral disk (the brown and cream-colored markings surrounding the mouth) hint at the six-part symmetry of sea anemones, which belong to the taxonomic group called Hexacorallia.

Here's a view of the entire anemone (below).  Interestingly, the color patterns of the anemones we found last weekend seemed a little different than the Moonglow Anemones that we see in Sonoma County.

 Happy fall, everyone!

 P.S.  And thanks for the great shots, Eric!

Avian miscellany

 

 

I didn't have much time to focus on bird photos during our Iceland trip, but here are a few incidental sightings.  Above, a White Wagtail (Motacilla alba).

 

 

Northern Wheatear (Oenanthe oenanthe)

 

 

 

  Redwing (Turdus iliacus)

 

 

  Eurasian Oystercatcher (Haematopus ostralegus)

 

 

 

  Whooper Swans (Cygnus cygnus)

 

 

 

 Tufted Duck (Aythya fuligula)

Ice on the move

  

We're approaching the end of the photos from Iceland, but I couldn't resist sharing a few more icebergs.  All photos from the Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon on 10 September 2024.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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!

Sculpted by the sea

  

Offshore sea stacks near Vík í Mýrdal (Iceland) on 10 September 2024.

Seabird sampler

  

Here's a sampling of seabirds we encountered in Iceland.  Most of these photos were taken on the ferry to/from Heimaey except as noted.

Above, a Sooty Shearwater (Ardenna grisea), and below a Sooty Shearwater on the left and a Manx Shearwater (Puffinus puffinus) on the right.  Note the size and color differences (the Manx Shearwater is smaller with black above and white below):

 

 

 

 

 

Adult Atlantic Puffin (Fratercula arctica) with a fish...

 

and a juvenile Atlantic Puffin:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Immature Black-legged Kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla)...

 

and an adult kittiwake flying by an iceberg at the Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon:

 

 

 

 

 Black-headed Gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus) in Reykjavík.

 

 

 

 

Northern Fulmar (Fulmarus glacialis) soaring on updrafts along the cliffs. 

 

 

Great Skua (Stercorarius skua) high above the harbor on Heimaey.

 

 

Arctic Terns (Sterna paradisaea)

It was fun to see some familiar faces in a new setting — many of these species can also be seen off Bodega Head — as well as some species I haven't seen in a while (e.g., Atlantic Puffin, Black-headed Gull, and Great Skua).

A sky like no other

  

Northern lights near Hvolsvöllur in southern Iceland on 9 September 2024.   

None of us had experience photographing the northern lights, but my niece took some nice photos with her smartphone!

 

 

 

Here's one more of my mom, sister, and me...a memorable night!

 

 

P.S.  Many thanks to Katie for sharing these great photos!