Morning rainbow

 

Today (1 December 2018) was another day of rainbows , with the first not long after sunrise.

 

The one time

The one time when you don't want to see a Peregrine Falcon?

 

When you're trying to count these: 

The scenario: When we've planned a shorebird count, it's the one time when I hope not to see a falcon.  But today wasn't that day.  

We try to count shorebirds (sandpipers and plovers) when they're standing on the tidal flats — where we can scan across a relatively stationary flock to get a good count of the number of individuals.  When a falcon flies by, all of the shorebirds take off, swerve in unison to avoid the falcon, scatter, and eventually land somewhere else, making counting very difficult! 

P.S.  The shorebirds in the photo above are primarily Dunlin, with a few Sanderlings, and one Black-bellied Plover.

P.P.S.  I don't think I'm ever truly disappointed to see a Peregrine Falcon.  Although they do complicate our surveys, it always feels special to see them.

Rainy and snowy

Rain showers, dynamic clouds, and a few rainbows today (29 November 2018):

 

And a Snowy Plover in the fading light on Salmon Creek Beach:

 

A break in the weather

The waves were still big today and the sun was just starting to come out, so I took a short walk before lunch to document the scenery.  Pick your favorite!  [You can click on the images for larger versions.]

With Point Reyes on the far horizon:

 

Just starting to break:

 

Spindrift, with a Red-throated Loon for scale: 

 

Sea spray:

 

Storm swell

A couple of quick pictures from today's storm swell (27 November 2018).  The waves reached almost 16 feet at the offshore buoy this afternoon:

 

 

Looks like we're in for more big waves tomorrow (13-15 feet).

 

Moonlight stroll

 

Ensatina (Ensatina eschscholtzii) out for a moonlight stroll in Bodega Bay on 26 November 2018...perhaps in anticipation of tomorrow's rain?

 

Lavender eyes

We're back late again from doing surveys in the rocky intertidal zone, but here's one quick shot from tonight (25 November 2018). 

One time while I was searching for something else, I looked down to see these beautiful lavender eyes:

 

Such a wonderful shrimp!