From Del Norte

  

A couple of sunrise views from Crescent City last week...

 

 

Spooky spider

  

 Happy Halloween!

Eric photographed this very large spider — a Black and Yellow Garden Spider (Argiope aurantia) — in Scituate, MA, last month.  He thought it would be a good photo to share on Halloween, so here you go!  (Don't worry, it's just a photo...and this species is not likely to bite people.)

Little dipper

  

American Dipper (Cinclus mexicanus) in a creek near Cape Perpetua, Oregon, on 29 October 2022.

We had fun watching this dipper while it foraged for invertebrates, both in and above the creek.  It would often fly-catch — swooping up to snatch flying insects, perhaps caddisflies:

 

 

It was so fun to see how at home the dipper was along the creek — perched on rocks in riffles, walking along submerged logs, swimming, and diving below the surface, flying upstream and over cascading falls.

In the drift line

  

During a short walk along Bastendorff Beach (near Charleston, OR) today (28 October 2022), I noticed a few of these small salps in the drift line.  I think this is Thalia democratica.  I know it's hard to see the entire animal — the gelatinous portion is transparent — but I don't know how often this species is seen washing up in Oregon, so I thought I'd post it for the record.

P.S.  For more photos and information about Thalia democratica, see the post called "Diamonds in the drift" from 26 August 2014.

Perched by the river

  

Another species we encountered along the South Fork of the Eel River yesterday (26 October 2022)...possibly a California Spreadwing (Archilestes californicus).  Maybe some damselfly folks will chime in about the i.d.? 

Tigers along the river

  

We're on our way to Oregon, where Eric will be giving a talk at the Oregon Institute of Marine Biology.  Stopping for a lunch break today (26 October 2022) we ended up on the South Fork of the Eel River near Phillipsville, CA.  

Eric snapped a few quick photos of some beautiful Western Tiger Beetles (Cicindela oregona) along the shoreline.

 

 

 Nicely done, Eric!

When harrier met vole

  

 Northern Harrier (Circus hudsonius) landing with prey, Bodega Head, 22 October 2022