Casualty of the fog?

 

 

Today (24 July 2025) I noticed a somewhat unusual roadkill along the side of Highway 1 in Bodega Bay.  It's a bird you don't get to see up close very often, so I circled back to take a few photos.

This is a Sora (Porzana carolina), a type of rail.  Soras are somewhat secretive marsh birds, spending most of their time among wetland vegetation. You're more likely to hear one calling at night than to see one.

Here's a view showing the entire bird:

 

It's always a learning experience to see animals up close, so here are a few images.

 

Close-ups of the feathers, including the barred flanks (second photo below):
 

 

 

Short yellow bill: 

 

 
Yellowish legs and long toes:

 

 

And one more of the feather details: 

 

 

 

I don't know what happened, but perhaps the Sora was dispersing and dense fog overnight led to confusion, or to the Sora being in a place where you wouldn't normally expect it. 

What a day!

  

Every where I went today (23 July 2025) I heard people saying, "What a day!"  The weather was beautiful at the coast, and it appeared that the whales were enjoying it, too!  Every time I scanned the horizon from Bodega Head today there were at least 8 or more Humpback Whales in view.

I took a few photos here and there, and several seemed to show the whales feeding at the surface, with mouths open:

 

 

Must be some baitfish around! 

Sunset wave

  

Sunset from Cotati on 21 July 2025.

View from above and below

  

As part of my job, I sometimes receive requests from researchers to check on the status of local species, e.g., whether a plant is flowering now or going to seed.  Recently there was an inquiry about an interesting parasitic plant, California Orobanche (Aphyllon californicum).

I couldn't find any at first, but I didn't give up, and in the end I found a few orobanche in flower.  

From above (first photo) the plant is intriguing, but it gets even more interesting if you lie down for a side view:

 

 

And when you look even closer, there are lots (lots!) of glandular hairs  all over the petals.  Look for the tiny hairs with golden tips:

 

 

 

I read that the glandular hairs might be protective against herbivores or pathogens, but it sounds like there are other possible functions, too. 

White on gray

  

We were on a field trip to the Fort Ross/Salt Point area today (16 July 2025).  I didn't have a chance for many photos, but there was lots of whale activity visible offshore (mostly humpbacks), so here's a photo for the record. 

Breathe in, breathe out

  

An unexpected surprise this morning (11 July 2025), a beautiful octopus in the low intertidal zone.  I only had a minute or two before it continued on, but it was a magical minute!

I managed a short video clip (see below, or click on the title of the post above to go to the NHBH web page to see the video player).  The octopus is drawing water into its mantle cavity (where it will then pass over the gills) and expelling water through its siphon.

Many thanks to Eric for editing the video clip!

End-of-the-day treat

  

A Bushtit for you!  This one was searching for prey among the moss, bark, and leaves on a tree in the Oliver's parking lot in Cotati.