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Gary Prochazka found an Ochre sea star in an unusual position. He wrote, “[Here’s a sea star playing] peekaboo from Walk On Beach at a recent low tide.” I’ve never seen a star in this position. Then it struck me – this star only has four arms.

I sent Gary’s photo to intertidal expert Bob Van Syoc. He wrote, “Very cool photo. Yes looks like a healthy four armed star!  Unusual and I would guess that it did lose an arm and healed but has not yet regenerated the lost arm. Love the infinity symbol!”

I also sent Gary's photo to Jennnifer Stock NOAA. She's the Education and Outreach Coordinator at Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary. She forwarded Gary's photos to several experts there. I heard back from Julieta Gomez. She looked at Gary’s photo and wrote, “Sometimes they lose an arm and it just doesn't regrow or sometimes two grow instead. I've noticed it more in bat stars than ochre stars though, so this is a unique find!”

Here's what an ochre star usually looks like. This photo was taken by Allen Vinson. Ochre stars come in various colors!

Gary went back a week or so later and the unusual star was gone. It could well reappear so check your spots at low tide events.

Thanks to Gary and Allen for allowing me to share their photos with you here.

There's a big fog bank over the ocean and it's keeping it nice and cool here in Anchor Bay!

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Ospreys are also busy catching fish for their offspring. Ron Bolander wrote, “I went to Walk On Beach [on Sea Ranch] to see if there were any shorebirds.  Aside from a few gulls, I saw this osprey actively searching and diving. His dives were interesting as, a few times,  he would pull up only a few feet from the surf. Twice, he dove into the water, but, missed his catch. Then, success!"

"He caught a beautiful striped surfperch. As the osprey flew away with its meal, the sun brought out the beautiful colors of the fish.”

Ospreys dive talons first into the water, attempting to snatch a fish. When successful, they maneuver the fish head first to give them an aerodynamic position.

Thanks to Ron for allowing me to share his photos with you here. To see much more of Ron's excellent photography, here is the link to his flickr account: https://www.flickr.com/photos/27154511@N04/

Drippy fog this morning has given way to blue skies. It's breezy this afternoon too.

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Peter Baye found several beautiful native wildflowers in bloom along the Gualala River recently. He wrote, “The tiny flowers of wild heliotrope are appearing on gray-green mounds of plants that regenerate from eroded roots in cobble-gravel bars each year. Some have beautiful contrasting darker purple centers. They also grow on the coast around some sandy lagoon shores and bluff seeps, but completely prostrate."

And one of the more uncommon riparian plants on the Gualala River is in bloom: wild licorice, Glycyrrhiza. It also follows stream orchids along bedrock and boulder banks upstream, in a few places. It has a sweet root, but no anise ‘licorice’ candy scent.”

Thanks to Peter for allowing me to share his photos with you here.

It was foggy this morning but the sun broke through this afternoon. Temps in the low 60's. Lots of visitors to the coast this holiday weekend!

Happy Independence Day to those of us in the United States!

 

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A walk along the Gualala River is certain to bring you great sightings and joy. Ron Bolander had discovered a group of willow trees, we think Sitka willows, that red-breasted sapsuckers were drilling holes – called wells – in the bark to get the sap. Other creatures then use these wells to feed, so the sapsuckers are important for the ecosystem. Ron invited Shari Goforth and me to take a hike with him on Saturday to see the show.

While walking on the cobbles by the river, we saw a tiny Sierran treefrog, normally colored emerald green, which was colored tan to match the stones. It was so well camouflaged that we kept losing sight of it.

When we came to the willow trees, we watched from a distance as a red-breasted sapsucker appeared, the male. Some minutes later the female arrived. Ron told us there must be a nest nearby. When the sapsuckers were gone, other birds moved in to feast, including Anna’s and Allen’s hummingbirds. A Wilson’s warbler stopped by, perhaps eating insects in the sap. Then several beautiful butterflies appeared, a satyr comma and a mourning cloak, and fed. It was quite wonderful to see.

The next day, Sunday, Ron returned to the same place and found two red-breasted sapsuckers on the willow trees, but this time one was a fledgling, perhaps just out of the nest!

A bonus photo from Shari of one of the adults flying straight at her.

Thanks to Ron and Shari for allowing me to share their photos with you here.

Quite foggy here today, but sunny up on the ridge. Temps in the 60's. With those heat domes in the eastern part of the US and in Europe, we're not going to complain about the cooling fog.

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Ben wrote, “I saw at least two Humpback Whales a ways out. They were feeding, swimming in circles, possibly bubble netting a bait ball. I was able to catch them by following the birds.”

There’s a good clue here – follow the birds. Brown Pelicans, Gulls and other birds will often be at the seafood buffet where the whales are feeding.

Thanks to Ben for allowing me to share his photos with you here.

It's sunny today but very windy! No spotting whales this afternoon - the ocean is full of white caps!