Tag Archives: Annapolis

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With the warmer weather, butterflies and dragonflies have appeared. But one species of butterflies seems to handle last week’s fog, which grounds most other butterflies. Laura Baker wrote, “[I saw] a pair of Acmon Blue Butterflies which may be mating; I don't know for sure because of the angle."

"We see a lot of these butterflies every year [in Annapolis,] and even though it's been foggy and cool, they seem to be able to be out and about by midday since they fly very close to the ground and don't need to gain altitude like some of the high fliers that have been grounded.”

Thanks to Laura for allowing me to share her photo with you here.

There was fog over the ocean this morning, but it's going to be quite warm today. Overnight temperature here was 68 degrees!

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Laura Baker and Lewis Lubin have a apple tree at their Annapolis place. Their motion camera is pointed in the direction of that tree. We know Black Bears love apples! Last month their camera captured this healthy-looking bear.

Pat Whelan appears to be on a regular route of a Black Bear in The Sea Ranch. A few weeks ago, her camera caught this bear trying to figure out Pat's bear-proof garbage bins. Here's the video:

Black Bear checks out garbage bins, courtesy of Pat Whelan

And Ron Bolander found evidence of a Black Bear at Gualala Point Regional Park just last weekend. The scat is full of bite-sized apples!

Maybe that was more than you wanted to know...

Thanks to Laura, Pat and Ron for allowing me to share their photos with you here.

We had a break from the rain on Christmas Day and much of Dec.26th, but the rain has returned in earnest late afternoon on Thursday. Rain total season to date before this afternoon's storm is 33.54 inches. A "normal" rain season at Rick's and my place in Anchor Bay is 50 inches.

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Autumn is a favorite time of year for many of us. A storm system with no rain moved across the Mendonoma Coast a week ago Saturday, blowing needles off trees and scattering them seemingly everywhere. The color of the sunlight has already changed to a warmer gold.

That windy weather brought a sighting of rare Kelvin-Helmholtz cloud waves, seen by Jane Simmonds. She wrote, “Looking west from our home in Annapolis on Sunday, September 15th, I saw what seems to be the fog rising in peaks and then curling a bit like a wave breaking. First time I've ever seen that.”

Kelvin-Helmholtz cloud waves form on windy days, when two different layers of air move at different speeds. The winds in the upper layer move at a higher speed and cause tops of the clouds to roll over, just like a breaking wave.clo

Jane’s sighting had me wondering about the difference between fog and clouds. I  learned there is no difference other than altitude. Fog is defined as a visible moisture that begins at a height lower than 50 feet. If the visible moisture begins at or above 50 feet, it is called a cloud.

Thanks to Jane for allowing me to share her photo with you here.

Foggy at the coast today, sunny at Rick's and my place in Anchor Bay. Temps mild, in the mid-sixties.

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Pyrola aphylla has the common name of Leafless Wintergreen, which really doesn't make sense. It does have very small leaves at the base of its stems. Peter Baye has a beautiful group of them blooming at his place in Annapolis.

Last year I had a group bloom, but this year there are only two very small stalks. I don't know why! But these plants are mycotrophic, which means they have a relationship with fungi, getting nutrients.

These plants are native to California.

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

Sunny and warm, with some strong winds near the ocean this afternoon.

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Mylitta Butterflies, Phyciodes mylitta, are small and colored orange, blank and with white edges. I am seeing one or two every day at my place in Anchor Bay. But Laura Baker topped me big-time with her sighting many of these elegant butterflies on a flowering bush at her place in Annapolis.

Here's a close-up for you to see, taken by Craig Tooley.

Life gets a little better when a butterfly comes your way! Thanks to Laura and Craig for allowing me to share their photos with you here.

It was foggy this morning, but the fog had pulled waaay back. That yellow thing...oh, yes, I remember!...the sun has appeared.