Clear and cool. Temperatures in the low 30s and gusty winds mostly out of the north.
I drove out to Sawmill Cove this afternoon. I was curious of the wind would be raising williwaws. As it turned out, winds were fairly calm. I think they need a more easterly component to really show up strong in Silver Bay.
After a sit at the kelp patch pullout (where I saw three Fox Sparrows, two Lincoln’s Sparrows, and the White-throated Sparrow along with juncos), I decided to walk up and check out a place along Cascade Creek.
Several pieces of bark were painted and hung in an alder along the trail
Last year I found Riccardia multifida for the first time. It seemed a good time to revisit it.
I failed to consider the possibility of ice, given the cold weather. I remember the general spot and recognized it without any problem. My memory is a little more hazy about the specific nook. Ice kept me from exploring as thoroughly as I would have otherwise. I’ll need to go back in warmer conditions.
I went to the bridge to catch the sunset, which was to happen at 5:15pm.
Walking up the bridge I saw a raven carrying a branch. I was too slow to get a picture. A second followed shortly after, and this one I did capture. They flew from the direction of Castle Hill over to Aleutski Island. It’s not the first time I’ve seen a raven carrying a branch that way. (I said Turning Island in that entry, but I think it’s what I’m calling Aleutski Island here. Different maps are not always clear.)
There were clouds where the sun was dropping to the horizon. However, I wouldn’t have been able to see it anyway, as it’s currently setting behind Mahknati Island from the bridge. I think there are two or three days where it sets in the gap between there and Kruzof Island. Considering the forecast for the weekend, I think my green flash season is over until the fall.
The thin crescent moon was not far from Venus and Jupiter in the sky later in the evening. I grabbed a couple of pictures from home before heading out for more.
I kept an eye on the reported tide heights through the day. It was running 1.8 feet below predicted. This was enough to put this evening’s -1.7 to a -3.5ft. As it turned out, the reported low was -3.7ft. There’s a very good chance this will turn out to be the lowest tide of the year.
After the moon set, I spent some time on the beach at Magic Island. Gusty winds made it quite chilly. I didn’t find much on the south end of the island (which was more protected from the wind). When I went over to the north side, the wind seemed like too much.
I saw slime star on the north part of the beach. This was a new one for me. As it turns out, someone had observed the same one a few days ago while snorkeling. I’m not sure if they brought it up from deeper and it didn’t make it all the way back out, or if they found it more or less where I saw it.
It was just low tide when I left Halibut Point Rec, so I stopped by Sandy Beach on my way back. Mercifully the wind was much less, so the hour I spent wasn’t uncomfortable.
I checked the beach before walking the rocks on the north side (someone else was poking around the south side rocks).
Moonglow anemones apparently don't mind the sand
I found a couple sand dollars on the beach.
The most surprising thing I saw was a > 6inch sun star (Pycnopodia helianthoides). It’s easily the largest one of these I’ve seen since sea star wasting showed up in 2014.
At over six inches in diameter, this is easily the largest sun star I've seen since they all but disappeared in 2014
I felt much better today than yesterday. I think getting sleep helped. I saw today (from the many photos posted online) that the northern lights showed quite nicely last night. It’s just as well that I didn’t realize that. I would have been tempted to go out, and that probably wouldn’t have helped.
My iNaturalist Observations for Today
