Clear. Frosty overnight with temperatures in the 40s. Becoming breezier as the day progressed.
The tide has been trending well below predicted. After a call this morning I went to Little Magic Island to check the tidepools.
I forgot my light which limited what I could try and photograph, especially when I realized the camera light ring wasn’t working very well in the water.
This leather star has been in the same tidepool each time I have visited. It has moved around a bit in the pool (which is only about 3 feet across in its longest dimension)
The water is looking murkier. I think the plankton blooms have started.
The water is not as clear as it was a month ago. Plankton blooms have begun
It also seemed to be molting day for the crustaceans. I saw barnacle molts and at least one hermit crab molt in the pools.
I was back at my car and had just set my camera down when I noticed something on the surface of the water not far off shore. Just a moment later a whale surfaced. It’s tail came up and disappeared before I could get my camera up for photos.
The whale was travelling parallel to the shore heading north, so I went to Magic Island to see if I might get a better opportunity for photos there.
I did see it from Magic Island, it had moved further out.
A bumblebee flying about didn’t land where I could see, so I wasn’t able to document it (and see what species). It’s the first I’ve noticed this year.
There were not many gulls in the channel.
I didn’t hear whether there was additional spawning today.
Today I worked on cleaning out my email inbox. I got it down to under 35 (it’s been between 90 and 200 for several months or maybe even a year). My target is under 15, but I’ve rarely managed to keep it there for long. I’ve got some ideas I’ll try for managing my email better.
My iNaturalist Observations for Today
