Overcast. Enough snow fell overnight for the ground to be white, but without any real depth. Temperatures in the 40s. Precipitation mostly held off during the day. Light winds.
I didn’t do too much outside today.
On a walk to the store this morning, I noticed several robins active. One was plucking some of last year’s berries off a shrub and eating them.
Gulls have started to show up in the channel. Long-line season opens late this week. Unless the weather is too bad for people to fish, they’ll probably be processing by next week. If herring don’t spawn before then, that should really increase gull numbers.
I had forgotten there’s a whale skull along Edgecumbe Drive until I saw it when driving that way today.
I checked to see what moss might be growing. Most of the green appeared to be a thin layer of algae. I did see at least two species of moss, though one was poorly developed, so I did not bother trying to document it. I collected a bit of the other, which looks like it’s in the family Bryaceae to me.
I also noticed some lichens. The one that I photographed I think may be the same as one I’ve I’ve found growing on cement grave markers.
I was a little surprised at how spongy the bone is. It’s clearly breaking down. I wonder how long it will last.
At least three Fox Sparrows were in the yard today. I’m not sure if they’re birds that wintered locally and have started moving around more before migrating, or if they came from further south and are on their way north.
While at home I did manage to catch up on this month’s photojournals. I also worked on three from June 2022. They’re a set I want to publish before I publish a page for a historical photo retake I did that summer. I started writing the page then, but never got around to finishing it. I was reminded of it when visiting with Zach after our recording session yesterday.
My iNaturalist Observations for Today
