Tag Archives: Annapolis

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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.

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Laura Baker wrote, “Here's a photo of a Barred Owl I snapped today up here in Annapolis.  It's peeking behind a strand of Usnea lichen.  I have to admit having mixed feelings about seeing it.  On the one hand, it's a beautiful, powerful bird.  But as you probably know, the Barred Owls are driving out our local and less aggressive Northern Spotted Owls.”

This beautiful owl used to be an owl of the eastern part of the United States but in the 20th century it started to migrate towards the Pacific Northwest. For better or worse, the Barred Owl is here. These owls fly noiselessly so it's often difficult to spot them.

For comparison, here's a Northern Spotted Owl, photographed some years ago by Craig Tooley.

Thank to Laura and Craig for allowing me to share their photos with you here.

No fog today and temps are very warm when you get away from the ocean!

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Laura Baker wrote, "I was out looking under logs up here in Annapolis and had a wonderful experience. I found a Speckled Black Salamander, a first for me. Later in the day I found a Wandering Salamander, also a first.”

Here's Speckled Black Salamander, Anedies flauvipunctatus. Its Scientific name sounds like an incantation from Harry Potter!

And here is the Wandering Salamander, Aneides vacrans.

Here's a look at this salamander's long, squared-off toes.

These are climbing salamanders and have prehensile tails. Wandering Salamanders often are found high in the canopy of old-growth trees, where they can live for the entire lives. The Gualala River watershed is the southernmost limit of their range.

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

We received .25 inches of rain yesterday, the first in over a month. We have more in our forecast. Today I can see showers out on the horizon and the Pacific Ocean has big swells.