Peter Baye found a very late blooming Western Columbine, Aquilegia formosa.
And I found a very early Matsutake.
A Sightings contributor sent me a photo of his haul of Matsutakes from earlier today. So if you are a Matsutake forager, check your spots!
Thanks to Peter for allowing me to share his photo with you here.
It's another beautiful Autumn day here on the Mendonoma Coast. There was a pretty impressive fog bank early this morning but it is gone this afternoon, leaving nothing but sunshine!
Peter Baye found unique-looking Steelhead in the Gualala. He wrote, “On my list for show and tell is the return of those rare pale juvenile Steelhead that look almost silver-gold ["sub-leucistic"?] on the Wheatfield Fork. I haven't seen any in years. They stand out in dark pools where their typical dark olive-backed peers, other Steelhead parr and Gualala Roach, are well-camouflaged against the dark algae-covered cobbles and gravel."
"In past years, I have seen sub-adults with this pigmentation. More often, if I find atypical adult pigmentation, it's almost blue-black. I think the folk name is actually "blueback" steelhead. The Kingfisher predation seems to be very low this year, so I guess it's not a big hazard to glow in the dark like this! It's from a deep, dark pool with cooler water stratified -layered- at the bottom.”
Here's a photo showing young Steelhead and Gualala Roach.
Thanks to Peter for allowing me to share his photos with you here.
It's sunny, breezy and warm here today!
Peter Baye was exploring the Wheatfield Fork of the Gualala River when he came across a what he called "a massive aggregation of Western Toad tadpoles!"
That's a lot of tadpoles! Nice to see. Here is a photo of a newly hatched Western Toad at the Gualala River, taken a few years ago by Peggy Berryhill.
Amy Ruegg photographed a juvenile.
And here is one of my favorite all-time Sightings photos, taken by Holly McCarroll, of an adult Western Toad looking in the window at Starcross in Annapolis. Just what was this frog thinking? Too funny!
Thanks to Peter, Peggy, Amy and Holly for allowing me to share their photos with you here.
It's been quite foggy today, with some sun breaks this afternoon.
I've never found this native wildflower. Peter Baye photographed Tincture Plant, Collinsia tinctoria.
And here's a bonus wildflower sighting, a Phantom Orchid, Cephalanthera austiniae photographed by Peter. The native orchid is also called a Snow Orchid - a real treat to see.
Thanks to Peter for allowing me to share his photos with you here.
It's foggy today, with rain forecast for tomorrow!
Peter Baye found Wild Strawberries, Fragaria vesca, and he found one not just blooming but with ripe fruit – now that’s early!
He wrote that even in the earliest warm spots these native strawberries ripen up in April, not late February. And while these strawberries are small, they are delicious.
Thanks to Peter for allowing me to share his photo with you here.
We did get two small rainstorms. On Thursday, there was .10 inches at our place and Friday brought .25 inches. Season to date is 36.85 inches. Nice to get some wet stuff! Today is windy, cool, with many clouds racing across the sky. Oh, did I mention that it's incredibly beautiful?