Mostly clear. Light to moderate outflow winds, depending on location. Temperatures mostly in the upper 30s (at least where the sun was shining).
I was already in bed last night when Connor texted me to let me know the northern lights were out. I stepped out on the porch and could see them, but decided go back to bed, since I planned to get up early to visit with my dad (as they leave tomorrow morning).
It turned out to be an exceptional showing that lasted through the night. When I got up around 6:30am, they were still out.
After lunch I went for a drive. I first went to Herring Cove. I’ve never seen the Herring Cove parking lot so full. Folks had even parked at the turnaround just before the parking lot. I wasn’t interested in joining what passes for crowds on that trail.
After a brief pass by the channel, where a couple of other birders were already checking things out, I went out the other end of the road.
I ended up deciding to go down to the rocky beach just towards town from Harbor Point. On previous visits, I had climbed down through a gap in the salmonberry thicket. It’s not really much of a trail. I suspected there was a better trail, and today I decided to look for it.
It wasn’t hard to find, I think slightly closer to Harbor Point than the pullout I’ve always stopped at to visit this beach.
The beach has good afternoon sun, even in winter. Today was no exception.
I walked onto the rocks north of the beach. The tide was high, so there was not much exposed. On the highest tides, it would not be possible to walk around without getting wet feet, but today it wasn’t an issue.
I hadn’t been intending to make moss, liverwort, and lichen observations (I expected to get some birds), but I spent some time looking on rock outcrops/cliffs just above the shoreline.
I think most of what I observed I have made observations of previously. Perhaps not two of the lichens, but it seems unlikely I’ll get names on those.
Walking back to the beach, I noticed some artwork on rock faces pretty close to splash zone. I’m not sure if it’s the work of more than one person. Given the location exposed to ocean spray and direct sun, I’m not sure how long the paint might be expected to hold up. However, based on the moss that appears to have grown over some paint, at least part of it was done probably at least a year or two before (maybe even several years).
It was a little difficult to read the writing the light, but as best I could tell, one of statements read “Do I have to give up an Essential part of my Self expression in order to Survive?”
The other was a short poem: “the ocean tells me of its woes of winds and waves and violent throes of all the tides it has to bear the weight of LIFE it holds in care”
I’m not sure if this is a published poem, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it is. If anyone reading this recognizes it, please leave a comment and let me know where it’s from.
Connor mentioned the seeing the thumbnail crescent low in the sky not long after sunset. I was motivated enough to get up and take some pictures. It was difficult to get a clear view from the house, so I drove over to Eagle Way and took some photos there just before it began disappearing behind a bank of clouds.
The northern lights were out again this evening. I think not really anything like yesterday, but I headed out anyway. I took photos from near the bridge, then drove out to Harbor Point and took a few more. The lights showed up okay in my photos, but were dim to my eyes.
My iNaturalist Observations for Today
