Kelp Crabs

 

Tidepool Still Life

I hadn't been to Fitzgerald Marine Reserve in the month of January since 2011, so I thought I'd check it out. Much of the reef at Fitzgerald Marine Reserve was actually closed, as it always seems to be when I've visited the last couple of years. They close it for the harbor seals, and keep it closed even when there are no seals present. Just south of there, Moss Beach Cove is the next best thing, and that's where I ended up.

The very first tidepools I encountered were full of kelp crabs, maybe half a dozen in a couple of small pools. I must have been their first visitor because they'd been calmly going about their business until they saw me. Then it was scuttle this way and scuttle that way, trying to wedge themselves under rocks too small for the job. By the time I left a couple hours later, after finding much beauty but little of critterly interest farther out on the reef, the crabs had evidently found some worthy hideaways.

Sea Glass & Limpet Shell

Kelp Crab in a Pool with Coralline Algae

I wish I'd been sneakier because it looked like a couple of the crabs had been munching on seaweed just before they spotted me and scuttled for cover.

This old shellback has some coralline algae growing on its distinctive carapace.

A couple of the crabs only had one large pincer arm. I wondered if they lost the other one in battle with other crabs, or in some other way.

I was interested in this golden-colored turban snail because it was actually occupied by the mollusk rather than a hermit crab.

I didn't realize it was a snail until I picked it up, and then I watched it for a minute after I put it down. This is the snail coming out of its hideout, grasping the rock with its gastro-foot, then pulling itself upright again.

All the kelp crabs were about as close to shore as they could get without climbing up out of the water. Farther out, I didn't see a single one.

I saw a couple of these tiny pink shells, but this one was occupied by a hermit crab rather than a snail.

Limpet in Colorful Surroundings

This purple shore crab had moxy.

Although it did finally retreat from the top of its rock. I was surprised the great blue heron, or a gull, or even a black turnstone, hadn't made a meal out of it.

I can never resist photographing sea anemone tentacles.

My second small abalone shell of the day.

A mossy chiton, bedded down for the duration.

This looked mighty suspicious, and when I gently tried to pick up the little whelk or dogwinkle or whatever it is, my suspicion was confirmed. It had probably drilled a hole in that little limpet in order to devour it.

Hermit Tracks

Gastro Tracks

A Ridiculously Green Anemone

I envied my sister for being at Hanauma Bay today, but Moss Beach Cove was pretty nice too, even without a snorkel.

* * *

Cedar Waxwings

 

Cedar Waxwing Eating Cotoneaster Berries Near Spreckels Lake

I haven't seen any cedar waxwings since mid-December and was wondering when they'd come back around. Today I heard a flock of them trilling as I was biking toward the beach on JFK Drive. They took a surprisingly long time to return after initially being frightened off when I foolishly let my kickstand loudly clack into place when I stopped. Later, I'd sit and wait for some pygmy nuthatches to return to a rain puddle near the Bison Paddock, only to finally give up and settle for bathing sparrows.

This was the semi-foggy view out our back window this morning, with eucalyptus trees and Twin Peaks.

Some of the plum trees around town are just getting started while others are already fully in bloom.

They were still wet from yesterday's light rain.

White Ramping Fumitory

I was walking up the sidewalk in Forest Hill and noticed a strong floral scent, which I first thought had been a plume of perfume left by a woman who'd just gotten into her car across the street. (I often smell soap plumes that have wafted off hikers on Mt. Tam's Cataract Trail and wonder if they take a second shower when they get back home.) Anyway, I soon noticed the lemon flowers and turned around to walk back and see if the plume was still there. It was, and the sweet smell was definitely due to the lemon blossoms.

Cedar Waxwing

For some reason, the search feature on the blog doesn't pick up all the instances of any given phrase. Searching for "cedar waxwing" failed to turn up my post from December 11, 2025. It'd be a more helpful feature if you could actually rely on it. By the way, my individual blog posts tend to get between 25-75 views, but the blog as a whole gets a few hundred views per day. They must be coming in via search (and then they go away forever).

Bathing Sparrows

RBS was still at its favorite tree at South Lake today, creating ever more sapsucker holes. The bird had been pecking around the back of the tree until another bird flew into the higher branches and emitted a really interesting, buzzing call that I'm not sure I've ever heard before. I was trying to visually locate the bird in the dense foliage when all of a sudden a red-shouldered hawk loudly swooped onto the scene just behind the sapsucker tree, and a second red-shouldered hawk that had been perched just out of sight behind the tree flew up to meet it, both of them screeching and squawking, before flying east over the lake together. The "interesting call" had obviously been a warning to other birds.

I was lucky enough to get another shot of a common yellowthroat at Middle Lake today. I've been going back to the "birdy area" where I recently saw the Allen's hummingbird, but it hasn't been birdy there since, and the hummer hasn't stuck around either. The yellowthroat was moving through brush on the opposite end of the lake.

* * *

Magnolia

 

Magnolia Blossom, Middle Lake

Chilly, 45-degree mornings here in San Francisco. My wife said the wind chill the other day was 35 degrees. Nevertheless, signs of spring abound even though the equinox is 52 days away.

The waves at Ocean Beach have held up nicely the last couple of weeks due to a consistent swell and offshore winds. 

Street Signs & Cargo Traffic

I can't remember the last time I saw a red-shouldered hawk perched on a light post on the Great Highway. It soon flew off this perch to land on another one across the street which happened to be occupied by a raven. The raven gave a start when the hawk landed but quickly returned to its leisurely preening.

I'd struck out finding birds at Sutro Park, then heard this common yellowthroat chittering in the foliage across the street above the Land's End parking lot.

First time I've seen a blewit growing in Golden Gate Park.

Mallard Lake

Relief Map
(Chilean Rhubarb Leaf)

Eurasian Collared Dove at Elk Glen Lake
(Thanks to iNaturalist folks for correcting my mourning dove assumption. I'd never even heard of Eurasian collared doves!)

Soon after I spotted the mourning dove, I noticed this red-breasted sapsucker in the big oak tree at Elk Glen Lake (leafless for the winter). I wondered if it was the same one I've been seeing in the Mediterranean buckthorn at South Lake since I didn't see it there yesterday. The two lakes are about 5,000 feet apart.

Cloudscape this morning, looking from Grandview Park toward Mt. Tamalpais.

This red-shouldered hawk at North Lake was sounding off like crazy as I parked my bike, pulled out my camera, took off my glasses, and attached the external microphone, at which time it stopped making noise.

Honeybee Exploring Magnolia Blossom

Even a giant magnolia flower needs a little love from a honeybee.

After I left the Middle Lake magnolias I pedaled past South Lake and, sure enough, the red-breasted sapsucker was back on the buckthorn tree. The sighting at Elk Glen Lake must have been a different individual.

An approximate count of the sap wells pecked by the bird. On 2/4/26 I counted 100 holes with each of the four colors, and I wouldn't be surprised if there were another hundred that I didn't count (trying to be careful about double-counting).

Mt. Shasta This Morning

I just bought an inexpensive external microphone for my cameras and tried it out today on the FZ80D. Finally, no distracting wind noise.

* * *