Point Reyes: Bird Nerds, Goo, RCA, and a Fresnel
After Labor Day the tourists mostly disappear from Point Reyes, and sometimes so does the fog. We recently picked up Jessica Lage’s excellent guidebook, and spent Sunday hiking near Abbott’s Lagoon. Right after pulling into the parking lot a great blue heron landed about 20 feet from the car. After passing a group of birdwatchers on the trail to the beach, we encountered what must have been 80 pelicans sitting on a sandbar in the lagoon. During the rest of the hike we had the pleasure of watching these almost prehistoric looking creatures flying back and forth over the ocean. We hiked North along the sand towards Kehoe Beach for about 3 miles, and didn’t see a single person. We did encounter a flock of snowy plovers, who have a very cartoon-like walking style. There was also a mysterious gelatinous substance on the beach — perhaps someone can identify this goo in the photo below? After the hike we drove out to the Lighthouse, and stopped to see the RCA Marconi wireless station on the way. The weather was excellent, and the traffic was light. Fall is a great time to be outdoors in the Bay Area. Enjoy the photos.
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Brian Van Horne:
I believe the mysterious goo is a jellyfish.
8 September 2008, 9:11 pmHeatherLyn:
The goo is, indeed, a jellyfish.
8 September 2008, 10:06 pmBrad:
>>> perhaps someone can identify this goo in the photo below?
Most likely ectoplasmic slime…
8 September 2008, 10:27 pmSteve W:
See a lot of bull kelp? It’s been a good year for it. The near shore waters were packed with it when i went camping at Salt Point a couple weekends ago.
9 September 2008, 10:25 amjoe:
Brian & HeatherLyn – thanks, I wasn’t sure.
Brad – I was secretly hopeful that this was a job for Ghostbusters!
Steve – Yeah, quite a bit. How is camping at Salt Point?
9 September 2008, 10:42 amSteve W:
Salt Point is highly recommended. It’s one of the few places in the state parks system where you can make summer reservations without a six-month lead. The sites are a little close to each other, so avoid the weekends if possible, but it’s a beautiful spot (Sea Ranch without the buildings) with good hikes along the coastal bluffs or inland. Very popular with abalone divers too.
10 September 2008, 12:58 pm