Sun Dog

Had another delightfully successful day looking for birds and flowers. The spot was Mitchell Canyon, on the north side of Mt. Diablo, one of the higher summits in the Bay Area. I saw a few more migrant species who have arrived to breed, and was even able to witness a pair of bushtits (yesterday's blipped species) building a large hanging basket-style nest, as well as a pair of Nuttall's Woodpeckers mating!

In the evening I went for a walk above Lake Chabot, and spotted this atmospheric event off to the left of the setting sun. The technical term for this phenomenon is parahelion, meaning "beside the sun." It happens when light from the sun is deflected by ice crystals of a special shape in the atmosphere. It was a surreal end to a very fulfilling day.