2024 Solar Eclipse

This spring we were able to experience our first, but hopefully not last, total solar eclipse. Even having read lots about eclipse experiences, it greatly exceeded our expectations. 

We were lucky that my parents live in the path of totality, so we made early reservations to stay near them. After checking out the options and the eclipse coverage, we all decided that watching from their front yard was our best option. No traffic to deal with, plenty of access to food and drinks, cover if the weather turned on us. Plus we could have more comfortable chairs.

The weather forecast the days leading up to the eclipse weren't great with predictions of overcast skies ranging from 60-80% likely. But things started to turn for the better in the last few days. It was cloudy on the drive up and even a bit a rain as we arrived Sunday. However, Monday, the day of the big event, turned out to be a beautiful day. There were a few sparse clouds in the morning but they cleared by early afternoon and we had a gorgeous, sunny day. 

All the optics are ready and protected

The eclipse started around 2:00 pm so shortly after lunch we started to set up. I had my camera with a solar filter set up on one tripod. Sharon set up our birding scope on the other, also with a filter. We hadn't originally planned to use the scope but I didn't consider the size of the lens hood for my camera when I first bought a solar filter and just went off the screw-on filter size for the lens. That filter ended up being too small to fit, so I had to buy a bigger size. The first, smaller, one did fit the scope, so now we could watch up-close in real-time and get photographs. We also had glasses for everyone and laid a white sheet out on the ground. 

Some more friends joined us

At 1:53 the partial eclipse started with just the slightest sliver of the sun disappearing. As the next hour progressed we kept seeing more and more of the sun disappear behind the moon. For most of that time, the effects were hard to see if you weren't looking at the sun. 

Through the scope we could easily make out a couple of sunspots and use those to help track the progress of the moon. We also used a colander to project little sun shapes on the sidewalk. A great way to see the eclipse if you don't have your solar protection with you. 

Using a colander to project the partial eclipse

Somewhere around 90% coverage, we could start to notice changes in the quality of the light. It was detectably dimmer; kind of like at dusk but since the sun was still high above, it didn't quite seem like dusk. Sharon pointed out that it was dim but still a single point of light so we were casting sharp shadows. Not something you see at dusk or overcast days. Very quickly the light kept fading and we could see the automatic garage lights turning on around the neighborhood. 

In the final seconds before totality we could see the light quickly fading. On the sheet and the sidewalk we saw shadow waves as the dim light refracted through the atmosphere. We had read about this, hence the seemingly random sheet on the ground, but it was nothing like we imagined. Almost spooky in the dim light. 

We all removed our glasses as the last of the sun went behind the moon. Along the visible horizon we could see light, looking out beyond the extent of the moon's shadow to where it was still day. Seeing the shadow move over us and then being able to see the sun's corona was an amazing experience that is hard to put into words. 

Although totality lasted more than three minutes for us, it went by quickly. I tried firing off a lot of photographs but at first I had failed to remove the solar filter so all I got was blackness. Once I realized that, I did take several more but didn't do the bracketing that I had wanted to do. So the images turned out fine but I didn't get the range of corona that I was hoping for. 

Totality

In the video below, you can see the shadow approaching as things get dark, the lights turn on, and then hear us react to totality. It ends with the sunlight coming back up. Again, I didn't quite capture the images I was hoping for. This camera did automatic ISO adjustment. You can kind of see it getting noisier as it darken but not nearly the change in light that we actually experienced.

About 30-40 seconds before totality ends, we felt the winds pick up. You can hear that on the video too. It was a cool wind blowing in from the northeast, the direction the shadow was moving. During totality, we could feel the temperature drop. And as totality ended, we again saw the shadow bands. 

I also wanted to capture the changing temperature and light levels throughout the day. I built a simple data collector using an Arduino board, and digital temperature sensor and a photoresistor. I'll write more about how I built that in a companion post. Again, I didn't do a great job calibrating the photoresistor so it was maxed out for most of the time but you can definitely see the sudden drop in light levels and the accompanying temperature drop.

Temperature (red) and light level (normalized, blue) during eclipse

We stayed out and watched the sun slowly come back over the next hour. It was almost like the previous hour but in reverse. Except there was less anticipation as we had already experienced the amazing changes of totality.

In some birding circles it is common to celebrate seeing a new species of bird with a slice of pie. We built on that idea and had celebratory eclipse brownies that evening.

Eclipse Brownie

We are looking forward to finding a way to see another one. And if you haven't experienced one, it truly is on a different level than a partial eclipse.

Kayaking to Metompkin Island

 For the long Fourth of July weekend my wife and I wanted to do a short day trip. We had the Monday in-between off and one of our favorite kayak guides, Burnham Guides, had a trip to the barrier islands of Eastern Virginia. This is a great stretch of islands from Assateague in the north, home of the famous ponies, to Fisherman's island at the southern tip where the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel reaches land again. Thera are about 14 large ones protecting the Virginia Eastern Shore. Going with a guide relieved us of dealing with a lot of the logistics, in particular, finding a safe place to paddle that wouldn't be too crowded on the holiday weekend, and not worrying about getting lost in the maze of marsh creeks.

For this trip our group of 8 plus guide headed from Gargatha Landing out to Metompkin Island. This would be a six-hour trip with plenty of time for lunch and exploring Metompkin and swimming in the sea. It was a great day to be on the water paddling and, apparently, a good day for fishing. At the boat launch there were several people fishing from both the shoreline and in small craft in the creek. There was another group surf fishing out on Metompkin. Besides them, we only passed two other boats including one just as we were coming ashore at the end. Neither boat was very loud so it was a very peaceful trip. 

Route we took from Gargatha Landing to Metompkin Island

As each of us launched our boats, we crossed the creek and waited, giving time for everyone to get started and to make some final adjustments to the equipment. While I waited, I saw a lot of these periwinkle snails in the spartina.

periwinkle snail

It was a full moon Monday, we had seen a gorgeous moon rising the night before from the hotel pool, driving exaggerated tides. We left around high tide. Going out, the water was high making the paddling easy. We were also on an ebb flow so at times I could just relax and let the current take move me along.

Although we live on a brackish marsh, being this close to the ocean brings in a different set of marsh birds. Even before getting on the water, a small group of glossy ibises passed overhead. A neighboring house had martin houses up and we were pleased to see they had martins and not starlings in them. 

As we passed from the first creek out into Gargathy Bay (why the subtle change in name? I have no idea) we heard clapper rails calling back and forth and saw a few common terns on a bit of exposed mud. There were also plenty of willets and American oystercatchers crossing over the waters. The paddling was easy and gave lots of time to chat with the other paddlers and learn a little local history from our guide, Bill.

A turn north up a final creek led us to the in-land side of Metompkin Island, near the north end. Most of the island is protected for breeding birds during early summer but there are a few areas for landing boats and a crossing from marsh to ocean side. We landed one at a time giving me a chance to slowly float along the steep mud bank of the marsh. I could hear a bird calling but the mud was up to about eye level limiting my view into the grass. I pulled out the Merlin app and it identified the calls as a willet, but not the normal call. Just then, the willet lifted up out of the grass. Another win for Merlin! 

Our boats waiting for our return trip

Just down the beach from our landing spot half a dozen black skimmers rested on the beach. Bill had talked about their feeding behavior, skimming along the creek surface waiting for some food to hit their bill which they rapidly close, easier. It was great to be able to show everyone these amazing, and strikingly colored birds. A few of us were able to see them skimming later as we unloaded boats.

Beach at Metompkin Island

The day was hot and a dip in the ocean called to us. Dipping our toes into the water, we were surprised by how cold it was. I was expecting cool bath water temperatures, not, jump-back cold. We slowly made out way out into the crashing waves. We could see some others in our group were much further out but not any deeper. The beach had a surprisingly shallow slope. We never really made it into water much above waist level. 

My wife and I returned to the beach and took a walk before lunch. As mentioned, the island is mainly a breeding ground for shore birds. Least terns flew back and forth occasionally diving into the ocean for a small fish. Lazing on the shore just above the tide line were a range of laughing and herring gulls.

Least Tern taking a break on the beach

 Sharon spotted a piping plover in amongst the shells and rocks midway up the beach. After a minute, it scurried down close to the water and joined a second one. Piping plovers, along with the least terns, really depend on these protected beaches along the barrier islands and don't often get far inland, even along the Chesapeake Bay near us. Getting to see both species is a real treat that we don't get every year.

Piping plover

How cute is that?

On a more human note, from Metompkin, you can see up to Wallops Island and the launch complex. One of the women fishing when we first put in mentioned that she comes out to the boat launch to watch rockets. We are able to see launches, especially evening and night ones, from our house but it takes several seconds before their visible. Here, you could see, and hear, it right from take-off.

By the time we headed back in, the water level had really fallen. The creek we came in on was now a mere trickle. Bill had hoped to take us further north on the creek and come back via another route but that wasn't to be. We loaded up the boats and had to walk them about 100 yards to deeper water. Luckily there was enough water that the boats could float with us guiding them along from the exposed mud.  Once we found a big enough channel to get in the boats we still had to hug the edge of the grass to stay in a channel deep enough to paddle. Even when things opened up, we had to keep finding the channel as the water outside the channel was often only a foot or two deep. In those cases, paddling stirred up the mud as much as propelled you forward. A few people ran aground but with enough effort could work themselves loose without needing a rescue pull. 

Gargathy Bay was now a large mud flat with a creek running around the outside edge instead of open water. You can see the different route we took coming and going in the map above. The channel was wide enough that it was easy to paddle giving time to watch all of the birds that had flocked to the mud for feeding.

Once the boats were loaded on the trailer and the cars packed, we were ready for a cool snack. Bill had mentioned the local town was having an ice cream social. Unfortunately, that didn't start for another two-and-a-half hours. Too long to wait around, especially since we still had a two hour drive home. 

We had a great time paddling an area we probably wouldn't have found on our own, saw a few bird species likely for the only time this year, and had a great day.  We look forward to paddling these waters again.

A Pile of Intrigue

This past fall we had several northern flickers migrate to or through our backyard. While flickers are year-round residents here, we usually see an influx in the fall. Seeing multiple flickers land in the yard and start probing for insects is one of the joys of fall.

eBird map of yellow-shafted northern flicker for June and July (http://ebird.com/map)

eBird map of yellow-shafted northern flicker for October through December (http://ebird.com/map)

We also have a lot of hawks moving through in the fall and occasionally they will take a bird in the yard. One day we found this pile of feathers in the lawn, a sure sign someone, probably a Cooper's hawk, had taken a flicker and started removing the feathers. While sad that there is one less flicker around, this is the circle of life and it allows another bird to continue living.

 

It is quite interesting to see what must be the belly feathers with the dark spots on the ends and how loose and fluffy they are compared to the more commonly found flight feathers.

And speaking of flight feathers. There were several of those here too. What we found really interesting was that not all of them had the yellow-shaft that the local yellow-shafted race (https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northern_Flicker/id). There is a red-shafted race common in the western US but those have all red. In the field guides they will show intergrades where the two races mate but those tend to be orangeish in color. So what causes the mix and red and yellow?

A mix of red-shafted and yellow-shafted feathers from the same bird 

Some internet searching led us to an article by David Sibley in Bird Watching magazine where he talks about the various color forms of northern flickers. This mix of colors apparently stems from the birds eating non-native Asian honeysuckle berries while growing in the feathers that are red. The birds can process most carotenoids to make yellow (for the yellow-shafted) but they are unable to properly process something in the honeysuckle so it always produces red. 

Quite an interesting tidbit about these fascinating birds and another example of how non-native species can bring new chemicals and conditions into an ecosystem that the local populations aren't able to properly handle. At least this time, it seems to have a pretty neutral impact.

Note: it is illegal in the US to collect wild bird feathers. The above feathers were only brought together for the photographs.