The Daily Bucket is a regular feature of the Backyard Science group. It is a place to note of any observations you have made of the world around you. Insects, weather, meteorites, climate, birds and/or flowers. All are worthy additions to the bucket. Please let us know what is going on around you in a comment. Include, as close as is comfortable for you, where you are located. Each note is a record that we can refer to in the future as we try to understand the patterns that are quietly unwinding around us.
It's Autumn, and a little late at that. This is a lighthouse about 7 mules from my house. As you can see, there is a fairly tall island just behind it. That's where the wind was coming from. The windguage on the light reported 60kt, The wind had a lot better shot at me than it did at the windguage.
I estimate the peak gusts bumped 80kt after crossing the straits. I can do this because A: I've seen a bit of wind before and B: Nobody else was there to correct me. This is subject to the principle that a bear in the brush running at you is bigger than one running away.
Trees dancing the Hula. The subject of this diary is the tree on the left that already has just a little more lean going on.
The next morning one can see that the tree suffered some damage, the base has split vertically from the ground up. I logger parlance, it has barberchaired. The left half is under huge compression, the right equal tension, you can see tha half the root mass has lifted.
after a little chainsaw surgery, this is the result' The name barberchair becomes evident. Too many good treefallers have earned a bunk underground because of trees like this.
The lighter spot in the center is about 4" this is the portion of the tree that grew for about 40 yrs. before the surrounding timber was cut. You can see that the growth really took off after some light got in. This is called a released residual by foresters.
Elsewhere lately we have molting Harlequins.
Playing River otters
Feeding river otters
And southbound Black Brant.
So, that's fall time around the Alexander Archipelago, Whatcha' got? (especially with pictures)