Rock pool herbfield south of Marathon

With cold, wet, blustery weather in the forecast, we spent an hour or so clambering among the rocks and pools on the coast about six kilometers east of Marathon. Overhead we watched/heard migrating flocks of 30 to 50 Common Redpoll flying westbound along the coast.

The rocky shore of the north shore hosts rich communities of lichens and arctic-alpine disjunct plants.

[click on images to enlarge]

A Least Chipmunk (Eutamias minimus) was alarmed by our presence.

We found this stripey-legged dragonfly nymph - a Shadow Darner (Aeshna umbrosa) - in a rocky splash pool. It will likely emerge as an adult next summer after having completed a larval phase lasting three or four years.

This distinctive foliose lichen is Orange Rock Posy (Rhizoplaca chrysoleuca).