Tag Archives: John Sperry

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I'm going to let Jerry Rudy tell this story. He wrote several weeks ago, "You will remember the Silk Moth that ended up on my back door about a year ago. She laid a bunch of eggs on a native azalea in our yard. These hatched into larvae that John Sperry and I kept fed with Ceanothus until they built their beautiful cocoons. The cocoons were attached to sticks and I placed several in our garden that is protected by netting and waited for the next stage of their life.

"Three days ago moths began to emerge from those cocoons; a female and two males so far. This is the female shortly after she emerged from her cocoon. She has inflated her wings and is ready to mate."

Jerry continues, "That night several males showed up and we found them hanging on the garden netting trying to enter the garden. We picked them off the netting and placed them near the new female. The female is still hanging onto her cocoon on the far left."

The female has moved away from her cocoon. One of the visiting males has attached his abdomen to hers and he hangs below her. Notice the difference in the size and shape of the male and female antennae."

"They remain attached for several hours as the male transferred seminal fluids to the female. By the end of their mating, the male's abdomen has shriveled up, while the female's became much plumper. Note  how worn the male's wings are as a result of his efforts to find this female.

"Since these pictures were taken the female has laid several clutches of eggs that we intend to move to a nearby Ceanothus bush. Thus the circle has closed."

I thank Jerry for allowing me to share his photos with you here, showing us something we might never get to see. To see the photo from last year of the female laying her eggs, here is the link: http://www.mendonomasightings.com/2013/04/29/a-photo-of-a-lifetime-a-ceanothus-silkmoth-lays-her-eggs/

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Yesterday on a trip down the Coast, Rick and I were amazed at the size of the waves. We have had heavy surf for some days now. John Sperry photographed the waves at Gerstle Cove at Salt Point State Park.

And Rozann Grunig photographed waves off of The Sea Ranch. You can feel the power of the Pacific Ocean just by looking at her photo.

And the photo below shows a big wave hitting Gualala Point Island, which is just off the north end of The Sea Ranch.

Thanks to John and Rozann for allowing me to share their photos with you here. To see much more of Rozann's nature photography, here is the link to her website: http://highway1designs.com/

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John Sperry recently visited Bowling Ball Beach. At low tide the "bowling balls" are revealed. John photographed some that are waiting their date with gravity.

Here's what the beginning of a low tide reveals at this beach as photographed by John.

Bowling Ball Beach is adjacent to Schooner Gulch State Beach. The pathway down to Bowling Ball is closed due to erosion but I know some agile hikers have taken it. If you take the path to Schooner Gulch State Beach at low tide you can usually walk over to Bowling Ball. Here's a link to learn more about these two magnificent beaches: http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=446

Thanks to John for allowing me to share his photos with you here.

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One of the strangest creatures on the Mendonoma Coast is the caterpillar stage of a Ceanothus Silk Moth. I shared a fantastic photo of Jerry Rudy where he witnessed a female Silk Moth lay her eggs. He watched the eggs hatch and has tended them since. Except when he had to be away from the Coast for a while and he asked his friend, John Sperry, to tend them. John took the first photo of this exotic-looking caterpillar.

 When the caterpillars have stored up enough energy, they begin to spin their cocoon, as photographed by Jerry.

 Below are several cocoons. The Silk Moths spin a silk thread a mile long into an intricate double-chambered cocoon.

 And below is the finished cocoon. The pupae will reside inside during the rest of the year and into spring.

In spring, the lovely Ceanothus Silk Moth emerges to live only a few days. The one below was photographed by Clay Yale. This moth is about four inches across.

What a metamorphosis!

Thanks to John, Jerry and Clay for allowing me to share their photos with you here.

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It's always a treat to see the Tall Ships sail by. The Lady Washington and Hawaiian Chieftain had come to Bodega Bay recently. John Sperry photographed them at anchor.

There were tours and the chance to sail with the crew. Since their home base is in the state of Washington, we are treated to the sight of these two ships sailing by several times a year. Diane Hichwa caught the Lady Washington on April 17 sailing north.