Tundra Swans, Cygnus columbianus, overwinter on the floodplains of the Garcia River. Last year, with our drier than normal winter, brought just a handful of these beautiful white swans. Eight were spotted last week. Richard Kuehn photographed four Tundra Swans in flight recently, always a thrilling sight.
We hope to have hundreds in residence soon. Thanks to Rich for allowing me to share his photo with you here.
Beautiful American White Pelicans migrate from inland lakes and waterways to overwinter on the Coast. You are more likely to see some by the Russian River, though Rick and I once saw a pair fly over us in the town of Mendocino. Jim Garlock recently photographed some early arriving birds.
These Pelicans fish differently than Brown Pelicans. They sit on the surface of the water and lower their head to scoop up fish. Brown Pelicans dramatically plunge dive. American White Pelicans are graceful fliers, using thermals to help them on their way. You know it's autumn when these big birds arrive on the Coast.
Thanks to Jim for allowing me to share his photo with you here. To see another photo of these birds, seen at Bodega Bay, here's the link: http://www.mendonomasightings.com/2011/09/28/bodega-bay-always-picturesque/
Ferruginous Hawks are migrating into the Mendonoma Coast where they will overwinter. They are our largest hawk. One of the best places to see hawks hunting is between Manchester and Elk in Mendocino County. Steve Wilcox enjoys "hunting" hawks with his camera. I thank him for allowing me to share his beautiful photo with you here.
The favorite food of Ferruginous Hawks is Rabbits and Ground Squirrels. If you'd like to hear their piercing call, here's a link to Cornell Lab of Ornithology: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/ferruginous_hawk/sounds