Monthly Archives: October 2011

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Patricia McBratney recently noticed a colorful moth in her garden on The Sea Ranch. She sent me several photographs to see if I knew what is was. Will Ericson to the rescue! Will identified the moth as a Hemileuca eglanterina, subspecies shastaensis, which is commonly called an Elegant Sheepmoth. In one photo there are two moths. Will explained the female was higher on the blade of grass and had attracted a male to mate with her. This is a rare sighting in the Mendonoma Coast and I'm very happy Patricia allowed me to share these photos with you.

And the mating moths.

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Rick and I try and watch the sunset every night. We had hopes for a green flash last night but we were stuck with a lovely sunset instead. Let's face it - it always pays to watch a sunset!

And a few minutes after the sun has set.
And this morning's sunrise looked like a watercolor painting with the nearly full moon in the sky.

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Monarch Butterflies migrate in the fall. I have seen two or three over the past several weeks. I wish  could report that we were seeing many of these beauties but that isn't the case. This butterfly needs milkweed to feed on as a caterpillar. It would be a good idea to plant some in your garden to help this striking butterfly.

Wendy Bailey photographed a Monarch, the king of Butterflies, and has kindly allowed me to share it with you here.

To learn about Monarchs, here is a link to a great web site:
http://www.monarch-butterfly.com/

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I thought this Saturday would be the first day of Boletus edulis, or King Boletes, but I just received this photo by Rozann Grunig of a beauty found this morning in Sonoma County. It's almost as big as the pineapple. Game on for bolete season!

We spent some time watching the beautiful Gualala River yesterday and again today. It is still closed to the Pacific Ocean but it could open any time. The river will break through the sandbar soon and I would dearly love to be there when it happens. I'm told the sound is amazing. Juvenile Steelhead are in the river's lagoon, waiting to go on their next journey. You can see the ocean waves washing over the sandbar in the photos below.

There are lots of wonderful things going on here on the Mendonoma Coast this week! My best to you, Jeanne Jackson

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With our early rains comes early mushrooms! On a walk in the forest yesterday Rick and I found Golden Chanterelles, Cantharellus cibarius, Oyster Mushrooms, Pleurotus ostreatus, and Turkey Tails, Trametes versicolor. Many tiny mushrooms appeared this morning and four round puffball mushrooms joined them. Boletus edulis, King Boletes, can't be far behind. Let the wild mushroom frenzy begin!

These Golden Chanterelles look almost white in this picture.

Growing on a Tan-Oak snag, these Oyster Mushrooms will get bigger in the warm days to come.
Perhaps you know the name of this mushroom? It's some type of puffball. Note the bite taken out of its side.