Author Archives: Jeanne Jackson

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Craig Tooley recently photographed a Downy Woodpecker.

Karen Wilkinson also spotted one.

These woodpeckers eat insects. In Karen's photos it looks like the bird is looking for tasty bugs in a snag. Downy Woodpeckers joins flocks of chickadees and nuthatches, barely outsizing them - that's small!

Thanks to Craig and Karen for allowing me to share their photos with you here. To see much more of Craig's nature photography, here is the link to his website: http://www.ruffimage.com

A spectacularly clear day with no wind...consequently the temps soared. It reached 80 degrees at my place in Anchor Bay. Last night, with the clear horizon, there was a green flash at sunset. Hooray!

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Bobcats are year round residents of the Mendonoma Coast. Several weeks ago, Gail Jackson spotted this healthy-looking Bobcat at Manchester State Park.

The markings on a Bobcat's coat is unique to itself, similar to our fingerprints!

Thanks to Gail for allowing me to share her photo with you here.

The fog is gone and- yes! - the Pacific Ocean is still there. We hadn't seen it for a while with the heavy fog. There are high clouds and the temps are nice, in the high 60s. It's a beautiful day here today.

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Normally we have warm weather in October, but this year is different. A massive fog bank has been evident most recent days, sometimes extending up over the ridge. Phil Lewenthal photographed a rare fogbow, also called a white rainbow or mistbow. Phil took this photo and told me the fogbow then disappeared.

Carolyn Andre photographed the fog covering the Pacific Ocean along Highway One. Doesn't it look like whipped cream?

With the fog comes high humidity...and low fire danger, something for which we are grateful.

Thanks to Phil and Carolyn for allowing me to share their photos with you here.

Yep, it's foggy today, temps in the low 60's. I can see that it is sunny this afternoon on the ridge. Micro climates!

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The rain we received a little over three weeks ago continues to pay dividends with mushrooms appearing on the Mendonoma Coast. Patty Davenport found this group of Boletus edulis, King Boletes, with a Banana Slug feasting at what she called the "breakfast bar." King Boletes are delicious edible mushrooms that are a treat to find.

Roxanne Holmes photographed a non-edible mushroom, a Dyer's Polypore.

This mushroom's job is to decompose dead wood. Dyers of yarn covet these as when young, like this one, they dye yarn yellow/orange. When mature, they dye yarn a warm brown.

Other mushrooms are appearing now, a welcome sight!

Thanks to Patty and Roxanne for allowing me to share their photos with you  here.

The fog pulled back today, showing us the Pacific Ocean for the first time in a few days. Temps climbed a bit too, low 70's. It's a beautiful autumn day here on the Mendonoma Coast.

 

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The long-lived generation of Monarch Butterflies has arrived on the Mendonoma Coast. These are the butterflies that migrate south, living up to seven months, and they are known as the Methuselah generation. They are looking for plants on which to feed. So nectar plants, particularly native nectar plants, are very important to them here on the coast. Here are some recent photos of these large, beautiful butterflies.

These photos were taken in different locations and the Monarchs are feeding on different flowers. The photos were taken by, starting with the top -  Tempra Board, Craig Tooley, Eric Zetterholm, and Grace O'Malley.

I thank all these photographers for allowing me to share their photos with you here.

The best way to report your sightings of Monarch Butterflies in the autumn is to either send them to me and/or post your sighting on iNaturalist. The experts monitor Monarch sightings on iNaturalist. You will be contributing to their study of these butterflies that have struggled mightily in recent years. Here's hoping this will be a good year for the Monarchs.

Once again, the day started off gray and cold, with a moist fog bank greeting the dawn. It pulled back somewhat but it is still over the Pacific Ocean and may well in on the immediate coast in places. Temps in the low 60's.