Author Archives: Jeanne Jackson

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I have two x-rated sightings for you. After all, it is Spring and love is in the air. Chris Pechal wrote, "Birds do it, bees do it, and apparently if you are lucky, you might see butterflies doing it. I ran across these Margined White Butterflies mating." Chris found these butterflies at The Sea Ranch, perched on a Foget-Me-Not blossom.

Sara Bogard photographed a pair of Black Oystercatchers mating on the bluffs of the Point Arena Lighthouse Peninsula.

While not actual mating, I did see a mating dance. Just after dawn on Tuesday, I saw a male Anna’s Hummingbird rise high in the sky, then plummet down, pulling up before he crash landed, then hovering in front of a tree, giving out a chirp that I’ve learned comes from his tail feathers. He was performing his mating dance to a female perched in the tree. As I watched, he performed his dance several more times. I hope she was as impressed as I was.

Thanks to Chris and Sara for allowing me to share their photos with you here.

Happy Easter, Happy Passover, Happy beautiful day on the Mendonoma Coast. More rain coming in tomorrow afternoon, Monday, according to the predictors!

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Before dusk yesterday, the Gualala River was full nearly to the brim. It looked like it could open at any time. This morning the river was open and Rozanne Rapozo photographed it. Notice the Bald Eagle on the north side of the sandbar.

Those Steelhead I showed you yesterday have surely exited the river, entering their next journey in the Pacific Ocean. Hooray!

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

Another storm is forecast for tonight. Bring it, Mother Nature!

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Chris Braley spotted a group of Steelhead in the lagoon of the Gualala River last week. The river has been closed to the Pacific Ocean by a big sandbar for many weeks, perhaps two months.

We think these are adults who have already spawned. Steelhead often don't die after spawning, and they return to the ocean after spawning where there is more food for them. Rozanne Rapozo had her long lens on her camera the day after Chris took her photo. Rozanne was only able to get two in her photograph but what a great look at these endangered fish.

We have had a lot of rain overnight and continuing today. It's very possible the Gualala River will breach the sandbar, possibly today. When that happens, these Steelhead will be on to the  next phase of their lives. Live long and prosper, Steelhead!

Thanks to Chris and Rozanne for allowing me to share their photos with you here.

There was a wonderful two inches of rain in the gauge at our house this morning and it's continued to rain. 41.85 inches season to date, with "normal" rain being 50 inches. These storms are a gift for us all from Mother Nature, including the Steelhead.

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Eric Zetterholm almost couldn't believe what he was seeing. Driving home after work recently, he spotted this Coyote.

We don't see Coyotes often on the coast, but one occasionally appears. We're lucky Eric had his camera at the ready to show us this healthy-looking Coyote.

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

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Cliff Swallows have arrived and are busy building their nests of mud. You can see these beautiful swallows working hard at the north end of the Gualala Community Center building, along the entrance road to the post office. Cliff Swallows nest in colonies. Here is a photo Robert Scarolo took some years ago in a tunnel at The Sea Ranch.

Diane Hichwa further explains. She wrote, “Our Barn Swallows build individual nests [hidden from each other]. Tree Swallows build in cavities in trees or boxes, and may be harder to find! Violet-green Swallows use nesting boxes.” Our largest swallow, the Purple Martin, uses nesting cavities in trees that other birds have made, such as woodpeckers.

Here is the beautiful Violet-green Swallow photographed by Craig Tooley.

And there is one more swallow species that returns here in the spring. Ron Bolander wrote, “I was out photographing at Gualala Point with my  usual Saturday group of friends. We all photographed these Northern Rough-winged Swallows in this tree. It was nice to capture this image on a beautiful day in the park.” Diane tells me this type of swallow is found near a river, as they nest in the river’s banks.

All of these swallows leave our area in the late Summer or early Fall. They are insect eaters, eating over a hundred insects a day, each one of them. In the Winter there aren’t enough insects for them to survive here, so they fly to warmer climes to our south.

If you are lucky enough to have swallows build a nest under your eves or in a light fixture, as happened one year at Surf Super’s entrance doors, think of the benefits these swallows bring by keeping the insect population under control. If you are worried about the mess the baby birds make, you can take a cardboard box and cut the sides off, leaving an inch or so. Tack that up under the nest to catch the waste, and when the birds have fledged, take it down and dispose of it. Remember that migratory birds, and their nests, are protected by law.

Thanks to Robert, Craig and Ron for allowing me to share their photos with you here.