Author Archives: Jeanne Jackson

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Bowling Ball Beach is part of the California State Parks system. It's known for these round rock formations that fall away from the cliffs. At low tide they do look like bowling balls. Mark Hancock recently visited at a minus tide and got these photos.

Mark wrote, "The tide was so far out beyond the bowling balls and the colors of the seagrass and mosses against the sandy tone of the balls was beautiful. A truly magical morning walk on one of the most unique beaches in the world!”

To learn more about Bowling Ball Beach and  the adjacent Schooner Gulch State Beach, here is their website:https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=446

The Schooner Gulch access to the south is much easier than the direct route to Bowling Ball. That route is challenging until State Parks repairs the access.

Here is a description of how the "bowling balls" were formed, from the website atlasobscura: "...the so-called bowling balls are actually a geological phenomenon known as “concretion,” sedimentary rock formed by a natural process wherein mineral cements bind grains of sand or stone into larger formations. These boulders are the result of millions of years of concretion and erosion, exposing the hard spheres as the mudstone of the cliffs receded around them."

Thanks to Mark for allowing me to share his photos with you here. Another of Mark's photos will be in Thursday's Independent Coast Observer with my column, Mendonoma Sightings.

Fog, fog and more fog close to the ocean, but it's sunny on the ridge. I have fog in front of our house and sun behind it!

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Shari Goforth-Eby saw a Gray Whale mother and calf swim northward, passing by Gualala Point Beach recently. She photographed the calf.

Note the stubby head of the young whale. Also, the calf has no barnacles. Here's a photo of an adult Gray Whale, taken by Paul Brewer for comparison.

Scott Mercer tells me the lagoons off Baja have emptied of Gray Whales, so the mother/calf pairs are on the move northward. We've had so much wind, which whips up the ocean and makes it nearly impossible to see whale spouts, that it's been difficult to spot them. The breeze died down today, so we'll be watching the ocean!

Thanks to Shari and Paul for allowing me to share their photos with you here. To see much more of Paul's nature photography, here is his website: http://www.capturingnatureswonders.com/

No wind, and the temperature dropped twenty degrees from the very warm weather we had yesterday. Just a gentle, cooling breeze off the ocean!

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Like a ghost in the deep forest, this Phantom Orchid, Cephalanthera austiniae, is a gem to discover. I  have never seen one but I hope to rectify that. Laura Baker photographed this beauty.

These orchids have no chlorophyll. They depend on a symbiotic relationship with fungi to thrive.

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

If you'd like to watch my presentation of the rarest and most beautiful Sightings photographs, which was sponsored by the Mendocino Land Trust, here is the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2492W3BJIQ

It's sunny today but the wind is blowing very hard. No need to comb your hair, as the wind will have its way!

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I love Black Oystercatchers and I feel fortunate that they nest on the Mendonoma Coast. Their nests are found above high tide on rocky shorelines. Neil Silverman recently photographed one.

Pink legs, orange-red beak and yellow eyes - what a great combination! Oystercatchers call when flying; a friend once deemed them "chatterly." Here's a link to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology to listen for yourself: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Black_Oystercatcher/sounds

With sea level rise, many are concerned about Black Oystercatchers and how they will be able to adapt to the rising waters. Fun Fact: The Black Oystercatcher pairs stay together year-round.

Thanks to Neil for allowing me to share his photo with you here. To see much more of Neil's nature photography, here is the link to his website: https://silvermansphotography.com/

Foggy along the immediate coast, but sunny and mild here in Anchor Bay - a beautiful Spring day.

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Black-necked Stilts, with their long pink legs, are an uncommon sighting here on the Mendonoma Coast. But Eric Zetterholm spotted one on a beach at The Sea Ranch, along with three Whimbrels. Eric photographed the elegant Stilt and one of the Whimbrels.

It's interesting to see how this bird flies, with its loooong legs stretched out behind its body. A very nice sighting! A close-up photo of this bird will be in Thursday's Independent Coast Observer in my Mendonoma Sightings column.

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

Sunny and breezy and warm today!