Author Archives: Jeanne Jackson

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Ron LeValley photographed the leucistic Black Oystercatcher. The bird fledged from the Mendocino Headlands, and Ron found it on a nearby mussel bed.

We've seen other instances of this. Last year,  Roger Adamson photographed this leusictic Black Oystercatcher chick.

And here's a leucistic American Robin, photographed some years ago by Susan Gonzales.

And a leusictic Dark-eyed Junco, photographed by Barbara Pratt.

It's always startling to see! Thanks to Ron, Susan, Roger and Barbara for allowing me to share their photos with you here. To see much more of Ron's nature photography, here is the link to his website: http://levalleyphoto.com/home/

Sunny, mild day on the Mendonoma coast. Might be a chance to see a green flash at sunset tonight!

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John Wall and his dog, Dash, were walking at Gualala Point Regional Park when they came across this scene.

John and Dash found an Oregon Gartersnake nabbing an Alligator Lizard. That's a pretty big meal for the Gartersnake. Here's another angle.

Did you know gartersnakes are beneficial in your garden? They eat slugs and bugs, along with snails. No need to be afraid of them...unless you are an alligator lizard like the one in John's photo!

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

Much cooler now and it really feels like autumn. Strong breezes today too.

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If you’re a fisherman in a kayak, fishing off The Sea Ranch, you’d probably prefer not to see a Great White Shark. Ken Fischer wrote, “Four of us were out fishing this past Saturday and Bruce Bonfils caught this big Lingcod, 35 inches and 23 pounds. We also had a visit from a Great White Shark of about seven feet in length who cruised by very close to a couple of our kayaks. A memorable morning!”

There is no photo of the shark, but I can show you Bruce's big catch - that's one happy fisherman!

Thanks to Ken for allowing me to share his photo with you here.

Still hot on the Mendonoma coast, though right at the water's edge, it is really nice. Big cool down coming according to the weather folks. This morning's sunrise was stellar! I took this from our deck in Anchor Bay.

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River Otters thrive on the Mendonoma coast. They can't abide pollution, so it speaks well of the rivers, creeks and ocean. Eric Zetterholm recently spotted a group of six River Otters in the Gualala River. In the first photo it looks like the one River Otter is looking back at Eric!

River Otters, while very cute, are quite feisty. It's best to watch from a distance and to leash your dog if you find one on a beach. River Otters are comfortable in rivers, creeks, the ocean, and on land. Once a River Otter crossed Highway One in Gualala, something that doesn't happen often.

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

It's HOT on the coast today. We melt when it goes above 80 degrees. It's 95 degrees on our deck in Anchor this afternoon. Too hot!

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Brenna Dix spotted this sweet Gray Fox in a blackberry bush. It looks like he or she is enjoying the sun too.

Gray Foxes eat a varied diet, including small mammals and berries. Here's a video Brenna took of the kit enjoying a nice meal.

Thanks to Brenna for allowing me to share her photo and video with you here.

Lots of lovely clouds making for an interesting sky today.