Author Archives: Jeanne Jackson

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Here are two videos Jack Likins recently took while diving near Arch Rock Road in The Sea Ranch. He entitled one “the good” and the other “the bad.” Jack wrote, “The one clip shows some of the good, almost environmental normal, areas with healthy vegetation and sea life; and the other clip shows the same general area where the Sea Urchins are taking over.” Jack tells me that Sea Urchins have taken over the deeper waters, twenty feet and deeper. Here's a photo taken by Roger Rude of several healthy Abalones.

The Good, a healthy intertidal zone by Jack Likins

 

And here is the "bad," the ocean floor taken over by purple Sea Urchins.

Jack wrote further, “The remaining Abalone have moved into depths less than 20 feet where there is kelp [food] that the urchins haven't eaten.  I don't think the urchins like the shallower water because they can't hang onto the bottom in the rougher shallow and intertidal areas.  I'm not seeing much bull kelp but am seeing boa, giant and palm kelps, mostly in the shallower water.  I do see some short stalks of bull kelp underwater but it seems to me that the bull kelp is showing itself on the surface later and later each year, so we'll have to wait to see if it gets to the surface before the urchins eat it this year.”

There is some bull kelp to be seen off the north end of Gualala, but it is sparse. We hope the ocean can get back in balance. We know Sea Stars are recovering, so there's good news there.

Thanks to Jack for allowing me to share his videos with you here, and thanks to Roger for allowing me to share his photo with you here.

Sunny and warm at our place in Anchor Bay, though fog covers most of the ocean.

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Craig wrote, “This is a Hoverfly called a Margined Calligrapher. It’s feeding on one of those non-native dandelions.”

They are quite beneficial in your garden. The larvae eat aphids and thrips, and the adults feed on a variety of flowers, pollinating them as they go.

Thanks to Craig for allowing me to share his photo with you here. To see much more of Craig's nature photography, here is his website: www.ruffimage.com

Now starts the three-day holiday weekend. It looks like the weather will be stellar. Yesterday, Harbor Porpoises were seen off Fish Rocks and then off the Point Arena Harbor. Brown Pelicans are here in  abundance, always a joy to see.

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Robin Applegarth created this video in homage of our mother, Mother Earth.

It's seems like Mother Earth is being attacked on nearly every front. With the fires in the Amazon, climate change affecting everyone including animals and plants, this administration's efforts to degrade environmental laws...it's rather overwhelming, isn't it? We must, each of us, pledge to do what we can to help.

Here on the Mendonoma coast, many of us are trying to stop a very harmful timber harvest plan in the Gualala River's floodplain. You can learn more about this at Friends of Gualala River's website: http://gualalariver.org/

Thanks to Robin for allowing me to share her beautiful video with you here.

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Looks like this juvenile Bald Eagle was checking out the Mendonoma coast. We don't know where this Bald Eagle was born. Gail Jackson recently photographed the beautiful bird.

One of Gail's friends thought this could be a Golden Eagle, but just look at that beak. I queried Mark Moore to make sure of the ID. He concurred with the juvenile Bald Eagle ID. He sent this photo of a juvenile with an adult Bald Eagle for us to see.

It's always exciting to see a Bald Eagle. We are thankful they are becoming a more common sighting here on the coast.

Thanks to Gail and Mark for allowing me to share their photos with you here. To see more of Gail's nature photography, here is her website: http://gailyimages.com/

It's pretty foggy right along the coast, though we have sun at our place. Much cooler today.

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California Quail chicks can be hard to photograph as they move so fast. Jim Garlock managed to photograph eight of the chicks, a treat to see.

The father quail is near the middle, with the mother on the right. They watch over their many chicks as best they can, though Jim saw a stray cat snatch one of the chicks before he could wave it away. Domestic house cats kill a LOT of birds.

Thanks to Jim for allowing me to share his photo with you.

Sunny, mild weather here today. Huckleberries are ripe and ready for picking!