Author Archives: Jeanne Jackson

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Gary Hopkins photographed this Black Oystercatcher on her nest off The Sea Ranch.

These shorebirds nest on rocky areas just above the high tide mark. This keeps them close to their favorite food in the ocean, mussels and limpets.

They have a whistling call, once described to me as "chattery," which makes me smile. You can hear it here: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Black_Oystercatcher/sounds

They have pink legs, red-orange beaks and red circles around their eyes. Craig Tooley photographed this Black Oystercatcher "dancing," or perhaps just landing. Craig's photos shows off those pink legs!

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Thanks to Gary and Craig for allowing me to share their photos with you here. To see more of Craig's wildlife photography, here is his website: www.ruffimage.com

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Sea Stars were hit hard by a wasting disease, which began several years ago. Their demise is one of the reasons things are out of balance in the ocean. I'm happy to report healthy Stars are being seen in the intertidal zone. John Wall recently photographed an Ocher Star.

Earlier this year Martin Steinpress found baby Stars, a heartwarming sighting.

In years past, Sea Stars, formerly called Starfish, were seen in abundance. Craig Tooley took this great photo some years ago. May this become a more common sighting in the years to come.

Craig's photo appears in our book, Mendonoma Sightings Throughout the Year. He titled it "Sea Star party."

Thanks to John, Martin and Craig for allowing me to share their photos with you here. To see more of Craig's nature photography, visit his website www.ruffimage.com

A warm, windless day so far on this Memorial Day.

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May is such a beautiful time of year on the Mendonoma coast. On a drive down Highway One a few days ago, Rick and I saw many Pacific Rhododendrons blooming along Salt Point State Park.

Pacific Azaleas are blooming now too. Martin Steinpress photographed these along the Salal Trail, a public access trail on The Sea Ranch.

And the big, splashy Andrew's Clintonia is blooming in shady forests. Andy Moore recently photographed this one. You can see a yellow Redwood Violet in Andy's photo too.

Another of my favorite native wildflowers is blooming now too, Coast Lily.

Today, Sunday, we are having spectacular weather. The wind has died down and temps are up. Yes, it is a beautiful time of year here on the coast.

Thanks to Martin and Andy for allowing me to share their photos with you here.

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Anne Mary Schaefer wrote, “I’ve been trying to stop by there for some time, and on Saturday afternoon the parking lot was packed! But watching the clouds streaming by throughout the afternoon into early evening, I thought it might be a lovely night for me and the kids to explore some of the trails. And I was right! The light was golden and luscious, and with not a car in the lot, we had the entire place to ourselves.”

Pelican Bluffs Preserve and Coastal Trail is a jewel. It's our newest open space acquisition overseen by the Mendocino Land Trust. To learn more about it, here's the link: https://www.mendocinolandtrust.org/trails/southern-coastal-trails/pelican-bluffs-trail/

Thanks to Anne Mary for allowing me to share her photo with you here. To see her wonderful pet photography, here is the link to her website: http://www.pawpawrazzipetphotography.com/

It's cloudy and cool here today, and tomorrow we might get some nice rain. After that, it will be sunny and warmer. Memorial Day weekend is almost here, and the Mendonoma coast beckons!

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On May 9th, John Wall caught the magic!  He photographed a fogbow stretching over Gualala Point Island. We had fog with very high water content. Normally fogbows are completely white, but this one had a little hint of color.

Gary Curtis also photographed a fogbow that day, and his shows even more color.

These were both taken from The Sea Ranch. But fogbows were seen that day off Gualala and off Anchor Bay. Yes, I saw one that day too. It's rare to see a fogbow, so we are always excited about seeing one.

Thanks to John and Gary for allowing me to share their photos with you here.