Tricia Schuless photographed this photogenic four-point Buck recently. He looks like he is posing for Tricia, or beginning to sing!
The rut of our Black-tailed Deer should be winding down. The mating season makes for dangerous driving when the Bucks chase Does across Highway One.
Thanks to Tricia for allowing me to share her photos with you here.
Last night's sunset was another beauty. Paul Brewer went to Hearn Gulch to photograph it.
The night before he photographed the sunset near his home in Gualala.
Two visions of loveliness, thanks to Paul. To see much more of Paul's nature photography, here is the link to his website: http://www.capturingnatureswonders.com/
Rozann Grunig went foraging on Friday and she found the first reported Chanterelle of the season. She also found a Queen Bolete and several King Boletes, a nice bounty of edibles.
This morning on our walk, Rick and I found a big Queen Bolete, two Matsutakes peeking through the duff, and several Coccoras. Many other mushrooms are up too. They are loving the rain we just had!
Thanks to Rozann for allowing me to share her photo with you here.
With our delicious early rains, the Gualala River opened on October 26th this year. Yes, the big sandbar that had closed the river off to the Pacific Ocean was finally breached. Eric and Annie Mills watched as it opened. But this year, for a while, it opened in two places, a very unusual occurrence.
First, let me show you what the river looked like just before it opened, as photographed by Bob Rutemoeller. It was full and flooding into its floodplain.
Eric noticed the river breach the sandbar at the north end, just a tiny rivulet.
And then it opened a little to the south, a much bigger opening.
Within a few minutes the pent up river was pouring out to the ocean. Steelhead that had been trapped in luxury in the river were sent into their briny destiny. Snags and branches shot out the opening. It was quite a spectacle.
This year the river opened on a sunny day, another unusual occurrence! It's usually raining when it opens.
Here's the after photo, taken by Bob Rutemoeller.
We've had more rain, so the river isn't this low now.
Thanks to Eric and Bob for allowing me to share their photos with you here.
Rick and I were sitting outside at Trinks restaurant in Gualala yesterday when a friend saw a Bald Eagle in a snag at the north end of the Gualala River. I had my camera in the car and got this photo using my super zoom.
Diane Hichwa said this big eagle is probably in its fourth plumage before it reaches its adult plumage at age four. To see a mature Bald Eagle, here is a photo taken by Eddie Mikus a few years ago.
Bald Eagle sightings are tantalizing us with the possibility that someday soon we might have a nesting pair in the watershed of the Gualala River.
Thanks to Eddie for allowing me to share the mature Bald Eagle photo.