Mary Hunter thought she had found a colorful wildflower in the grasses on a recent hike with friends. It turned out to be a moth that is only seen in the summer months - an Elegant Sheep Moth, Hemileuca eglanterina.
This beautiful moth is a native of California and feeds on Ceanothus, Coffeeberry and the Rose family.
Thanks to Mary for allowing me to share her photo with you here.
A juvenile Bald Eagle was spotted in Point Arena and this one is banded with the number 92. Beth Petit wrote, “On Tuesday, Mike Weaver, the caretaker at the Loran Station, called Jeff and me to help identify a large bird there, a juvenile Bald Eagle. With the help of Doug Forsell, local biologist, we were able to get more information from Maria Dominquez at the Institute for Wildlife Studies.”
Maria responded that this bird is a male hatched on Santa Cruz Island of the California Channel Islands. It fledged in July. He was named “Liberty” by one of their members. His parents have been nesting there since 2005.
Jeff Petit took these photos and I thank him for allowing me to share them with you here.
Much of August, fondly called Fogust, has been foggy. And not high fog but drippy, wet fog. John Nelson couldn't believe it when he found this group of delicious, edible White Chanterelles.
We have these mushrooms on our land, but we did not have an early bloom. I guess we'll have to wait for the winter rains. May they be plentiful - the wild mushrooms and the rain!
Thanks to John for allowing me to share his photo with you here.
The ocean temperature has been warmer than usual, nearly four degrees above normal. That is surely the reason an unusual fish appeared off our coast near Anchor Bay. Richard Lewis saw it from his boat about 50 yards off the front of Fish Rocks. It was cruising north on the current.
This disc-shaped fish is also called a Sunfish and their favorite food is Jellyfish. On average they weigh two thousand pounds! Several days later a juvenile Mola mola washed up on the beach at Cooks Beach. That had me wondering if this was a pregnant female. But no, I'm told. Mola mola females lay eggs, millions of them. Then the male fertilizes the eggs. Less than one percent of the eggs survive. So it must have been coincidence that a juvenile was also seen.
Thanks to Richard for allowing me to share his photo with you here.
Barry Richman was helping a friend out - I believe the feeding of a cat was involved - when he saw the early morning sun light up Fish Rocks.
The rocks glowed in the sunlight for about two minutes, a lovely sight to behold.
Fish Rocks is off of Anchor Bay and part of the California Coastal National Monument [CCNM]. There is an active colony of male Sea Lions there and seabirds nest on the west side.
To learn more about the CCNM, here is the link to the Bureau of Land Management: http://www.blm.gov/pgdata/content/ca/en/prog/blm_special_areas/nm/ccnm.html
Thanks to Barry for allowing me to share his photo with you here.