Author Archives: Jeanne Jackson

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Bettye Winters photographs sunset near Manchester State Park. One she took recently looks like a hot air balloon.

 Below is a recent October sunset. The sky sometimes glows orange for over a half hour.

Sunset watching - and photographing - is a Coast tradition. Thanks to Bettye for allowing me to share her photos with you here.

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White-tailed Kites are year round residents of the Mendonoma Coast. They are interesting to watch while they hunt as they hover over a meadow while they search for prey. Siegfried Matull recently photographed one hunting near his home on The Sea Ranch.

White-tailed Kites eat mostly small mammals, but they do eat lizards, insects and some birds. I often see one hunting over the grasslands along the Gualala River while hiking at Gualala Point Regional Park.

To hear the call of this beautiful raptor, here's a link to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/White-tailed_Kite/sounds

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

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Our clear, warm weather has left us for a day or two as the fog rolled in this morning. Sometimes fog can give you a chance for a beautiful sunset photo, like Nan Brichetto took from a deck in Anchor Bay.

October sunsets are exquisite - one of the privileges of living on or visiting the Mendonoma Coast.

Thanks to Nan for allowing me to share her photo with you here.

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With the ocean looking like glass last Saturday, there were a lot of great sightings. The greatest of them all was the sighting of Blue Whales. A mother and her calf were seen off of The Sea Ranch.

Jodi Smith, of Naked Whale Research, went out of Fort Bragg and found another Blue Whale.

Blue Whales are the largest animal on earth. And they are on the endangered species list, as their recovery from the days of whaling has been slow. To see a mother with a calf is such a good sign.
To Jodi's joy she also saw several Northern Right Whale Dophins.
 They rose next to the boat and rode the bow for a while. You can read about Jodi's excellent day on the water on her blog at: http://orcinusorca.wix.com/nawhare-temp/apps/blog
And to learn more about Jodi's Naked Whale Research, which studies Killer Whales, here is that website:
Thanks to Jodi for allowing me to share her photos with you here.

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Last week I showed you Hearn Gulch as seen from the bluffs. Recently Cathleen Crosby and her granddaughter explored the pocket beach.

 In the photo below a Sea Lion's head can be seen.

 And this photo below shows you the curve of the beach. It is very protected from wind, a perfect place to relax and appreciate the beauty of the Pacific Ocean.

Thanks to Cathleen for allowing me to share her photos with you here.