Author Archives: Jeanne Jackson

•

On a quiet, secluded bluff face on The Sea Ranch there is a colony of nesting Pelagic Cormorants. With nests attached to the steep sides of the bluff, the colony is very special to see. Craig Tooley recently witnessed the parents exchanging places, giving him a chance to see and photograph the babies in the nest.

These shy seabirds attach their nests of grass, twigs and seaweed to the bluff face with their own guano. They dive from the surface of the water for fish, which they chase down underwater.

I thank Craig for allowing me to share his photo with you here. It's something not all of us would be able to see for ourselves.

To see much more of Craig's beautiful wildlife photography, here's his website: ruffimage.com

•

Andy Moore photographed what he thought was an Osprey perched on top of a tree, overlooking the White Barn at The Sea Ranch.

But when I zoomed in on Andy's photo I found he had photographed a White-tailed Kite.

This is such a beautiful hawk. They hover in the air while they hunt for small mammals. The meadows at Gualala Point Regional Park are a good place to see one. To hear the sounds of a White-tailed Kite, here's the link to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/White-tailed_Kite/sounds

Thanks to Andy for allowing me to share his photo with you here. To see more of Andy's photography, here is his website: http://www.andystreasuretrove.com/

•

Lately the Mendonoma Coast has had so much wind that we wouldn't be able to see a whale even if it were just offshore. The Pacific Ocean is filled with whitecaps. But several weeks ago Kathy Bishop spotted a mother Gray Whale with her calf quite close in. As she was photographing them, the calf breached.

Kathy said she knew it was the young calf because the mother was covered with barnacles. What a great photo! Thanks to Kathy for allowing me to share it with you here.

•

Vancouveria hexandra, Inside-out Flower, is blooming now in moist forest under Douglas-fir. Its petals are swept back as if it's turning itself inside out.

The flowers look like white shooting stars! Peter Baye recently photographed this flower alongside one of the reaches of the Gualala River. I thank him for allowing me to share his photo with you here.

•

Low tide is the time to head for the tide pools of the Mendonoma Coast. Peggy Berryhill recently did just that. And look at the beauty she found. In the photo below is an Ochre Sea Star, one of the more commonly seen. It looks like it is wearing fine silver jewelry. Also in this photo are Mussels and Goose Barnacles.

 And here you will see Sea Anemones. They eat small fish and shrimp.

Next low tide might entice you to discover your own wonderful sightings.

Thanks to Peggy for allowing me to share her photos with you here. Listen to Peggy on KGUA radio, 88.3 FM. Here's the link to find out more: http://www.kgua.org/