Author Archives: Jeanne Jackson

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June is when the first Black Oystercatcher chicks are born. Haematopus bachmani is their Latin name and they are found on the Pacific Coast, from Baja to Alaska. They are a noisy bird - a Sightings contributor deemed them "chattery." They nest on rocky perches and you will see their chicks look like little rocks, giving them a measure of camouflage.

This first photo was taken by Coastal photographer, Craig Tooley. There are three chicks in the photo.

 And the photo below was taken by John Batchelder. I see only two chicks in John's photo.

To hear their call, here's a link to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Black_oystercatcher/sounds

Thanks to John and Craig for allowing me to share their photos here. To see more of Craig Tooley's wildlife photographs, here's the link to his website: http://ruffimage.com/

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Ron LeValley was on a boat off of Fort Bragg on the Mendocino Coast when a pod of Pacific White-sided Dolphins appeared. Ron, of course, had his camera and took these fabulous photos.

 In the photo below one of these small Dolphins was leaping ahead of the boat. "Hey, follow me!"

And these two Dolphins took a good look at Ron and the boat.

Pacific White-sided Dolphins are found in the North Pacific. They are a little bigger a man and seem to be fascinated by humans in boats. These Dolphins were severely impacted by driftnet fishing, which has since been banned early in the 1990's.

Thanks to Ron for allowing me to share these photos with you here. To see more of Ron's nature photography, here is the link to his web site: http://www.levalleyphoto.com/home/

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Cook's Beach is one of the many accomplishments of the Redwood Coast Land Conservancy. Irene Leidner is project chair and did a wonderful job in bringing this coastal access to us all. She is being honored tonight at Gualala Arts Center and Rick and I will be there to cheer her accomplishments.

This past weekend, after a small storm blew through on Friday, was especially beautiful. The ocean was calm with no white caps. Cathleen Crosby photographed Cook's Beach and has graciously shared it with all of us here.

You can see that it is a lovely pocket beach, protected from the wind. It's a perfect place to let a friendly dog play on the beach and in the waves.

To read how to find this pocket beach, here's a previous Sightings post: http://www.mendonomasightings.com/2012/02/12/cooks-beach-a-beautiful-pocket-beach-just-north-of-gualala/

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Robert Scarola had been digging in his yard the previous day, getting ready to put a few fence posts in. A California Quail couple discovered the newly turned dirt and decided to take a dirt bath, which helps them maintain the right amount of oil on their feathers.

Here are Robert's thoughts on these beautiful birds:

"The male really guards over his mate and seems to really care for her. They are part of the small daily life all around us. Not the Whales or Cougars or Hawks that take our breath away and who we love largely. Instead they are reminders of the constant presence of the little critters that share our neighborhood, and give us the chance to appreciate their gentle lives, and bring our own lives more in tune with theirs."

Thanks to Robert for allowing me to share his photos with you here. To see another photo of CA Quail by Paul Batchelder, here's the link: http://www.mendonomasightings.com/2011/09/20/charming-photo-of-california-quail-by-paul-batchelder/

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Lynda Opperman and Howard Curtis had fortune smile on them when a Gray Fox couple decided to raise a family under their deck on The Sea Ranch.

The mother Fox had just finished nursing so I entitled this first photo, "Dinner's over - let's play!"

 You won't believe what the mother Gray Fox did - she climbed up into Lynda's birdbath and  took a nice long soak. It probably felt good after nursing six kits.

You can see several other photos in this series on the Independent Coast Observer's web site at: www.mendonoma.com Click on On-Line Features and then Mendonoma Sightings.

Thanks to Lynda for allowing me to share her photos with you.