Bucks with their antlers covered in soft velvet have been seen recently. Drew Fagan photographed two of them north of Gualala. He entitled his photo, "Two gentlemen in velvet lunching outside my studio."
Nice view Drew has from his art studio!
To see Drew's art, here is a link to his web site: http://drewfagan.com/ I thank him for allowing me to share his photo with you here.
Such a sweet little flower, Pussy Ears or Cat's Ears, are now blooming on the Mendonoma Coast. Robert Scarola recently photographed one of these beauties. Yes, the flower is soft to the touch.
Below is a photo I took that shows the long, slender leaf of this wildflower. It grows separate from the actual flower. Once you recognized this long leaf, you will more easily see these flowers.
Pussy Ears are also called Hairy Star Tulip or Tolmie Star Tulip and their Latin name is Calochortus tolmiei. They are native to California but found in other western states. They are a treat to find on the edges of forests.
Thanks to Robert for allowing me to share his photo with you here.
Rozann Grunig was at the bluffs near Tidepool Beach on The Sea Ranch when she saw this Osprey perched in a tree.
Nice spot to take in the view or perhaps catch sight of a nice, fat fish. Thanks to Rozann for allowing me to share her photo with you here.
We can see an Osprey nest from our home in Anchor Bay. It's nearly a half mile away so we view it through our scope. The other day as we watched the male Osprey came with a fish and the female briefly left the nest. Rick and I saw two fuzzy heads peak up over the rim of the nest. Yes, Ospreys have hatched on the Mendonoma Coast!
Linda Bostwick and Mel Smith were hiking at Schooner Gulch State Beach. They couldn't believe their eyes when they saw three Oregonian Aquatic Garter Snakes in the creek. And one of them was eating a fairly large fish.
Linda and Mel didn't know this creek had fish in it, much less these large garter snakes. One was floating, looking like a branch. Good camouflage for surprising an unwary fish.
Thanks to Linda for allowing me to share her photo with you here.
I thought you might enjoy a photo of two adult Gray Foxes since I've been showing you Fox Kits. It was taken by Coastal photographer Siegfried Matull at his home on The Sea Ranch. It is one of my favorite photos. Doesn't it speak to the serenity and beauty of the Mendonoma Coast?
The female is on the left. Thanks to Siegfried for allowing me to share his photo with you here.