On a hike with a friend yesterday Rick and I saw a lone Douglas Iris, Iris douglasiana, blooming in a sunny patch of land. Yes, it is early for this wildflower to bloom but there was no denying its beautiful presence.
And today a small pod of Gray Whales were seen headed south. All in all, a beautiful day on the Mendonoma Coast!
Jim Garlock photographed a beautiful Red-shouldered Hawk, Buteo lineatus, sitting on a tree branch on The Sea Ranch recently. This Hawk lives in forests near water in California and the East. They eat small mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and crayfish. Perhaps Jim's hawk is looking for a nice fat mouse.
Here's a link to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology to hear what this hawk sounds like: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/red-shouldered_hawk/sounds/ac
Thanks to Jim for allowing me to share his photo with you here.
Craig Tooley was up early to take advantage of the light of dawn. He calls it taking photos on the edges of the day. He caught a Great Blue Heron with the dawn light reflected off of its body. Just a spectacular photo! Craig calls it, "Greeting the dawn."
To see more of Craig's coastal photographs, here's the link to his web site: http://ruffimage.com/
The Mendonoma Coast is just starting to dry out from the series of storms that hit us late last week. We received nearly ten inches at our home in Anchor Bay! Tom Eckles photographed storm clouds mixed with the setting sun - just spectacular.
This is the season for Dungeness Crab, Metacarcinus magister. The season from Point Arena north was delayed until recently to allow the crabs to grow to the proper size. Local boats go out from the Point Arena Pier and larger boats come up from Bodega Bay. Beth Petit recently photographed a large load of crab coming into the pier.
And Allen Vinson photographed several crab boats plying the waters off the Mendonoma Coast.
Dungeness Crab is found off the West Coast of Northern America and is considered a delicious delicacy. I can tell you it's one of my favorite seafood. Crab cakes, anyone?
Thanks to Beth and Allen for allowing me to share their photos with you here.