Catriona Carey found this mother Duck - a Mallard - and her ducklings on a pond with lily pads. It made for a wonderful photo.
I learned recently that the female Mallards are the ones to make the distinctive "quack." The males have nothing to do with raising the ducklings, and their call is a quiet rasping sound.
Thanks to Catriona for allowing me to share her photo with you here.
Sunny, breezy and warmer today!
I wanted to show you these other two photos of the Northern Lights we had two weeks ago, but first they appeared in the Independent Coast Observer. Paul Kozal's photo on the right, of the Sea Ranch Chapel and the Northern Lights, graced page one. Just spectacular! The one on the left is a bonus photo for you to see.
Joni Goshorn got a different look, a wonderful look, at the Northern Lights, with the Point Arena Lighthouse in the distance, and the moon on the left.
What a special treat to see the Northern Lights here on the Mendonoma Coast.
Thanks to Joni and Paul for allowing me to share their photos with you here. Visit Paul Kozal's website to see more of his photography at this link: https://www.paulkozal.com/Visit-the-Gallery
It's sunny and breezy here today, highs in the low 70's!
Tom Eckles wrote, “I was flying north towards home from Castle Rock [off the north end of Gualala] when I spotted them already flying. The drone elevation above the pelicans was approximately 400 feet. My drone has three cameras which allows a safe distance without disturbing the critters. I followed for close to a mile at around 30 mph, when I checked.” Here is a still photos from Tom's video.
At first Tom thought these were American White Pelicans, but experts looked at his photo and the video and determined they were Brown Pelicans lit by the sun.
Tom is very ethical in not wanting to disturb wildlife in any way, which I appreciate very much.
You can view Tom's mesmerizing video at this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gU5_Fzu_7ME
And to see more of Tom's videos, here is a link to his youtube channel: http://www.youtube.com/@tomeckles
Warm and windy today - lots of white caps on the ocean!
Western Azaleas are so beautiful and their bloom lasts for a while. Add in the lovely fragrance and all will be well!
Sheri found these azaleas along the Salal Trail, which begins at Gualala Point Regional Park. Here is a link to a blog post I did some time ago showing you how to find this trail: https://www.mendonomasightings.com/2012/01/30/how-to-find-the-salal-trail-a-hidden-gem-of-a-trail-on-the-sea-ranch/
Thanks to Sheri for allowing me to share her photo with you here.
It's warm and breezy today on the coast!
Saturday, May 18th is Celebrate the Coast at the Point Arena-Stornetta Lands. There is a LOT planned and it sounds like great fun. If you walk from City Hall all the way to Lighthouse Road, about halfway you will see some very distinctive arches. This is what they looked like just three weeks ago.
But two weeks ago the closest arch collapsed, and this is what the arches look like now. Leslie Dahlhoff sent in these photos.
Thanks to Leslie for allowing me to share her photos with you here. She is also at the helm of the Celebrate the Coast event. Here's the poster showing all the activities. Hope to see some of you there!
The heavy, cool fog of this morning has disappeared into brilliant sunshine. Nice!