At first I thought I was seeing a Monarch Butterfly - I've seen several in recent days. But when I carefully stalked the orange butterfly with my camera, I found it was smaller. Flitting amongst the small yellow wildflowers flowers in my garden in Anchor Bay, it landed long enough for me to photograph it. Some loveliness for you today!
Ken Holmes recently found a beautiful wild mushroom, the edible Agaricus augustus, also known as The Prince. It grows in humus rich soils. Oddly enough it often appears at edges of roads. The mushroom has a strong almond odor and it is good to eat. I also admire it for its beauty.
Thanks to Ken for allowing me to share his photo with you. Here's a link to another photo of this mushroom on this blog: http://www.mendonomasightings.com/2011/06/11/royalty-has-arrived-on-the-mendonoma-coast-the-prince-agaricus-augustus-a-delicious-mushroom/
Siegfried Matull has a stump on his Sea Ranch property that became the backdrop for a charming photo. A mother Raccoon and her four kits (also called cubs) were seen climbing on the stump. The baby Raccoon on the right froze on the stump and began crying. Siegfried captured the moment where the mother reached up to help her little one - a charming photo, indeed. Thanks to Siegfried for allowing me to share this photo with you!
I am fascinated by Dragonflies and Damselflies. When you view them up close you can see their intricate designs and sparkling colors - they are living jewels. These insects have six legs, like all other insects, but they can't walk well. But, boy, are they fast fliers! They are found near water and are beneficial in that they eat mosquitoes, flies and other small insects. How can you tell the male and female apart? The Dragonfly holds his wings out perpendicular to his body when at rest. The Damselfly holds her wings together just above her body. If you can get close enough, the males eyes touch, while the females eyes are apart.
John Sperry photographed a Common Whitetail Dragonfly and has kindly allowed me to share it with you.
http://www.mendonomasightings.com/2011/07/24/a-dragonfly-a-flame-skimmer-visited-my-garden/
The male Alligator Lizard "holds" the female's head while they mate. It looks like he is biting her! But in Emily's photo there are two males "holding" her head. One of the males is a California Alligator Lizard and the other is a San Francisco Alligator Lizard, as is the female. Thanks to Gary Nafis for the identification of these critters. If you are interested in learning more about amphibians and reptiles, here's Gary's excellent web site. http://www.californiaherps.com/index.html
Is it good to be a female San Francisco Alligator Lizard? She wasn't talking.
