Harbor Seal moms haul out on secluded beaches to give birth at this time of year. One place where they come year after year is Tide Pool at The Sea Ranch. Professional photographer Craig Tooley took these two pictures this week and has given me permission to share them with you. You can see more of Craig's work at http://web.me.com/theruffians1/RufImage. Harbor Seals are among the most photogenic of Mother Nature's creatures!
On this morning's walk Rick and I noticed these two wildflowers blooming in a shaft of sunlight. The yellow one is a Redwood Violet. It is also called an Evergreen Violet. The purple one is Redwood Sorrel. The Native Americans ate the leaves of this plant but sparingly because they contain oxalic acid, hence their Latin name - Oxalis oregana. Two lovely wildflowers - the very essence of spring!
And the promised laugh. There is a Brush Rabbit living in bushes off our driveway. I have been trying to get a picture of this small rabbit to show you. Yesterday there he/she was, sitting in the sun. I got the camera ready, focused and got a picture of Huckleberry's behind. The rabbit was long gone. There was nothing to fear from this Golden Retriever.
Happy Spring, everyone! Jeanne Jackson, Gualala
Gualala Point Island is a beautiful rock island that sits off the far north end of The Sea Ranch. It is an important rookery for seabirds. Right now the island is bustling with renewed life. Brandt's and Pelagic Cormorants are building nests. Black Oystercatchers are mating. While watching the island, hundreds of Loons, mostly Pacific but some Common and a few Red-throated streamed by. You can see this island from Gualala Regional Park. Just head west to the ocean next to the Sea Ranch access trail and it will reveal itself as if by magic.
Wild Rhododendrons are in bloom on the Mendonoma Coast now and what a delight it is to see their lovely blooms. They begin blooming in April and peak in early May. This is prime time to see them! I took this photo yesterday right along Highway One at Salt Point State Park. These plants are protected by law - it is illegal to sell them. The Pacific Northwest has ideal growing conditions for wild Rhododendrons and I feel so fortunate to have some growing on the land where we live in Anchor Bay.
When Rick and I drove into The Sea Ranch yesterday for our birding outing, there in front of a house were these three Jackrabbits. They didn't run and hide when we stopped so I could take a picture. So, who was looking at whom?
