Author Archives: Jeanne Jackson

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White-lined Sphinx Moths, also called Hummingbird Moths, are here on the Mendonoma Coast in unbelievable numbers. In past years, I'd be lucky to receive one or two sightings of these beautiful moths. In the past week or so I've received many, many sightings of them. For whatever reason, they are having a banner year - a mast year - and they are being seen in the daylight hours, which is also unusual.

Mary Lou Flint photographed one feeding on agapanthus. She said there were three or four in her garden.

And Michael Combs found one feeding on nasturtiams.

Jeanne Barry also found one in her garden.

This morning I saw two feeding in abelia, a plant loved by Bumblebees, Monarch Butterflies, and now White-lined Sphinx Moths! I'll be posting more about these beauties soon.

Thanks to Mary Lou, Michael and Jeanne (nice name!) for allowing me to share their photos with you here.

After a very foggy, drippy morning, the sun broke through, but temps are quite mild, low 60's.

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Gualala Point Island is found off the far north end of The Sea Ranch. It is an important rookery for nesting seabirds. So it shouldn't be a surprise that the island gets a covering of white guano.

Steve Woolson took a photo of the island after the January storms, and he found it all washed clean.

Thanks to Steve for allowing me to share his photos with you here.

There is a big, thick fog bank over the ocean today but it pulled back, showing me some of the Pacific Ocean. Then I noticed a black line on the calm ocean. An anomaly on the ocean means a feeding frenzy could be going on. And that was the case. Gulls and Brown Pelicans were diving in what I think was a huge group of Anchovies. At the front of the southward moving line, I saw spouts which could have been dolphins! Hopefully someone closer to the ocean was able to identify them.

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Peggy Berryhill noticed this beat-up Pale Swallowtail. Something took a couple of bites out of its wings, but it lived to feed on these sweet flowers.

And Jackie Baas found a Painted Lady, also a little worse for wear.

If these butterflies could talk, what a tale they might tell us!

Thanks to Peggy and Jackie for allowing me to share their photos with you here.

Yesterday, Monday, it was very warm, hitting 90 degrees at Rick's and my place in Anchor Bay. Overnight the blessed fog rolled in and this morning it was 52 degrees. That's weather whip-lash!

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I'll let Ann tell the story. She wrote, "I was happy with today's Violet-green Swallow shots. Those were from Moonraker [on The Sea Ranch]. Catching swallows on the wing is almost hopeless, but today I happened to see a fledgling sitting atop the Moonraker Recreation Center waiting to be fed. The first feeding I caught on camera was especially fun as a series: 1) baby swallow calling to be fed

2) momma swallow flying in and feeding on the wing and in the process

3) knocking baby swallow off the ledge. Kind of like those blooper take-out moments shown during the credits after a movie.”

Whoops - sorry, junior!

Thanks to Ann for a fun series of photos.

It's warm on the coast today  - beach weather!

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It's fascinating to actually see the blur of the wings of this Yellow-faced Bumblebee gathering pollen. Rozanne Rapozo caught magic!

Bumblebees beat their wings about 200 times per second. Perhaps the wings beat a bit slower while this beauty is gathering her pollen and in the process pollinating this flower.

Thanks to Rozanne for allowing me to share her photo with you here.

There's a big fogbank over the ocean and along some coastal bluffs. The wind really picked up again this afternoon. It's in the mid-70s at Rick's and my place in Anchor Bay.