Author Archives: Jeanne Jackson

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Bob Yeager wrote, “Our friend, Alex Pierce, took this wonderful photo of a Northern Pygmy Owl while she and her husband Donald were on vacation at Sea Ranch a couple of weeks ago.” In receiving Alex’s permission to share her photo, Alex wrote, “I love going to [the coast] and photographing birds and everything nature.”

I love owls, and Pygmy Owls are a treat to find. Rick and I had one land on our deck railing some years ago. Did you know they have false eyes on the back of their head? That's what I photographed!  Quite an interesting feature Mother Nature gave this tiny owl, a little help from predators.

Their calls are a high pitched hoot and you can hear it for yourself at this link to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northern_Pygmy-Owl/sounds

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

We are having a two-day heatwave for today and tomorrow. It's quite warm away from the ocean, and even toasty in downtown Gualala. The Pacific Ocean is all riled up today - huge breakers and the mist from them is drifting across Highway One. I was told by Ron at Surf Market that the ocean is riled up because of a storm in the Gulf of Alaska. Wow!

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I love it when Mike Reinhart is out and about with camera in hand. He's a pro at photographing birds. He found perhaps the first returning Say's Phoebe recently, perched on a bush (coyote bush?)  in a meadow at The Sea Ranch.

The Peregrine falcon was soaring through the air, always a thrilling sight.

And this Osprey coming in for a landing was seen at Mill Bend, the mouth of the Gualala River. Ospreys will be leaving us soon, unless one or two decide to overwinter here. The vast majority will migrate south for the winter, returning to the Mendonoma Coast around the first day of spring.

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Mel Smith saw this Bobcat near his home in Point Arena. He took the photo with his phone through a spotting scope.

Bobcats are often seen in the daylight hours here on the Mendonoma Coast. They are supposed to be nocturnal but perhaps they have evolved. I receive many sightings of Bobcats during the day.

Thanks to Mel for allowing me to share his photo with you here.

It's a beautiful autumn day here, mid-sixties, with no wind. We've had 1.60 inches of rain so far. Mushroomers are wondering if this is enough rain to get the boletus edulis, the porcini, going in the days ahead, but that's an unknown at this point.

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Sometimes you almost can't believe what you are seeing. Sarah Woods found a rainbow in a sunbeam.

A momentary glimpse of loveliness!

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

Today we've been having...RAIN! I will report rain totals tomorrow.

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Tony and Ricky Thomas live up on the Gualala Ridge and their security cameras captured a big Black Bear rambling up a neighbors' driveway. Those neighbors are Eric and Lisa Kritz! Here's a screen shot from the video.

Here is the video of the Black Bear. Click on the link below to watch it.

Video of Black Bear roaming the Gualala ridge by Tony Thomas.jpg

Thanks to Tony and Ricky Thomas for allowing me to share their video and screen shot here.

The weather has cooled off today. Chance of rain tomorrow, Monday!