Sightings

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Craig's wife, Rita Peck, looked out their window and saw this little owl taking a bath in one of the water bowls they leave out for wildlife.

Craig spotted the Pygmy Owl again, this time perched on a branch and looking very clean from its bath!

I love these little owls and I thank Craig for allowing me to share his photos with you here. To see much more of Craig's nature photography, here is the link to his website: http://www.ruffimage.com

Sunny and cold this morning with clouds drifting in this afternoon. We have rain forecast for tomorrow - hooray!

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Snowy Plovers are always a treat to see. Craig Tooley recently photographed one near a piece of kelp.

Snowy Plovers are small plovers who inhabit sandy beaches and bare ground. They are most often seen at Manchester State Beach, where they nest in the sand. Their numbers are declining so we do all we can to protect them. Since they are so exposed, leashing your dog during breeding season is a must. One of their calls is a whistle sound which you can listen to at this link: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Snowy_Plover/sounds

Thanks to Craig for allowing me to share his photo with you here. To see much more of Craig's nature photography, here is the link to his website: http://www.ruffimage.com

We are having a stormy day today. This morning we were graced with rainbows, the first we've seen in months. We've had a few good downpours of blessed rain. We hope it's the beginning of much more wet stuff!

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Black Phoebes are year round residents of the Mendonoma Coast. Craig Tooley recently photographed one perched on a branch.

I had one perch on the railing of our deck recently, giving its distinctive chirp. You can listen to its calls here: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Black_Phoebe/sounds

Black Phoebes are flycatchers, so you shouldn't be surprised that they eat insects that they catch in the air. Here's a fun fact from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's website:

"The male Black Phoebe gives the female a tour of potential nest sites, hovering in front of each likely spot for 5 to 10 seconds. But it’s the female who makes the final decision and does all the nest construction."

Of course it's the female who makes the final decision!

Thanks to Craig for allowing me to share his photo with you here. To see much more of Craig's nature photography, including his Pics O Joy during the pandemic, here is his website: http://www.ruffimage.com

Another sparkling, spectacular day today. Cold, windy and even wet weather is predicted beginning Friday. Bring it on, Mother Nature!

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Sara Bogard noticed this Great Blue Heron posing at the Point Arena Lighthouse. They are such beautiful birds!

One of my all-time favorite photos of a Great Blue Heron was taken by Paul Brewer. Paul photographed the heron as he/she was taking flight.

Another favorite photo is by Gordon Stitt - a Great Blue Heron and the Point Arena Lighthouse, along with crashing waves.

Thanks to Sara, Paul and Gordon for allowing me to share their photos with you here.

The Pacific Ocean has been crashing today, perhaps telling us of changes ahead. For now, the weather has been spectacular.

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Peter Baye was tide pooling recently when he saw this Opalescent Nudibranch.

Nudibranchs are mollusks in the class Gastropoda, which includes snails, slugs, limpets, and sea hairs. Their common name is Sea Slugs, which doesn't do justice to their beauty. John Thompson photographed a Clown Dorid Nudibranch some time ago.

And Loren Adrian photographed a Hopkin's Rose Nudibranch. This particular nudibranch was previously found to our south, but over the past several years, we've had sightings of a few off our coast.

Just a small sample of the beautiful life that lives in the ocean.

Thanks to Peter, John and Loren for allowing me to share their photos with you here.

Sunny, mild weather, though I see the fog low on the ocean. The full moon setting early this morning was quite wonderful to see. Happy Halloween!