Sightings

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Jackie Sones was out very early a few days ago and was rewarded with a sighting of this Barn Owl, Tyto Alba. Doesn't it look like this owl is scattered with diamonds?

Jackie then watched the owl fly off into the fog. She wrote: "There was dense fog at the coast, so you could see moisture in the owl's feathers. As the owl flew off into the fog, it looked like an apparition, making us wonder if it had really been there or not."

Thanks to Jackie for allowing me to share her photos with you here. Jackie has a wonderful nature blog that you can find here: https://bodegahead.blogspot.com/

It's warm, breezy, sunny today...but a fog bank is forming up over the Pacific Ocean.

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You might have a chance to see a spectacle at Gualala Point Island this weekend. Common Murres, seabirds, nest on the island. When the chicks are ready to fledge, they have to take a leap of faith off the island and into the water where their fathers wait, calling up to them with encouragement. As of Friday, July 31st, the chicks were still on the island but they could fledge at any time now.

Sara Bogard was at the Point Arena Lighthouse bluffs when she saw a Common Murre chick in the water following its father, so this chick fledged earlier than the ones on GPI.

Once the chicks are in the water with dad, the mother birds are free from child rearing, something other bird mothers must be jealous of!

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

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In my original post, I wrote that these were Leopard Lilies, Lilium pardalinum, very tall lilies that bloom as early as May and as late as July. However, several readers have contacted me to let me know these are Coast Lilies, Lilium maritimum. They could even be a possible hybrid of the two.  A few weeks ago, Craig Tooley found this beautiful patch of these native wildflowers, kissed with dew.

Coast Lilies are rare. Promise me you will never pick them!

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

Here in Anchor Bay the fog pulled back early, though it is hovering over the Pacific Ocean. Yes, it's sunny and mild today.

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Wood Ducks are quite shy, so Karen Wilkinson was delighted when she spotted one for a brief moment, paddling in the Gualala River. She only caught this one glimpse.

Some years ago Peter Baye photographed this pair of Wood Ducks, the female on the left.

And Kathy Bishop also had a sighting some years ago of these ducks and she got some great close-ups of the beautiful adult male, and a photo of the rather drab-looking female with her brightly-colored mate.

In the 15+ years of writing my column in the Independent Coast Observer, these are the only photos sent in over that time. So I'd say Wood Ducks are a rare sighting here!

Thanks to Karen, Peter and Kathy for allowing me to share their photos with you here.

Another foggy, cool day on the Mendonoma Coast. Hey, it must be summer!

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Eric Zetterholm has the wonderful knack of photographing the mated pair of Bald Eagles. He got this beautiful photo with the Bald Eagle's reflection shining in the Gualala River.

A lovely photo of this majestic bird!

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

Foggy at the immediate coast - sunny and mild just a little ways inland.