Sightings

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I love Coast Lilies, Lilium maritimum. They are considered rare and only found in wet areas within two miles of the ocean. Craig Tooley recently photographed one, one of his Pics O Joy.

Promise me to never pick them or to dig them up in the wild. Just enjoy their fleeting beauty. Beauty is something we need more of in today's world.

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

The fog rolled in overnight, ending our warm stretch for a few days.

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It's a treat to see a White-tailed Kite hovering in the air as she searches for a tasty rodent. Allen Vinson recently photographed a beautiful kite against an oh-so-blue sky.

These small raptors are year-round residents of the West Coast. Look for them in grassy meadows. I've seen them at Gualala Point Regional Park, a great place to see wildlife.

The calls of White-tailed Kites are rather soft. You can listen to them at this link to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/White-tailed_Kite/sounds

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

It's another sunny, warm, breezy day on the Mendonoma Coast today!

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One of Craig Tooley's Pic O Joy photos is this Mylitta Crescent Butterfly, Phyciodes mylitta.

This butterfly breeds on thistles, and both males and females visit many different types of flowers.

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

It's downright hot at our place in Anchor Bay today! We need our natural air conditioning to kick in - where is that summer fog?

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Michael Reinhart found a Common Raven eyeing twp Pelagic Cormorant nests with chicks inside.

The Raven swooped down and the cormorants "yelled" at the bird.

The raven had its eye on a nest with a single chick. Look how the mama bird protects her offspring, with her wing spread.

The Raven was unsuccessful on this day, but we know ravens steal a great many cormorant eggs and chicks. It's one of the many reasons we humans shouldn't feed ravens, especially close to the bluff edge. The cormorants are much shyer birds so you don't want to attract ravens to their traditional nesting area.

Thanks to Mike for allowing me to share his dramatic photos.

Another sunny, warm day on the Mendonoma Coast!

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It's a lovely plant with a pretty tough common name,  Swamp Harebell. It's quite rare, growing in wetlands. Margaret Lindgren found a nice patch of them at her home in the Redwoods at The Sea Ranch.

I'm told the flowers are quite small - I have never seen one...yet! A summer bloomer, as you can see, though it can also bloom in early autumn. Its scientific name is Campanula californica. This native wildflower is endemic to the Mendocino, Sonoma and Marin coasts.

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

Sunny and hot today away from the ocean. Looks like it's foggy to our north at the ocean's edge. Microclimates - the Mendonoma coast specializes in them!