Sightings

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Eric Zetterholm noticed this River Otter fishing in the very full and muddy Gualala River.

There is a family of River Otters that lives in and alongside the estuary of the Gualala River. The family is comprised of a mother otter and her offspring. The male otter does his part impregnating the female but then he leaves. Deadbeat dad! River Otters can't tolerate pollution, so their presence is a testament to the clean waters of the Mendonoma coast.

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

We are having breezy, sunny weather today, without a cloud to be seen.

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Craig Tooley was out between storms, photographing streams filled with abundant water, a wonderful sight after several years of subpar rain.

Here is a tributary of the Gualala River. I love the mossy rocks.

The ground is so saturated, it squishes when you walk on it. And now we have a chance to dry out. This coming weekend should be stellar here on the Mendonoma coast!

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

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Gail Jackson (no relation) was out on the bluffs with her camera, and she got some wonderful photos of Harbor Seals doing what they do best - lounging around with smiles on their faces. The sun must feel good to them after all the rain we've had.

Here are some more looks at Harbor Seal bliss.

Thanks to Gail for allowing me to share her fun photos with  you here.

Last night's storm was surprisingly fierce! We just soared past 52 inches season to date.

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With the big, wet winter we've been having, erosion of coastal bluffs is bound to happen. A sinkhole appeared on the north side of the PA Lighthouse.

Here's what Mark Hancock, Executive Director of the Point Arena Lighthouse, had to report:

“After our big week of rains, the sinkhole on the Gazebo Peninsula at the Point Arena Light Station has enlarged significantly. Now measuring 16 feet by 16 feet, the western edge lost about two feet, which left two of the fence posts hanging in midair.

“Justin York and I removed that section of fence so as not to have it fall into the sinkhole. As we were working on it, some chunks of topsoil on the eastern edge fell off into the hole. The bottom of the sinkhole is also open to the ocean, so we may start having a blowhole soon!”

Common sense says to keep a safe distance back from this active area. It's always smart to stay back from cliff edges.

Thanks to Mark for allowing me to share his photo with you here. To learn more about our favorite Lighthouse, including lodging, here is their link: http://pointarenalighthouse.com/

Here is one of my favorite photos of the Point Arena Lighthouse taken two years ago by Satori Ivy. I've shared this previously but I'm happy to share it again. Thanks to Satori for allowing me to do so.

We are having another rainy day - downpours interspersed with a little sun, with temperatures in the mid 40's...brrrr!

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June Wilson had a Hermit Thrush visit her place at The Sea Ranch for a while. She took this photo of the songbird.

Hermit Thrushes have a lovely song. You can hear it at this link: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Hermit_Thrush/sounds

Hermit Thrushes often can be seen foraging on the ground for insects or berries.

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