Sightings

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We took a walk on the Gualala Bluff Trail this morning, marveling at the big surf. The skies are blue and the Gualala River is flowing out to sea.

The forecast calls for lots of rain, but you couldn't tell by today!

Last Thursday the Gualala River was muddy and much higher due to storms.

Harbor Seals and Gulls at the Gualala River by Jeanne Jackson

Here is a short video. There were nearly 100 Harbor Seals hauled out on the sandbar. There were also many Gulls, some in the river washing themselves. Others were drying out on the sand. It was fun to watch the Gulls being drawn closer to the river mouth and then flying up and back into the river to be carried along by the current once again.

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Phil Atkins was surprised in late December to see this Bobcat kitten on his deck at The Sea Ranch.

It seems very early to see a young one like this, but there you go!

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

We are having a sunny day today, but lots of rain headed our way!

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Mike Nelson piloted his drone and photographed the Gualala River recently. You can the big sandbar that finally was breached with the rains. The buildings are the small town of Gualala. The river opened a little differently this year, angling to the south as it flows into the Pacific Ocean.

It's very interesting to see the Gualala River mouth from the vantage point of a bird...or in this case, a drone!

Thanks to Mike for allowing me to share his photo with you here.  Mike is the owner of MD Electric and Solar. If you ever need his services, here's a link to his website: http://mdelectricsolar.com/

More rain today and the ocean is roaring!

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Friday afternoon, Rick and I, along with our rescue golden retriever, Duffy, took a walk. Alongside a path we take every day was a fresh Queen Bolete, Boletus aereus. Queen Boletes seem to like colder weather, which we had up until yesterday when the rains arrived.

Duffy came to us from Taiwan. He was living on the streets for a while. He obviously knew this mushroom was a tasty one. He would have snatched it if we weren't paying attention. Sorry, Duffy! We enjoyed it with dinner.

We also found Matsutakes in the same place they come up every year. These were just peeking up from the forest duff.

They smell wonderful - of cinnamon. They grow in sandy soil and I believe they have a symbiotic relationship with Sugarsticks, Allotropa virgata. I have found Sugarsticks, a native perennial herb, nearby in the spring.

We are having lots of wonderful rain. It began yesterday and continues today, for which we are grateful.

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Scott and Tree Mercer sit out on the bluffs most days looking for Gray Whales and other marine life. As of yesterday, they have seen 99 Gray Whales swimming fast to the birthing lagoons of Baja. These first whales are the pregnant females and they are intent on reaching the safety of the lagoons before giving birth.

Here is a photo Ken Bailey took a few years ago showing the spout - the exhalation of air - and the tail.

And next is a flipper of a Gray Whale, photo by Paul Brewer.

You can see this Gray Whale was in the surf break, photo taken by Frank Coster.

And here is the migration route the Gray Whales take. They travel thousands of miles, twice a year!

Today is the last sunny day for a while as three storms are lined up for the days ahead. But when there is a break, you can look for Gray Whales, as thousands more will be passing by in the days, weeks and months to come. I find it comforting to know they are just offshore, living their lives as their ancestors did.

Thanks to Ken, Paul and Frank for allowing me to share their photos with you here. To follow the Mercers whale counts, visit their Facebook page, Mendonoma Whale and Seal Study at this link: https://www.facebook.com/Mendonoma-Whale-and-Seal-Study-1421926098039236/