Sightings

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Pacific-slope Flycatchers are small birds of the forest. Craig Tooley recently found a nest of chicks waiting to be fed.Pacific-slope Flycatcher chicks waiting to be fed by Craig Tooley Not to worry, one of the parents had just caught a bug and would be soon flying to the nest.

Pacific-slope Flycatcher with a bug by Craig TooleyTo hear the calls of this bird, here is a link to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Pacific-slope_Flycatcher/sounds

Thanks to 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: www.ruffimage.com

 

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Gray foxes have had their kits, and the kits are growing up. They love to play with each other and they are very cute to see. Grace O'Malley has had two healthy-looking kits coming to her place near Timber Cove for water.

Young Gray Fox kit by Grace O'Malley Gray Fox kit by Grace O'MalleyMaya Looney photographed what looks like an adult near The Sea Ranch.

Gray fox by Maya LooneyAnd Karen Scott has this adult Gray fox visit her compost pile, eating the kale she had tossed in.

Gray Fox visits a compost pile by Karen ScottGray foxes are great rodent hunters. They also eat wild mushrooms, berries, and now we know they eat kale!

Thanks to Grace, Maya and Karen for allowing me to share their photos with you here.

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Bob Rutemoeller recently photographed a beautiful Leopard lily, Lilium pardalinum. They are also called Tiger lilies.

Leopard Lily by Bob RutemoellerYou can see in Bob's photo that there is a bud in the background. This tall lily puts out multiple blooms. I have some growing near our place in Anchor Bay. They can grow several feet high. Never pick the flowers, though! They need to develop seeds in the flower head so they will grow again next year.

In my book, Mendonoma Sightings Throughout the Year, I have a fun fact about this native wildflower: It you smell a Tiger Lily, you are sure to get freckles.

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

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A nearly-white fawn was born on The Sea Ranch. Not an albino, but considered a towhead. It will eventually color up. John Batchelder recently got a photo of the cute fawn with its mother.

White Fawn with its mother by John BatchelderYou will see it is acquiring some color on its back. Here's another look at the fawn.

Nearly-white Fawn by John Batchelder

It's wonderful to see the fawn looking so healthy. John says the fawn is very active, jumping and playing. Life is good when you are a cute fawn on The Sea Ranch!

Thanks to John for allowing me to share his photos with you here.

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Several unusual creatures washed up on Tide Pool Beach at The Sea Ranch recently, discovered by the Sarkisian family of Portland, Oregon. Christy Sarkisian wrote, “There were several sea-looking centipedes that washed up on July 3rd. In 20 years of coming to Sea Ranch we have never seen anything like it. They were like a centipede with thousands of legs, but on the side of their bodies, wiggling. They were unable to really move on the sand at all.

Mussel Worm, Nereis vexillosa, by Christy Sarkisian (1024x768)

“They were green in color and light red on their undersides. Of the four that washed up, they varied in size from 12 to 36 inches, all curled up. One rode the tide out, and seemed to swim away like an eel.”

Two Mussel Worms, Nereis vexillosa, by Christy Sarkisian

Local diver Eric Anderson knew they were worms, guessing Clam worms. Carol Preston of NOAA believes they were Mussel worms, Nereis vexillosa. She wrote, “I have seen them a few times, but not often. They can get quite big, and they mainly feed on other worms.”

Thanks to Christy for allowing me to share her photos with you here. It's fun to learn more about the fascinating creatures that live in the ocean.