Self-heal, Prunella vulgaris, blooms in sunny grassy spots on the Mendonoma coast. Mary Sue Ittner found it blooming on the Point Arena-Stornetta Lands recently.
Its common name refers to its medicinal qualities. It is said to help heal cuts and inflammation.
Thanks to Mary Sue for allowing me to share her photo with you here.
Bob Hathaway photographed the scene. He wrote, “While out photographing a boring Western gull, I was treated to quite a show by a visiting River otter. Here is a photo of the two sharing a rock while the otter enjoys breakfast. The otter was harassed by two Ravens and a Turkey vulture looking for a free meal. All the while the gull minded his own business and never departed his post.”
River otters can't abide pollution, so it's a testament to the clean waters of our rivers and the Pacific Ocean that they live here. Western gulls are also year round residents of the Mendonoma coast.
Thanks to Bob for allowing me to share his photo with you here.
Sarah Wagner Flaim photographed the Milky Way earlier this week. Here is the spectacular result. The bright star to the right is Mars. Mars is very close to Earth right now.
In the Huffington Post yesterday there was an article about how few people in the United States can see the Milky Way anymore. Light pollution is the culprit. Here's the link to the article: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/light-pollution-psychological-effects_us_5759d91be4b0e39a28ad0e93?fb_action_ids=10153908737758171&fb_action_types=og.comments
Thanks to Sarah for allowing me to share her photo with you here.
Sponsored by the Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary, a fascinating photo exhibit opens tonight from 5 pm to 7 pm. Along with photos taken by Sanctuary photographers, local nature photographer, Scott Chieffo, will be showing his photos of our coast.
Underwater photographer, Ken Bailey, has shared some of his discoveries in the ocean. You can expect to see many wonderful photos likes these. This is an Opalescent Nudibranch.
Next is an Orange Sponge Ken found on the ocean floor.
And this last photo is of a woman surrounded by jellies, jellyfish.
Here is the poster of the month-long exhibit. It's curated by Jennifer Stock of NOAA.
Thanks to Ken for allowing me to share his underwater photos with you here.
Pileated woodpeckers are such striking birds, and their distinctive calls can be heard on the Mendonoma coast. They are our largest woodpecker. Dave Tettleton spotted one pecking on a downed tree recently.
You can see the rectangular hole this Pileated has made. The bird is looking for its favorite food, carpenter ants and other insects. Here is a close-up of one taken by Craig Tooley. Once again you can see the rectangular opening it is making. Isn't it a beautiful bird?
To hear the call of this bird, here is a link to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Pileated_Woodpecker/sounds
Thanks to Dave and Craig for allowing me to share their photos with you here. To see much more of Craig's nature photography, here is the link to his website: www.ruffimage.com