Sightings

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Sharon Beals was hiking on the Point Arena-Stornetta Lands recently when she noticed this male Red Crossbill in a pine tree. This bird's unique bills allows it to spread apart a pine cone and retrieve a nut.

There's got to be food in here - a male Red Crossbill

He was successful.

Found something - a male Red Crossbill by Sharon BealsMale Crossbill finds a seed by Sharon Beals

And then the crossbill took a good look at the photographer!

A male Red Crossbill looking at me by Sharon Beals

Sharon Beals is the author of "Nests: Fifty Nests and the Birds that built them." You can learn more about this beautiful book at her website: http://www.sharonbeals.com/

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

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Marilyn Green came across this on a local beach a few weeks ago.

Abalone shells wash up on beaches and are fun to find. Someone did a little collecting and left them for others to take. It's the interior of the abalone shell that has iridescence.

A rare chance to use an 11 inch abalone gauge by Jack Likins (Medium)

This photo was taken by Jack Likins of a eleven inch abalone he dove for a few years ago. To get a ten inch ab is a dream of many divers. Jack's accomplishment of an eleven incher is amazing.

Thanks to Marilyn and Jack for allowing me to share their photos with you here.

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Beth Kattleman was in the right place at the right time to get this photo of two Does on a bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

Two Deer on the bluff by Beth Kattleman

That was a nice sunny day, which is how most of February has been here. But this afternoon it has begun raining - nice, big drops!

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

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Paul Kozal was out recently photographing the waves at Walk On Beach, one of the public access trails on The Sea Ranch. Here is what he captured:

Walk on Beach waves by Paul Kozal

So very lovely.

Thanks to Paul for allowing me to share his photo with you here. To see much more of Paul's nature photography, here is the link to his website:  www.paulkozal.com

 

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Many of our native wildflowers are quite small so you need to pay close attention when hiking in forests or on bluffs. Here are a few that are currently blooming.

Milkmaids, Cardamine californica, a member of the mustard family.

Milkmaids by Amy Ruegg

And Hooker's Fairybells, Disporum hookeri, a member of the lily family. The flowers shyly hid underneath this plant's leaves.

Fairy Bells by Amy Ruegg

Slink Pod, aka Fetid Adder's Tongue, Scoliopus bigelovii, also a member of the lily family.

Fetid Adder's Tongue, the first wildflower of the year, by Craig Tooley

All of these and more are blooming now, though the Slink Pod bloom may be over. I will share more of our coastal wildflowers soon.

The first two photos were taken by Amy Ruegg and the last was taken by Craig Tooley. I thank them for allowing me to share their photos with you here. To see much more of Craig's nature photography, here is his website: www.ruffimage.com