Sightings

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Paul Brewer spotted this Peregrine Falcon recently.

Peregrine Falcon by Paul Brewer

They hunt medium-sized birds, especially ducks and shorebirds, and their aerial dive is something to see. They have been clocked at 200 miles per hour when diving for their dinner. To hear their calls, here is the link to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Peregrine_Falcon/sounds

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

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I have a treat for you. Paul Kozal recently photographed the Milky Way from a sea cave. This is the magnificent result:

Sea Cave and the Milky Way by Paul Kozal (Large)

We are blessed with a lack of light pollution here on the Mendonoma Coast. The Sea Ranch, in fact, does not allow much outdoor lighting. Without light pollution, the sky is alive with stars and planets...and galaxies!

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

I will have another Milky Way photo to share with you tomorrow, this one by Paul Brewer. Aren't we lucky these talented photographers are willing to share their work?

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Marilyn Green recently photographed a Common Buckeye Butterfly.

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Several days later Marlee Little photographed Common Buckeye caterpillars. Here's a photo of one of them.

Common Buckeye caterpillar by Marlee Little (Large)

I learned from Ron LeValley that this butterfly breeds nearly all year long so it's not unusual to see both the caterpillars and the butterflies at the same time.

A flashier cousin of Common Buckeyes - Monarchs - are migrating through our area now.

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

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Lewis Lubin found this unusual salamander. He wrote,

“My wife and I were removing jubata grass from around our spring box in a creek on our property in Annapolis. We came across this adult California Giant Salamander. It measured about nine inches long, and was incredibly beautiful.”

The beady eyes of a CA Giant Salamander, Dicamptodon ensatus, by Lewis Lubin

This salamander barks if disturbed. Here is a look at the entire salamander, photographed by Peter Baye:

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They have a natural camouflage!

Thanks to Lewis and Peter for allowing me to share their photos with you here.

Fog has made a welcome appearance so it looks like our heat wave is coming to an end. Hooray!

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It's so hot even the African hoof animals at the B. Bryan Preserve in Point Arena are looking for shade. Here are two Grevy's Zebra photographed by Judy Mello.

Grevy's Zebras in the shade by Judy Mello

It's fascinating to learn what Judy and Frank Mello are doing to preserve endangered animals at their preserve in Point Arena. Here's a link to their website: http://bbryanpreserve.com/

Here's one of my favorite photos of a Grevy's Zebra baby with its mother at the preserve. The young zebra had just seen a gopher pop up and couldn't believe what it just saw! This photo was taken by Craig Tooley.

Grevy's Zebra baby with mom APRIL by Craig Tooley

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