Sightings

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I'll let Anne Mary Schaefer tell the story. She wrote,

“I was just feeding my wee beasties Friday evening when I heard her high hunting keening cry, and saw that the sun was about to set. I grabbed my camera and ran outside, scanning the western sky over Manchester State Beach campground. Nada.

“I was just about to go inside when she came swooping right over my head, turned on her wing, and the last sunlight hit her breast. She disappeared into a tree top, where a whole flock of little birds were quite indignant at being suddenly ousted.”

Red-tailed Hawk by Anne Marie Schaefer

Isn't this a glorious photo? I thank Anne Mary for allowing me to share it with  you here.

To hear the calls of a Red-tailed Hawk, here is the link to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Red-tailed_Hawk/sounds

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Peter Baye has several large tubs that he uses for a wetland nursery. Sierran Treefrogs moved right in.  During the wild storms several weeks ago, the males became agitated and started vocalizing, sending out their mating call.

Sierran Treefrogs vocalizing by Peter Baye

You can see the males' vocal sacs are fully extended.

Sierran Treefrogs mating calls by Peter Baye

The next morning there were eggs at the bottom of these tubs. Love was definitely in the air!

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

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Martin Steinpress found two of these mushrooms,  Hydnellum aurantiacum.

Hydnellum aurantiacum 2 by Martin Steinpress Hydnellum aurantiacum by Martin SteinpressThey grow under Pines and other conifers. They do sport "teeth" like Hedgehog mushrooms do, but to quote David Arora, "[They are]unequivocally inedible."

This mushroom is in the same group as the Strawberries and Cream Hydnellum I shared some months ago. Here's the photo Ken Browning took of that one.

Hydnellum peckii, Strawberries and Cream, by Ken Browning

Sometimes it seems that Mother Nature has a sense of humor! Thanks to Martin and Ken for allowing me to share their photos with you here.

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Oregonian Jeff Austin frequently visits the Mendonoma Coast. He noticed this Brown Pelican trying to get a fish in its pouch.

The pouch of a Brown Pelican by Jeff Austin (Large)

With the sun shining on the pouch, it's quite an amazing photo! Brown Pelicans plunge dive for fish and it's quite a sight to see them fishing. Here is one of my favorite photos of one plunge diving. It was taken by Patrick Killen.

Brown Pelican plunge diving by Patrick Killen

Thanks to Jeff and Patrick for allowing me to share their photos with you here.

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Tom Eckles was out on the public hiking trails recently and got a beautiful photo of Sea Foam.

Sea Foam after the storm by Tom Eckles

I learned from the NOAA website that sea foam is often indicative of a productive ocean ecosystem. Seawater has lots of tiny pieces of organic matter, plus salts, dead algae and more. When the ocean is agitated - a washing machine comes to mind – sea foam occurs. But this event was an amazing occurrence. All we need for Tom’s photo is a cherry on top.

Thanks to Tom for allowing me to share his photo with you here. To see much more of Tom's photography, here is his website: www.tomeckles.com.