Sightings

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A friend called to say the Gualala River had opened this morning. Rick and I hurried down to see the action. It was low tide and the river was pouring through the opening with great force.

1. Sandbar has been breached by Jeanne Jackson (Large)

The sound was incredible too. Many people were on the Gualala Bluff Trail to watch this phenomenon, which is where I took these photos.

2. Waves in breach by jeanne Jackson (Large)

You can see the opening is a little wider, as the sandbar continues to crumble under the force of the river. Then we couldn't believe our eyes - a couple with a dog walked out on the sandbar.

3. Clueless couple with dog by jeanne Jackson (Large)

As we watched with great concern, the woman walked all the way to the edge of the breach to take photos.

4. A good day to be washed out to sea by Jeanne Jackson (Large)

Those of us watching yelled and gestured but the sound of the river was too great. Finally someone walked out and convinced them to back off a bit. Not smart...not smart at all!

Here is a photo of the breach thirty minutes later.

5. A half hour later by Jeanne Jackson (Large)

Young Steelhead, which were trapped in luxury during the summer and early autumn, were swept into the ocean. Once the river stabilizes, adult Steelhead will make their way into the river.

The wild Gualala River is a treasure beyond compare!

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Yellow Chanterelles are being found as evidenced by this photo taken by Ron Champoux.

Early Chanterelles by Ron Champoux

That's a nice haul of this delicious edible mushroom. I am still waiting for my spots to fruit. I did find quite a few Matsutakes this week.

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

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Allen Vinson looked out his Sea Ranch home and saw a Bobcat on its back with its feet in the air, obviously scratching its back. The Bobcat then stood up and stared right at Allen!

The stare of a Bobcat by Allen Vinson

The cat with the tufted ears and bobbed tail actually took a few strides towards Allen. But it veered off and went its own way, leaving Allen in peace.

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

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I'll let Siegfried Matull tell this story:

“Whenever the sun shines, we have Quail taking sand baths in our yard. We have been watching this action for many hours!

Quail taking a sand bath by Siegfried Matull

“In my picture you can see two Quail on the left with their eyes open, but the Quail on the right has stuck its head down into the sand we are sure with its eyes closed. These birds throw the sand with their wings high into the air, fully covering themselves with sand, making them invisible.”

Studies have shown that dusting helps Quail maintain the optimum level of oil on their feathers.

Thanks to Siegfried for allowing me to share his photo with you here. And Happy Thanksgiving to those in the United States! This beautiful, warm day on the Mendonoma Coast is reason enough to be thankful. And we are thankful for the rains to come - there is a series of storms headed our way, with rain to begin sometime tomorrow. Hooray!

 

 

 

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Ken and Martha Fischer were surprised to see all these Moon Jellies washed up at the mouth of the Garcia River.

Moon Jellies washed up at the mouth of the Garcia River by Ken Fischer

Ken said there were thousands of them and surmised that huge surf had thrown them up onto land.

Moon Jellyfish, Aurelia, are found in most of the world’s oceans. They only live for a few months.

Here's a happier photo, one that Craig Tooley took of Bell Jellies off our Coast.

Bell Jellies JAN by Craig Tooley

This photo appears in my book, Mendonoma Sightings Throughout the Year. Craig is the featured photographer.

Thanks to Ken  and Craig 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