Sightings

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Bishop Pines trees are loaded with pollen. Rick touched one gently while we were hiking at Gualala Point Regional Park and look what happened! Can you see the puff of yellow pollen? Our golden retriever, Huckleberry, was watching it too. This pollen affects a lot of people, setting off their allergies. We have a storm coming in Tuesday so that will help knock some of the pollen down...I hope.

While on the bluff trail, we stopped to look for Gray Whales. We saw someone had made a driftwood heart.

At the same viewing spot, this twisted tree shows the affects of the wind.

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Best of Show at the recent Gualala River Sightings event was given to Rick Denniston's Deer reflected in the Gualala River. You can see raindrops in the river too.

Best One of a Kind was awarded to Allen Vinson for his green flash photo, which he took at Gualala Point Regional Park. The river greets the Pacific Ocean there.
Congratulations to Rick and Allen for their award winning photos!

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At the Gualala River Sightings event, Diane Hichwa won the Best Series award with her photos of a River Otter taking a Gull. Though it's not easy to see, it is nature in action.

The first photo Diane entitled "Help!" A River Otter came up underneath a flock of Gulls and nabbed this one.

Other Otters joined in to bring the Gull to shore, which shows they work cooperatively.

And the next photo Diane entitled "Bringing home dinner."

And below is the spot these River Otters use as their "dining table."

Thanks to Diane for her interesting look into the world of River Otters, who live near the mouth of the Gualala River.

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As part of Point Arena's annual Flower Power Festival and the Wind & Whale Celebration, giant kites filled the air courtesy of Berkeley Kite Wranglers. Margaret Lindgren photographed a few of them.

It was a weekend filled with fun. And there is usually plenty of wind out on the point where the Lighthouse sits so kite flying is a perfect activity. Margaret has more photos of the kites on her blog. You can see them at her website: www.unbeatenpath.weebly.com Thanks to Margaret for allowing me to share her fun photos with you here.

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Rob Elder had made several tries to find the old-growth Redwood tree known as the McCabe Tree. On his third attempt his wife Jacquelynn Bass accompanied him. With her help he found the big tree. Jackie's photo was awarded Best alongside the river (macro). The McCabe tree is possibly the largest old-growth Redwood in Sonoma County. It measures 47 feet, eight inches in circumference. Amazing.

To be overlooking the mouth of the Gualala River when it opens for the first time in months in the fall is extremely lucky. To get a photograph is even better. Bob Rutemoeller won Best River mouth photo with this shot:

Thanks to Jackie and Bob for sharing their photos with us here.