Sightings

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Once in a while a whale will lift its head vertically out of the water, as if it is taking a good look around. Allen Vinson recently photographed a Gray Whale doing just that.

As the whale's eyes don't always come out of the water, there is another theory. The whale might actually be listening, perhaps for the wave break, thereby checking its migration route. You know, there is so much we don't know about these wonderful creatures.

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

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Bill Lange took this photo on Dec. 18th at The Sea Ranch just as the sun was rising. Billowing storm clouds brought the chance for rainbows, rain and even hail.
To see much more of Bill's photography, here is the link to his web site: blange@ltaphotos.com
I thank Bill for allowing me to share his beautiful photo with you here. 

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Rick and I found a nice string of Matsutakes yesterday. We have sandy soil and that's what this prized edible mushroom wants to grow in. Below are three of them peaking out from pine needles and next to Salal, a plant they are associated with. Tan-Oak, Douglas-Fir and wild Rhododendrons are also close by.

You must make sure of your identification of this aromatic mushroom. It's important to get the complete stem to make sure there is no volva, a cup-like structure, at the bottom. Just looking at these photos brings the unique fragrance of these mushrooms to me.

 The Matsutakes that grow in the Pacific Northwest are also called White Matsutakes. They do not turn brown like Matsutakes do in other parts of the world. Below is a photo of the first Bellybutton Hedgehog we've seen this season. It's just a baby but it will grow in the days to come.

And we had wild weather today. Below is a photo of the storms clouds we saw from our deck in Anchor Bay this morning.  I call these days "wait five minutes days" because it can be raining one moment and then brilliant sunshine the next.

My best to you today!

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The storm door is open and one storm after another is lined up. Today started out with rain but this afternoon there is brilliant sunshine. Cloud watching - and photographing - is a Coast tradition. Andrew Duhl was hiking on the Stornetta Public Lands recently and got this beautiful photo.

In between storms we have a chance to see Gray Whales migrating south. We also can discover what new mushrooms might have appeared. This morning Rick and I found a fresh string of Matsutakes and the first Bellybutton Hedgehog. It's just a baby and we'll let it grow. I will share photos of these tomorrow.

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

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Two big Jays call the Mendonoma Coast home. Robert Scarola had one of each species land on his fence recently. First is the distinctive Steller's Jay.

And below is a Western Scrub Jay. Both jays love black sunflower seeds so it is easy to attract them to your bird feeder. For the past three years we have had a Steller's Jay nest in a big bush of Laurel. By the time the babies emerge, they are nearly the size of the adults.

Thanks to Robert for allowing me to show you the two common Jays of the Coast.