Sightings

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Named the McCabe Tree, this old growth Redwood is difficult to find. It sits on private land so perhaps you should just enjoy Rob Elder's photo. Rob and Jackie Baas recently made the trek to find this beautiful tree.

Here you will see Jackie in front of this tree. They can live for several thousands of year and they are to be cherished. Tomorrow I will show you a photo of one near our property that was sparred the loggers' axes because it grew twisted.

Thanks to Rob for sharing his photo with us here.

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Lighthouse Willie, aka Bill Brown, works at the Point Arena Lighthouse. He is privileged to see a great deal of wildlife. A climb to the top of the lighthouse affords wonderful views and should be on your list of things to do when you are on the Mendonoma Coast.

During the migration northward of juvenile Brown Pelicans, one landed in front of the Lighthouse and rested for a while before taking off.

Here's hoping this young Brown Pelican found plenty of fish on its journey north and that we will see it pass by on its way southward.

Thanks to Willie Brown for sharing his photo with us here.

To see a photo of a Brown Pelican plunge diving for fish, here's the link: http://www.mendonomasightings.com/2011/08/07/brown-pelican-plunge-diving-then-defending-its-catch-from-two-heermanns-gulls/

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The Sea Ranch Ranch keeps the grasses down by employing a herd of Sheep and Goats. They have become an attraction for tourists and locals.

Every once in a while the herd escapes their movable enclosure and are on the lam. Rich Edwards photographed the escaping herd which had headed for the bluffs. As this land used to be a sheep ranch, it tickles people to see them on the bluffs once again.

The fellow who owns the flock is then called and, along with his hardworking dog, he herds the flock back into their enclosure.

Thanks to Rich for sharing his photo with us here.

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Spotted Towhees are large Sparrows found in the West. Previously called Rufous-sided Towhees, they can be seen hopping in leaves, looking for seeds or other food. They make a double scratching motion in their search for food, which includes insects. They are a striking bird, as Robert Scarola's photo will show.

Except when the male is singing in the spring to attract a mate, these birds are mostly quiet. Their hopping/scratching motion is what attracts my attention when they are under our bird feeder scoring seeds knocked out by the various Jays.

Thanks to Robert for allowing me to share his photo with you here. To hear the songs and calls of a Spotted Towhee, here's a link to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/spotted_towhee/sounds

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It is amazing how easily Harbor Seals can perch on a rock. Sometimes a wave comes along and sweeps one or two into the Pacific Ocean. Siegfried Matull captured a group of Harbor Seals, one of which just got swept off and is climbing back up. Yes, it is a young one, a pup.

You can see how the other two Harbor Seals lift their tails and heads as they balance on the slippery kelp-covered rock. Great photo from Coastal Photographer Siegfried Matull and I thank him for allowing me to share it with you here.

To see another of Siegfried's Harbor Seal photos, this one of two of them crowned with kelp: http://www.mendonomasightings.com/2011/08/24/a-photo-of-harbor-seals-crowned-with-kelp-by-siegfried-matull/