Western Bluebirds are cavity nesters so people can entice them to nest by putting up a birdhouse in the right location. Siegfried and Gretel Matull have done just that as the photo below will attest. Their numbers are declining so any help we can give them is all good. And don't rush to take down a dead tree - that snag can be a nice home to a cavity dwelling bird for many years.
Here's a beautiful wildflower for you today! Nan Brichetto photographed this lovely flower yesterday on the Jenner Grade in Sonoma County. It's a shade lover and has maple-like leaves. The greens are edible - Native Americans boiled the greens for vegetables. The flower heads contain nectar, which attracts hummingbirds, bees and butterflies. The striking Sphinx Moth is the pollinator for the Western Columbine.
And X-rated sighting for you today! Craig Tooley took a lovely photo of a pair of Western Gulls mating on Black Point Island. This rocky island sits just offshore of the southern edge of The Sea Ranch. Western Gulls nest there. I will post a photo of the island in the days to come. You can see this tiny island for yourself by going on the Black Point Beach public access trail of The Sea Ranch. Once you reach the bluffs and see the beautiful beach, look for a trail that winds off to the left. That will lead to the island. Approach it quietly - it is a place of beauty and serenity.
Rick and I were taking a walk with our golden retriever, Huckleberry, looking for spring wildflowers when we came across this bird's nest. You can see it has quite a bid of mud in it. I sent the photo to Richard Kuehn. He's known as the Birdman of The Sea Ranch. He believes it is an American Robin nest. We saw no eggs so I hope it was last year's nest. I heard a Robin singing yesterday. Oh my, what a lovely song it was!
On a drive down Highway One yesterday I took this photograph of just one of the many spectacular spots on the beautiful Sonoma Coast. We are expecting a storm later tonight but you wouldn't know it by this afternoon's sunshine.
