Sightings

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Merten's Coralroot, Corallorhiza mertensiana, is a treat to find. It's one of the native orchids and it is leafless. This plant receives its  nutrients from fungi. Craig Tooley recently photographed a clump of these beauties.

They like moist areas with dappled sunlight. Craig's close-up shows the exquisite blossoms.

Thanks to Craig for allowing me to share his photos with you here. To see much more of Craig's nature photography, here is his website: http://www.ruffimage.com

The June gloom continues in the mornings, with sun appearing most afternoons. Temps are quite mild.

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Humpback Whales, some with their calves, slowly travel northward this time of year in search of food. A few weeks ago, Shari Goforth-Eby found a young Humpback Whale off Saunders Reef.

Shari wrote, "I saw one Humpback close to the reef - it appears to be a sub-adult foraging on bluff side and south side of the reef. This is the second young Humpback Whale seen in our area exhibiting Gray Whale-type behavior in the shallower waters. Humpbacks and Gray Whales are baleen whales; they strain their food through a network of keratin plates similar to hair. But Gray Whales feed from the bottom and get small shrimp up in the kelp. Humpbacks feed on schools of krill and bait fish. It is unusual for us to see Humpbacks in shallow areas for any reason."

Thanks to Shari for allowing me to share her photo with you here.

Yep, the fog rolled in overnight, giving those of us near the ocean a foggy start to our day. Sunlight began to break through around noon in places on this first full day of Summer!

 

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Somewhere on the Mendonoma Coast, there is a Barn Owl family. Paul Brewer, sworn to secrecy about the location, was invited to photograph the chicks. He shared this photo with Sightings.

Looking closely at Paul’s photo, you can see bits of down, white fluff, on its head and shoulders, but the owlet has a heart-shaped face and its flight feathers can be seen. I think he/she is about seven weeks old. At this age, the owlet will be flapping its wings to get ready to take its first flight soon.

Barn Owls don't hoot - they scream. If you'd like to hear their call, here is a link to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Barn_Owl/sounds If you have pets, keep the volume low!

Thanks to Paul for allowing me to share his photo with you here. When you are in Gualala, stop in at The Dolphin, which is across from Trink's. Many of Paul's nature photographs are on display there.

oh my, it's a lovely day here today. No wind and mild temps. There is a fog bank forming over the ocean, so perhaps this warm weather won't last long.

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Mylitta Butterflies, Phyciodes mylitta, are small and colored orange, blank and with white edges. I am seeing one or two every day at my place in Anchor Bay. But Laura Baker topped me big-time with her sighting many of these elegant butterflies on a flowering bush at her place in Annapolis.

Here's a close-up for you to see, taken by Craig Tooley.

Life gets a little better when a butterfly comes your way! Thanks to Laura and Craig for allowing me to share their photos with you here.

It was foggy this morning, but the fog had pulled waaay back. That yellow thing...oh, yes, I remember!...the sun has appeared.

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The largest woodpecker on the Mendonoma Coast is the Pileated Woodpecker and Eric Zetterholm recently had one visit his The Sea Ranch home.  Eric wrote, “The fallen trees around our neighborhood from the January storms have attracted a Pileated Woodpecker to hang around a bit. Most often we can only hear it in the morning along with the Acorn Woodpeckers and Quail that are in greater numbers this spring. I had two chances to get pictures of  the Pileated in the last week during the evening sunset lighting that just gets through the thinned-out trees.”

These big woodpeckers have a very distinctive call. You can hear it at this link to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Pileated_Woodpecker/sounds

Thanks to Eric for allowing me to share his photos with  you here.

There is a high fog here today, but the temps are mild.