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Perry Hoffman found Red-breasted Sapsuckers at the Gualala River.

They are striking birds. Sapsuckers got their name because they drill rows of shallow indentations, called sapwells, in shrubs and trees. When these indentations fill with sap, the woodpecker laps it up with its tongue. Sapsuckers have an important part to play in Nature, because many insects, birds, and mammals use the sapwells for nourishment.

Red-breasted Sapsuckers have quite a few calls. You can listen to them at this link to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Red-breasted_Sapsucker/sounds They also can be heard drumming with their large and sturdy beak.

Thanks to Perry for allowing me to share his photos with you here. To see much more of Perry's nature photography, here is the link to his website: https://magentaraven.com/

The weather is sublime now - temps in the mid 70s and a gently breeze. Come to the coast!

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Will Ericson found an endangered butterfly, a Behren’s Silverspot.

He wrote, “Here is the endangered Speyeria zerene behrensii, seen on the coastal prairie bluffs near Point Arena, it’s host is Viola adunca.” The common name for the host plant is Western Dog Violet. Here's a photo of the host plant, taken a while ago by Margaret Lindgren.

Will also photographed Dogface Butterflies.

He wrote, “The male has a dark egg yolk color with a metallic purple sheen on the forewing that the females do not have. I’ve never seen so many Dogface Butterflies as I have this year.” Will is seeing these colorful beauties in the Annapolis area. I have never seen one on the immediate coast. Let me know if you have.

More butterflies are appearing and gracing us with their presence.

Thanks to Will and Marg for allowing me to share their photos with you here.

It's cooler today due to our coastal air conditioning, ie the fog. It's sunny in Anchor Bay and in the low 70s. Perfect!

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Rozanne Rapozo photographed the evolving sky as a low-pressure system swept across the Mendonoma Coast. It brought thunder and lightning, and virga - rain that evaporates before hitting the ground. The colors in the sky were amazing.

The first photo is pre-sunset.

Then the sunset - those streaks are virga.

And finally post-sunset, which really shows off the virga.

What a spectacular show we had that evening!

Thanks to Rozanne for allowing me to share her photos with you here.

It's cooler today, sunny and quite breezy.

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Paul Brewer photographed virga, rain evaporating before it hits the ground, or in this case, hits the Pacific Ocean!

There were rare evening rainbows, which Paul also photographed.

I have many more photos of last Sunday's event and I'll share some more tomorrow.

Thanks to Paul for allowing me to share his photos with you here. Many of Paul's nature photos are on display at the Dolphin Gallery in Gualala. It's directly across from Trinks restaurant.

Mild and quite windy on the bluffs today, warm when you get away from the ocean.

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Last month Laura Baker found a Black-tailed Bumblebee with a nice yellow pollen packet.

Laura wrote, "Here's a photo of a Black-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus melanopygus) on Cow Parsnip. This is a female worker with pollen packed into the corbicula along her hind leg which she'll take back to her colony.  I've seen many of these bees this spring - they are some of the earliest bumblebees to appear.”

These Bumblebees love Ceanothus too. Another of our native pollinators, gathering pollen from various flowers.

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

No fog today - it's warm, even close to the ocean. At my place, it's hot today!