• 4 Comments

•

Kate Bloch wrote, "Yesterday morning, my husband noticed a small crowd gathering near the post office and learned that a Bald Eagle was perched in the trees nearby.  When I first observed the lone eagle, it was largely a silhouette, shrouded in fog, high in a tree.  Shortly thereafter, it flew north, and a second eagle appeared to join it.  Both then landed in a tall tree covered in lichen. Neil and Susan Silverman also spied the eagles, and we enjoyed an extended sighting opportunity as we watched the eagles interact and become the subjects of a vigorous confrontation with a peregrine falcon.  It felt like such a gift to observe and listen to the remarkable avian life around us!"

Kate's photo shows the Peregrine approaching. On the left is a younger Bald Eagle, perhaps 3 1/2 years old. The Bald Eagle on the right is an adult, and I believe she is the Gualala River Bald Eagle.

In this next photo, the two Eagles aren't very happy!

I wondered why the Falcon was trying to drive off the Bald Eagles, especially because this isn’t yet nesting season. I learned that it could be due to intense territoriality, or protecting valuable winter food/roosting spots. Or maybe that smaller Falcon just doesn’t like Bald Eagles! I'll share one of Susan and Neil's photos next.

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

We survived another vigorous storm last night. Rain totals since Dec. 19th are 10.10 inches. Some seasonal creeks are now making beautiful waterfalls as they cascade off of bluffs. After the showers of this afternoon, we have clear weather for five days or so.

•

I'll let Rozanne tell her story:

I had been looking forward to photographing the last Super Moon of 2025. So I set my alarm for 4am with the hope we would have a clear night.  As it turns out. I needn’t to have worried, since when the alarm went off, my bedroom was filled with moonlight shining through the windows.

I checked the weather and noted it was going to be cold; I spent a nanosecond thinking about how tempting it was to remain in a nice warm bed. Then, got up, dressed, fed the cats who thought it was time for breakfast, made my coffee and set off for Galleons with a view of Arch Rock.

Walked out to the bluff, set up my gear and then waited for the Moon to move into position so I could catch the reflection on the water.

(C))Rozanne_Rapozo

By the time that happened, the temperature had dropped to under 40 degrees and a cold wind came up!

Needless to say, the wait was worth it.  But when I started to pack up and put my gear away, my hands were so cold I couldn’t fold up my tripod!!   Luckily it fit in the back seat of the car and I headed back home to a cozy fire and hot coffee, feeling very good about my shots and that the weather Gods cooperated.

Thanks to Rozanne for allowing me to share her photo with you here!

Happy holidays to all! We've been having a LOT of rain, over eight inches since Dec. 19th. More coming in tonight, Christmas Eve. Hope Santa is able to fly in the rainy weather!

•

Steve Woolson took a photo of a recent sunrise and wrote, "Red sky in morning, sailors take warning!"

The link for the Ethan's octopus video did not work. Let's try this one:

Ruby octopus, Octopus rubescens, video by Ethan Arutunian

Thanks to Steve for allowing me to share his photo and to Ethan for allowing me to share his video with you here.

It has begun to rain. The forecast has a LOT of rain headed our way!

• 2 Comments

•

Ethan Artunian wrote, “My kids and I were lucky enough to see this rare sighting on [a week ago} Monday at Bowling Ball beach. Here are a couple of photos and a video. Good enough to make it in Jeanne's column?” You bet, and her blog! The Artunians were gifted with a sighting of a Ruby Octopus, Octopus rubescens.

These small octopuses reside along the entire west coast and can be found as deep as 980 feet. They are solitary predators and are considered the most intelligent of all invertebrates. They use their sharp sense of touch and smell to locate prey such as crabs, clams, and scallops.

Here is a video of the fascinating octopus taken by Ethan.

Ruby octopus, Octopus rubescens, video by Ethan Arutunian

Thanks to Ethan for allowing me to share his photos and video with you here.

Rain came in overnight - 1.08 inches, 13.82 season to date. Our first rain since Nov. 19th! Much more to come...

•

Robert Goldberg recently photographed this huge wave hitting a rock off Shell Beach on The Sea Ranch.

The Pacific Ocean has been very loud lately. Give it the respect it deserves and keep a safe distance away. There has also been erosion and undercutting, especially from the King Tides, so be extra careful about bluff edges - they may not be stable. The coastline changes with the force of the waves.

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

Foggy this morning but the sun has prevailed this afternoon.

If you are on the coast and you'd like to get in the holiday spirit, consider attending the Ernest Bloch Bell Ringers Holiday Concert at Gualala Arts this Saturday, Dec. 13th at 3 pm. Four and a half octaves of beautiful handbells under the direction...of...me! Here's the link to Gualala Arts about the concert: https://gualalaarts.org/2025/12/holiday-concert-for-the-coast-2/