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It's comforting to witness the normalcy of Nature. In late spring, the male Black-tailed Deer begin sprouting new antlers. They are covered in velvet, a membrane that nourished the growing antlers. Cherle Clark had this handsome fellow pay her a visit recently.

Fawns continue to be born. John Batchelder photographed a newborn that was still wet! So very cute.

Thanks to Cheryl and John for allowing me to share their photos with you here.

Wow, we had a lightning and thunderstorm overnight! Lightning on the Northern California coast doesn't happen very often. We received a little rain too - .16 of an inch at our place in Anchor Bay. Not much, but always welcome.

Spring doesn't know...

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Bill Retzer may have seen the first Gray Fox kit of Spring several weeks ago.

Bill wrote, "It was a little after nine and, because of occasional visiting Raccoons, I’ve a habit of taking the hummingbird feeder in for the evening. I stepped out on the deck and this little guy was swinging the feeder back and forth and then licking off the sugar water that slopped out. The kit seemed quite content.”

I received another sighting of Gray Fox kits, a family of five little ones. I'll share the photo soon.

Clouds, fog, much cooler temperatures, and some rain on the way!

Spring doesn't know...

 

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Marilyn Green noticed this gorgeous grasshopper, which was identified as a Painted Meadow Grasshopper.

Very elegant with the pink markings!

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

Rare bird alert! Gail Jackson (no relation!) photographed what we think is a Parasitic Jaeger which she saw at Gualala Point Regional Park. This type of seabird is rarely seen from land. The bird was headed north. I'll share photos soon.

Our heatwave broke early this morning as billowing fog moved onto the land. As I write this on Thursday afternoon, the ocean and bluffs are shrouded with fog but we are in sun here in Anchor Bay. It's about 20 degrees cooler today - hooray!

Spring doesn't know...

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Pelagic Cormorants, seabirds, nest on bluff faces on the Mendonoma Coast. Karen Wilkinson photographed a pair at their nest, and when she looked at her photo on her computer, she found two tiny chicks.

You can see an eggshell (or possibly an unhatched egg!) and two chicks that look as if they just hatched! The father Pelagic Cormorant is leaving the nest in Karen's photo. He brings food back to his mate and now for his offspring. It's quite magical to watch these nests. They are very quiet and it's almost mystical to be in the moment and be quiet too.

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

Another hot day, but it feels like it is breaking. Yep, the weather is changing again, maybe even some rain for the weekend.

Spring doesn't know...

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Craig Tooley has sent his "Pic O JOY" photo and it's a beautiful native wildflower, Inside-out Flower, Vancouveria planipetala. These delicate flowers usually bloom near Redwood trees, so they are flowers of the forest.

This unusual spring-blooming wildflower is a member of the Barberry family. Its scientific name refers to explorer Captain George Vancouver. He explored the Pacific Northwest in the 1790's.

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

oh boy, it's downright HOT today! I'm writing this close to 4 pm and our outside temperature here in Anchor Bay at the 600+ foot level is 92 degrees! Too HOT - I must lodge a complaint!

And spring doesn't know...