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Many of us are enjoying watching the mated pair of Bald Eagles at the Gualala River. Eric Zetterholm witnessed an interesting encounter which featured the female Bald Eagle. He wrote, “I took a walk out to the Gualala Point Beach Wednesday morning and found very large numbers of different Gulls there. A few were chasing a fish head as it was pushed and pulled by the waves. I managed to grab it without getting too wet and took a few photos before I left it for the Gulls." Not a pretty sight, I know! We think it's the head of a Steelhead.

Eric continues, “When I had walked a few hundred yards up the beach, I got sight of a Bald Eagle coming at me from down the beach. She passed me very quickly and swiftly snatched up the fish head, carrying it off to the river."

"I decided to make the long hike back up the beach, up the pathway, over the hill, down the trail, and back up the river. The eagle was still enjoying the fish as I walked down river and I was able to get fairly close to her while keeping out of her view.”

Lots going on alongside the Gualala River and the Pacific Ocean!

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

Sunny, breezy, cooler day today!

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Always lovely to see, Western Trilliums are in bloom on the Mendonoma Coast now. Tricia Schuster photographed one of the first ones to bloom.

Promise me you won't pick them! If picked, the leaf-like bracts won't be there to produce food for next year. Picking trilliums can kill them, or at the very least, set them back for years. So not worth it, right?

Western Trillium blossoms change color as they age. Here's a photo Craig Tooley took some years ago showing the fresh white trillium and an older trillium, perhaps 5 to 7 days older, with a pink blossom.

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

Another sunny, warm, dry - as in no rain for weeks - day. New flash! The first of the northbound Gray Whales have been seen of our coast. These are the newly pregnant females headed to their feeding grounds in the Bering and Chukchi Seas.

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Jinx McCombs and Paul Nordstrand have a motion detection camera, or a trail cam as Jinx calls it. They have had some recent visitors to their place near Point Arena. The most exciting to them was this beautiful Mountain Lion who strolled by.

Just the other night, their camera picked up two Gray Foxes appearing to meet. The camera took a dozen photos of the encounter. Notice the raised tails. One fox then left the area with the other following close behind. This could be a romantic encounter as this is mating season for Gray Foxes.

And several weeks ago the camera picked up an owl - we're not sure what type of owl.

There is a LOT going on during the night at their property!

Thanks to Jinx and Paul for allowing me to share their trail camera photos with you here.

Cooler today with some clouds drifting in, but still no rain.

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Paul Brewer captures many of our beautiful sunsets on the Mendonoma Coast. Saturday's sunset was quite beautiful.

It's feels like a privilege to be able to witness such beauty, and to be able to share it with you here. Thanks to Paul for allowing me to do that. To see more of Paul's nature photography, here is the link to his website: http://www.capturingnatureswonders.com/

A high pressure system is keeping any storms from reaching us here. It's 75 degrees this afternoon, which surely feels odd. There are hints of changes in the long range forecast, but the rest of this week is sunny and mild - a good time to head for the coast!

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Karen Wilkinson noticed this Bobcat hiding in the grasses near a trail at The Sea Ranch. She called Mike Petrich to come and take a look.

Mike photographed what I believe is a female Bobcat. Females are quite a bit smaller than males.

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

Our string of dry weather continues, much to our delight and much to our dismay. No rain yet in the month of February. No mushrooms to speak of with the dry conditions. I did see my first Western Trillums in bloom this morning!