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During the May rainstorms, Charles Zinser photographed this very wet Red-tailed Hawk.

This hawk has since had time to dry out, along with the rest of us!

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

There's a pretty big fog bank over the ocean but it's sunny in most places on the Mendonoma coast today.

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Here's a photo Mary Sue Ittner took of Lupine, Goldfields, Lasthenia californica, and Johnny Tuck, Triphysaria eriantha, all native wildflowers.

Peter Baye found Hoffman's Jewelflower, Streptanthus glandulosus.

And Blue-eyed Mary, Collinsia sparsiflora,

Many, many more species are blooming now, a feast for the eyes.

Thanks to Mary Sue and Peter for allowing me to share their photos with you here.

Beautiful sunny, breezy, warm weather today!

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Gail Jackson noticed this beautiful hawk perched on top of a tree, perfectly posing for her.

Red-shouldered Hawks are found where there are tall trees and water - in other words, the Mendonoma coast! To hear their "kee-ah" calls, here is a link to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's website: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Red-shouldered_Hawk/sounds

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

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Black-tailed Jackrabbits are also called American Desert Hares. Jeanine Aguerra recently photographed one on The Sea Ranch.

Those big ears are a giveaway! Rick and I have noticed a pair on the road where we live. Hares eat grasses and other plants. They zig and zag as they run away from us, though we would never harm them.

I have a fun memory of seeing a group of them at Salt Point State Park, in the meadow grasses on the west side of Highway One. They froze at the sight of us, not realizing that the tips of their ears could still be seen above the grasses. A nice moment.

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

Cool, cloudy, a little rain, then brilliant sunshine...you never know what might come next on the Mendonoma coast.

 

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Nancy Trissel wrote on May 13th, “Last night we spotted a Mountain Lion out of our living room window! It was 7:24 pm and the photos were taken through a double-paned window. She looks to be female. This encounter is exactly what I asked for years ago – to see a grown cat up close but from the safety of my home, like the bear I saw. After she left, we went to her spot and found she could not see into the house at all. She was there for several minutes. We were beyond words.”

I sent Nancy’s photos to Quinton Martin, the director of Living with Lions. I could see this cougar wasn’t Paul, the collared cat. He wrote, “Fantastic! Thanks for sharing these cool photos. Paul has been around in the area, but that is certainly another cat. Excellent!”

This Mountain Lion was seen off Fish Rock Road, which is a little north of Anchor Bay.

Nancy mentioned she got to see a Black Bear. Here's her photo from some years ago of a cinnamon-colored Black Bear.

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