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Risso's Dolphins usually can't be seen from coastal bluffs, but a pod came close enough for Eric Zetterholm to photograph them with his long lens.

Risso's Dolphins follow their food source, Squid. Their bodies are marked with scratches from their encounters with the Squids' beaks. Risso's Dolphins are quite acrobatic. It's a treat to see them.

Here are two close-ups of a Risso's take by Ron LeValley on a pelagic trip.

Thanks to Eric and Ron for allowing me to share their photos with you here. To see much more of Ron's nature photography, here is his website: http://levalleyphoto.com/home/

With the warmth, wildflowers are blooming. Time to get out and see them!

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Sara Bogard photographed a newborn Harbor Seal pup getting a caress from its mother.

You can see the pup is already in the water. Harbor Seal mothers give birth on land, in secluded coves. There is a nursery off The Sea Ranch where you can observe the seals without disturbing them. Docents are on duty to make sure the vulnerable pups are left alone. We never want to disturb wildlife - do no harm is a great motto.

Please don't try to "rescue" a pup. Call the Marine Mammal Center if you find an animal in distress. They will send a trained local volunteer to assess the situation. The number for the Center is 415) 289-7325. Their website is: http://www.marinemammalcenter.org/

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

Nothing but beautiful sunshine on the Mendonoma coast today! 70 degrees...wow.

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Ken and Martha Fischer were walking at Manchester State Beach when they approached this piece of driftwood. Ken said it looked like the Sphinx.

What do you see? It's fun finding shapes in nature. Here's a driftwood pig that Ed Connolly found.

And a driftwood heart that Craig Tooley used to wish friends a happy Valentine's day.

Thanks to Ken, Ed and Craig for allowing me to share their photos with you here.

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Beautiful sunsets delight the senses. The colors are set off by the Pacific Ocean. Paul Brewer photographed this sunset a few weeks ago.

Thanks to Paul for allowing me to share his photo with you here. To see much more of Paul's nature photography, here is the link: http://www.capturingnatureswonders.com/

One last small storm this afternoon/evening and then the weather is predicted to be sunny and warmer. Sounds like a good week to be on the Mendonoma coast!

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A young, male Mountain Lion with a tracking collar was caught on camera walking along a path on The Sea Ranch on March 7th. Bob Van Syoc wrote, “I saw this young lion strolling by our garage. It was very relaxed with some sort of collar.”

This particular Mountain Lion, P14 or "Paul", was collared by Dr. Quinton Martins and the Living with Lions team in early January. Martins and his team are part of Audubon Canyon Ranch, a non-profit environmental organization. When the news of Bob’s sighting reached Dr. Martins, he rushed up the coast on Friday, as he had lost contact on Jan. 21 with P14’s tracking collar.

A cadre of coast residents helped him over the next three days finally track Paul. Dr. Martins was able to get a GPS download of this cougar’s movements, which showed he had traveled nearly 200 miles since January 7th. You can follow this story at www.egret.org.

Then on March 21st, Mitch Sugarman's motion detection camera videoed Paul at the top of Sunset Drive in Anchor Bay. You can watch the two videos below. Thanks to Bob and Mitch for allowing me to share the photo and videos with you here.

Paul is seen March 21, the collared mountain lion by Mitch Sugarman

Paul, the collared mountain lion by Mitch Sugarman