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On Thursday late morning I looked up at something white in a very tall tree on the east side of Highway One in downtown Gualala. And I had my long lens camera with me, though my photos could be clearer. Until I focused my camera I didn't realize there were two Bald Eagles - they were standing so close together.

They seemed very interested with the comings and goings of the humans far below. I entitled the first photo, "Watching over Gualala." The female is bigger than the male, so I think she is perched behind the male. What a treat to see them!

It's warm (low 60's) with thin high clouds today. Mushrooms are appearing. On a forage this morning I found two matsutakes (one over the hill), two clumps of sweet tooth hedgehogs, the first bellybutton hedgehog and a handful of candy caps. Gifts from the forest.

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Amy Ruegg found an early Wild Ginger, Asarum caudatum, in bloom. They are  members of the Pipevine Family, and they are found in moist forests.

These plants don't actually have petals; they have three maroon sepals that are often hidden under the heart-shaped leaves. The leaves give this native wildflower its common name of Wild Ginger. Rub them gently to release a ginger scent.

Banana Slugs and Ants play a role in pollinating this beautiful plant, carrying its seeds to new locations in the forest. They are low growers, so you need to pay attention. Amy photographed this Wild Ginger on a trail on The Sea Ranch last weekend.

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

Once again we are having nothing but blue skies and warm temps. Many Gray Whales are being seen in this calm stretch of weather. They are headed southward for the birthing and mating lagoons off of Baja. It's always a thrill to see spouts out on the ocean.

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Jackie Sones wrote, "The ocean has been pretty stormy lately, which means there's foam near shore. And where there's foam, there are bubbles. When there are bubbles, it's hard for me to resist taking a few photos. So here you go - a selection of bubble close-ups from Jan. 19, 2019.

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Who knew there was so much beauty in a sea foam bubble? Well, Jackie did! You can follow her wonderful blog at this link: https://bodegahead.blogspot.com/

I thank Jackie for allowing me to share her photos with you here.

Blue skies today with a cool breeze!

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Gail Jackson noticed this Peregrine Falcon in a tree at Gualala Point Regional Park. The falcon was soaked from the rain.

This falcon doesn't look too happy! Here's a photo of a Peregrine Falcon soaring, taken by Michael Beattie. This Peregrine had much better weather for hunting.

Thanks to Gail and Michael for allowing me to share their photos with you here.

We've had a storm overnight and another one today. We have soared past 26 inches season to date at our place in Anchor Bay. Up ahead for next week? Sunny and mild!

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Bob Rutemoeller went down to the Gualala Bluff Trail to assess how it fared during the big storm. Nearly three inches of rain fell within 36 hours. The Trail was unharmed but Bob found the river strongly flowing out to the Pacific Ocean.

Here you can see the sandbar is almost completely covered with the raging river.

We have more rain today and another storm for tomorrow, Sunday. Then there will be a stretch of mild, sunny weather - the perfect time to be on the Mendonoma coast.

Thanks to Bob for allowing me to share his photos with you here. To learn more about the Gualala Bluff Trail, here is the website of the Redwood Coast Land Conservancy: http://www.rc-lc.org/

You can also learn about the other Coastal Access spots under their auspices. I'm a big fan of RCLC and enjoy the Trail, Cooks Beach and Hearn Gulch on a regular basis.