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Mostly we see male California Sea Lions off the Mendonoma coast. Jennifer Terry recently photographed one appearing to be looking out to sea.

There is a colony of male CA Sea Lions on Fish Rocks just off of Anchor Bay. In the spring, most of them leave to mate with females to our south, returning to their rocky home when mating is over. They are able to "walk" with their flippers. Sea Lions are very intelligent, and they seem to have a lot to say, as they bark seemingly all day and night!

You can learn more about CA Sea Lions on the Marine Mammal Center's website at this link: http://www.marinemammalcenter.org/education/marine-mammal-information/pinnipeds/california-sea-lion/

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

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When you install a motion detector camera, you open a new window to the world of nature. In Pat Sorensen’s case, he has three outdoor cameras at his place on the Gualala Ridge. He has many nocturnal sightings, including Gray Foxes who sometimes drink out of his birdbath. On July 7, and again on July 17, his cameras picked up the sighting of a huge Black Bear. The photos are a little blurry, but you can see it's a big bear!

Pat said, “The bear did no damage and left no ‘calling cards.’ He walked by the shed and headed east into the brush.” The territory of a female Black Bear is typically 2.5 to 10 square miles. A male Black Bear’s range is between 10 and 59 square miles.

It’s not surprising to have a Black Bear sighting, especially with huckleberries ripening up. Pat noticed American Robins, in particular, were in berry-laden bushes, and Deer are eating the berries too.

Thanks to Pat for allowing me to share his photos with you here!

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Nancy Morin wrote, “I thought this photo of two Pacific-slope Flycatcher chicks might be ‘sightings worthy.’ They hang out in my side garden. Adults have spent summers here every year, but this is the first time I’ve seen babies.”

They are pretty darn cute.  As adults they will be small yellow-ish birds of the forests and streams. They are insect eaters. Pacific-slope Flycatchers are only found along the Pacific coast states. I often hear them in our forest. You can hear their call at this link: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Pacific-slope_Flycatcher/sounds

Here is a photo of an adult, taken by Craig Tooley. The bird has an insect in his mouth. He was probably about to bring it to chicks in a nest.

Thanks to Nancy and Craig for allowing me to share their photos with you here.

 

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Bob Rutemoeller and Mary Sue Ittner were the ones who spotted the well-camouflaged Green Heron by the Gualala River. Bob wrote, “We were skipping flat rocks across the Gualala River when a Green Heron flushed and landed on a tree that is leaning over the river. It blends in so well it was hard to see through the camera on full zoom."

As seen by Bob and Mary Sue, they can be spotted by water, often hidden behind foliage. They use the awesome beak you can see in Bob's photo to stab fish for their meals.

Fun Fact: Green Herons are one of just a few bird species that actually use tools to tempt fish to come their way. They create their own fishing lures using insects, feathers and even bread crumbs. They lay their lure on the water to entice small fish - pretty clever, don't you think?

To hear some of the calls of this small heron, here is the link to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Green_Heron/sounds

Thanks to Bob for allowing me to share his photos with you here!

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Doreen Clay looked over a bluff in Gualala and found a family of River Otters entering the Pacific Ocean.

She wrote, “I was quite excited! The otters moved quickly and disappeared into the sea. We love Gualala, and its wild creatures.”

There is a family of River Otters that lives at the mouth of the Gualala River. They are fascinating to observe. The mother raises her family; the father is long gone. River Otters have been seeing playing with each other and in the waves. These otters can't abide pollution in the water, so their presence here is a testament to the health of our rivers, streams and ocean.

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

Breezy, cooler weather is the order of the day close to the ocean today.