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It is said that to see a green flash will bring you good luck. So I hope that if you on the Mendonoma coast, you will take the time to watch the sunset. A green flash sometimes appears at the moment the sun is disappearing from view. This first photo was taken by Peter Cracknell. Note the emerald-green color and note the clear horizon.

The green flash is a photographable mirage, caused by light refraction. Here is a photo by Richard Kuehn showing the classic hour-glass, where the top of the sun seems to pinch off from the bottom. You can see a green flash at the top of the hour-glass. But there might have been a bigger green flash a moment after Rich took this photo.

If you are extremely lucky, a green flash will morph into a blue flash. This photo was taken by Allen Vinson and it also has hints of purple on the edges - it's very rare to get a photo of this.

Allen also captured this green flash. Look! There are two green flashes in his photo.

Allen always celebrates his green flash viewing with a green flash cocktail. Very civilized, Allen!

If you interested in learning the mechanics of a green flash, here is an article that might help: http://aty.sdsu.edu/explain/explain.html

I'll be watching the sunset tonight. How about you?

Thanks to Peter, Rich and Allen for allowing me to share their photos with you here.

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Artist Drew Fagan has a window to nature at his studio north of Gualala. One of my favorite photos of Drew's is this rare photo of a Bobcat mid-leap.

Drew graciously let me include his photo in my book, Mendonoma Sightings Throughout the Year. I call Drew's photo a "once in a lifetime photo."

Here is the link to view Drew's favorite photos set the beautiful sound of Eva Cassidy singing What a Beautiful World. http://drewfagan.com/outside/index.htm

And to see Drew's art, here is his home page: http://drewfagan.com/

I thank Drew for allowing me to share his photo and link to his slideshow with you here. When I witnessed the slideshow earlier today, I got goosebumps. It's good to remind ourselves of the exquisite beauty of our world, especially in these turbulent times.

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Bill Clark recently photographed this Pygmy Nuthatch.

 

These birds travel in flocks and you can hear them coming with their piping calls. They come to our birdbath in the heat of the day. You can listen to their call here: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Pygmy_Nuthatch/sounds

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology's website describes their calls like a rubber ducky being squeezed repeatedly. Funny!

Here's a photo taken by Ron LeValley showing how these birds travel down a tree head-first, searching for insects and seeds.

I love these tiny, energetic birds, and often see them in the fall when we have our warmer weather. And I hear them in the trees too, many times accompanied by Chickadees.

Thanks to Bill 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/

The fog returned this morning, so our latest heat wave is over! We love our natural air conditioning, the fog.

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Rick and I have an abelia bush with lovely small flowers. Butterflies and Bees absolutely love it. I recently photographed one of the many Painted Lady Butterflies feeding on it.

Beautiful warm weather on the coast today. Perfect for butterflies!

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Grace O'Malley captured this charming sight, an Allen's Hummingbird with yellow pollen on her beak.

Grace O’Malley wrote, “I learned something fun in the Sibley Guide to Bird Life and Behavior – ‘Each flower species deposits pollen in a specific place on a Hummingbird’s head to increase the chance that birds visiting the same species of flower will cross-pollinate the flowers.’ In the case of this little hummer, our Mexican Sage deposited yellow pollen on the top of her bill.”

Here are two more photos Grace took of this feisty hummingbird who migrates through the Mendonoma coast in the spring and again in the autumn.

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

We are having a warm, clear day here on the coast. Perfect for whatever nature experiences call to you!