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Eric Zetterholm wrote, "Amy had her daughter Aurora here on the 7th and we all came across Diane Hichwa on a walk to see the sunset. Diane said there was an owl in the area and we followed her a little further down the street to have a look. At the south end of the airstrip at The Sea Ranch, we had a Great Horned Owl land in a tree just above our heads"

This is the owl that hoots. You can hear their call at this link to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Great_Horned_Owl/sounds

There are young Great Horned Owls calling for food now - and it's not the hooting call, it's a screaming call! Young owls have been seen and heard at Stewart's Point and at Sea Ranch.

I love owls! Thanks to Eric for allowing me to share his photo with you here.

A mild day with no wind. White clouds are drifting by and just a wisp of fog over the ocean. Highs in the low 70's. Pretty wonderful.

 

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Several times Perry Hoffman has spotted a Coyote at the Lands. These first two photos were from a few weeks ago. This coyote looks pretty thin, and perhaps old - there is a lot of white on his/her muzzle.

Recently Perry saw this Coyote - the same one? - walking amidst the Black Angus beef cattle.

The Coyote sure doesn't seem to bother the cows!

Thanks to Perry for allowing me to share his photos with you here.

Perry tells me he has some of his artwork entered in Gualala Art's "Art in the Redwoods," which will be held this coming weekend, August 19 and 20. It's always a great event to attend. I'll be ringing bells in a sextet both days from 11:30 to 1 pm. You can read more about it at Gualala Art's website at this link: https://gualalaarts.org/

At 5 am this morning, lightning woke some of us up, lightning over the ocean.  Luckily it stayed offshore. Today is cloudy and cool. We even have a chance of a few raindrops!

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White-lined Sphinx Moths, also called Hummingbird Moths, are here on the Mendonoma Coast in unbelievable numbers. In past years, I'd be lucky to receive one or two sightings of these beautiful moths. In the past week or so I've received many, many sightings of them. For whatever reason, they are having a banner year - a mast year - and they are being seen in the daylight hours, which is also unusual.

Mary Lou Flint photographed one feeding on agapanthus. She said there were three or four in her garden.

And Michael Combs found one feeding on nasturtiams.

Jeanne Barry also found one in her garden.

This morning I saw two feeding in abelia, a plant loved by Bumblebees, Monarch Butterflies, and now White-lined Sphinx Moths! I'll be posting more about these beauties soon.

Thanks to Mary Lou, Michael and Jeanne (nice name!) for allowing me to share their photos with you here.

After a very foggy, drippy morning, the sun broke through, but temps are quite mild, low 60's.

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Gualala Point Island is found off the far north end of The Sea Ranch. It is an important rookery for nesting seabirds. So it shouldn't be a surprise that the island gets a covering of white guano.

Steve Woolson took a photo of the island after the January storms, and he found it all washed clean.

Thanks to Steve for allowing me to share his photos with you here.

There is a big, thick fog bank over the ocean today but it pulled back, showing me some of the Pacific Ocean. Then I noticed a black line on the calm ocean. An anomaly on the ocean means a feeding frenzy could be going on. And that was the case. Gulls and Brown Pelicans were diving in what I think was a huge group of Anchovies. At the front of the southward moving line, I saw spouts which could have been dolphins! Hopefully someone closer to the ocean was able to identify them.

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Peggy Berryhill noticed this beat-up Pale Swallowtail. Something took a couple of bites out of its wings, but it lived to feed on these sweet flowers.

And Jackie Baas found a Painted Lady, also a little worse for wear.

If these butterflies could talk, what a tale they might tell us!

Thanks to Peggy and Jackie for allowing me to share their photos with you here.

Yesterday, Monday, it was very warm, hitting 90 degrees at Rick's and my place in Anchor Bay. Overnight the blessed fog rolled in and this morning it was 52 degrees. That's weather whip-lash!