Allen Vinson noticed this White-tailed Kite perched on top a tree on The Sea Ranch. It almost looks like a hood ornament for a fancy car!
White-tailed Kites, Elanus leucurus, hunt for rodents in meadows and other open areas. They can been seen hovering in the air before they rush to the ground to snag their dinner. I have seen one hunting over the meadows of Gualala Point Regional Park.
Thanks to Allen for allowing me to share his photo with you here.
Allen Vinson was photographing the sunset from a trail on The Sea Ranch. No green flash, as there were clouds on the horizon. But still, a lovely sunset on the Mendonoma Coast.
I sometimes wonder if sunsets are like snowflakes - no two are alike.
Thanks to Allen for allowing me to share his photos with you here.
Allen Vinson was watching the sunset Sunday on the bluffs at Walk On Beach on The Sea Ranch. He too caught magic and photographed the green flash.
Below Allen cropped his photo so you could see the green flash close-up.
Many thanks to Allen - and his new Nikon D600 - for allowing me to share his photo with you here.
This surely must be a juvenile Common Raven. No adult would look so foolish. It looked like it was trying to nestle down on a nest, forgetting that it was on a fence post.
Perhaps the Raven could hear Allen snickering. Allen entitled this photo, "Are you laughing at me?!!"
Thanks to Allen for allowing me to share his photos with you here.
Ken Bailey recently photographed a baby Brown Pelican. They are flying by the Coast in great numbers now. It seems there was a high birth rate this year. Some of the young Pelicans have been seen in unexpected places - most are tired and just need to rest. But some aren't going to survive. Rescue centers have been overwhelmed with young Brown Pelicans and will no longer take them. Here's what a baby Brown Pelican looks like:
They have a white belly, or underparts, and their head is brown. It is very distressing to see one starving as we cherish these birds that were almost made extinct by the pesticide DDT. But the fact is some don't survive and it proves out the motto of the survival of the fittest. Of course if something man-made is affecting them, like fishing line, you should try to help them.
Below is a photo Allen Vinson took of a squadron of Brown Pelicans. May the fish be plentiful and the winds favorable. They have a long journey to points north.
Thanks to Allen and Ken for allowing me to share their photos with you here. To see a photo comparing adult Brown Pelicans to a juvenile, here's the link: http://www.mendonomasightings.com/2011/12/05/three-wonderful-photos-of-juvenile-and-adult-brown-pelicans-by-coastal-photographer-allen-vinson/