Clay Yale was standing by the Knipp-Stengle Barn on The Sea Ranch when he saw this scene.
The flock of sheep and goats that keep the grasses down on the Ranch are dotting the hillside. A misty photo for you as we await yet another storm later tonight.
The Sea Ranch sheep have their own website. To find out where the flock is on TSR, here is their website: http://www.thesearanchsheep.com/
Thanks to Clay for allowing me to share his photo with you here.
We have a lovely bush growing against the house called abelia. It flowers for months. Bees love it, as do hummingbirds. And the Monarchs love it too. I saw a Monarch fly to it earlier today.
Monarchs are migrating through our area now, heading south. These are the long-lived generation, the Methusalah generation.
Here is a close-up of a Monarch, taken by Clay Yale.
To track the migration of Monarchs, here is the link to Journey North: http://www.learner.org/jnorth/ This is a citizen science website where people like me and you can share our sightings. They track many creatures, including hummingbirds and gray whales. Join in the fun!
Thanks to Clay for allowing me to share his photo with you here.
It's not easy photographing CA Quail chicks, as they always seem to be in motion. Two chicks recently came to a water dish to take a few sips, and Clay Yale had his camera at the ready.
Here is a photo of the beautiful male, taken by Tom Eckles. The male is always on guard duty while the female tends to her covey of little ones.
My all-time favorite photo of CA Quail was taken by Siegfried Matull
14 chicks are on the bench, with Dad acting as a sentry. It looks like Mom is on the left.
Thanks to Clay, Tom, and Siegfried for allowing me to share their photos with you here. To see much more of Tom's photography, here is his website: www.tomeckles.com
Clay Yale sent in the first photo of the spring showing a newborn fawn.
The spotted fawn is seeing the resident Quail, perhaps for the first time.
So now is the time to drive slower. If a Doe crosses the road in front of you, pause for a moment or two to see if a fawn...or two...or even three... might be following close behind.
Thanks to Clay for allowing me to share his photo with you here.
One of my favorite birds is the clown-faced Acorn Woodpecker. They often appear at our birdfeeder. Clay Yale and Siegfried Matull recently photographed two Acorn Woodpeckers. Both photos show a female. First here is Siegfried's photo.
And next is Clay's photo.
To show you the difference between a male and female Acorn Woodpecker, here is a photo taken by Jim Garlock. The female is on the right and the male is on the left. Note that the red on top of the male's head is bigger and there is no black between his white and red feathers on his face.
The sound of Acorns is quite distinctive. Some describe it as "waka waka." To hear for yourself, here's a link to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/acorn_woodpecker/sounds
Thanks to Siegfried, Clay and Jim for allowing me to share their photos with you here.