Tag Archives: Cook’s Beach

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Yesterday, Eric Nordvold and Cece Case saw an Osprey flying over Cooks Beach in Gualala. We wondered if he could be the first returning Osprey. The vast majority of Ospreys that nest here migrate far to our south in the fall. A lone Osprey, though, was spotted during The Sea Ranch's bird count in January. But this morning I looked through my spotting scope and there he was!!! Perched on the nest that Rick and I have been watching for years, an active Osprey nest here in Anchor Bay. The males return first and the females will follow soon. They usually arrive around the first day of Spring, but like seemingly everything else, they are apparently early this year. Here is a photo taken by Chris Pechal last year.

It's always exciting to spot the first returning Ospreys. With all that's troubling in our world, knowing that the Ospreys have returned to the Mendonoma Coast brings comfort.

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

Bright sunshine this afternoon, and temps in the low sixties. The ferocious wind has died down, thank goodness.

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Eric Duff was at Cooks Beach when he photographed this beautiful sunset.

Cooks Beach is just north of the town of Gualala. You can learn more about this wonderful pocket beach at the Redwood Coast Land Conservancy's website at this link: https://www.rclc.org/what-we-do/cooks-beach/ I'm such a fan of RCLC.

Deborah Vanderwoude noticed this unusual cloud recently and said she thought it looked like a bird, which I can see. I also thought it looked like an angel if you looked at it another way.

Thanks to Eric and Deborah for allowing me to share their photos with you here.

We are having a spectacular warm day on the Mendonoma Coast today.

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Bill Brown was at Cooks Beach early one morning during a low tide.  How beautiful to see the offshore rocks reflected in the ocean.

Bill also saw many healthy Sea Stars, Ochre Stars, at Cooks Beach.

Cooks Beach is a lovely pocket beach, perfect for forgetting about a certain virus, or anything else that might be bothering you!

RCLC is our local land conservancy. Along with Cooks Beach, they have brought us the Gualala Bluff Trail and Hearn Gulch. To great excitement, they are also bringing us Mill Bend, which includes the mouth and part of the stem of the Gualala River. RCLC continues to fund raise for this once-in-a lifetime acquisition. You can find out much more at this link: https://www.rclc.org/ 

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

We had a very foggy morning, and it continues to be socked in right along the coastline. The sun is shining a little away from the bluffs, however. It's a mild summer day.

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Willie Brown went to Cooks Beach last week during the minus tides. He found Ochre Sea Stars, Pisaster ochraceus.

He also photographed a Star that looks to eating a mussel or some barnacles.

These Sea Stars indicate a healthy ecosystem in the intertidal zone.

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

We are having a sizzlingly hot day today - 96 degrees in the shade on our deck. Relief is promised for tomorrow.

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That's what Michael Combs called this sight at Cooks Beach. The storm waves washed away much of the sand on the beach, leaving behind stones piled high with sand "castles."

The storms washed in a LOT of driftwood too.

Now the beach has a chance to recover and build back up its sand. Cooks Beach is a very popular pocket beach at the northern end of Gualala. Here's a link to the Redwood Coast Land Conservancy to learn more about this special place: http://www.rc-lc.org/

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

Today is like a gift, weather-wise. Now is the time to visit, with no rain in the forecast for at least five more days.