Tag Archives: Craig Tooley

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I love these little birds! They travel around in groups, talking up a storm. Craig Tooley recently photographed one. You can see this bird caught a spider.

And here the Chickadee takes flight.

I can hear a flock approaching amongst the trees as they make their distinctive "chick-a-dee-dee" calls and their chittering. Often nuthatches are mixed in the group - quite sociable these chickadees! You can hear their calls at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's website at this link: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Chestnut-backed_Chickadee/sounds

Thanks to Craig for allowing me to share his photos with you here. To see much more of Craig's nature photography, here is the link to his website: http://www.ruffimage.com

ooo, it was COLD early this morning, 37 degrees. That is cold for the coast, for sure! Today is sunny and chilly, with breezes.

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I love seeing Northern Flickers. I often see them coming to neighbors' springs to get water. Craig Tooley recently photographed a male Flicker.

The red "whiskers" tells us this is a male and is the Red-shafted form of Flickers, the ones found here in the west. Their call is distinctive and you can hear it at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology site at this link: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northern_Flicker/sounds

Northern Flickers use their big beaks to dig in the ground, unearthing ants and beetles, their preferred food.

Thanks to Craig for allowing me to share his photo with you here. To see much more of Craig's nature photography, here is the link to his website: http://www.ruffimage.com

Another sunny, unseasonably warm day. Really, it's quite lovely but it's just not right for February. But what else can we do but enjoy the warm breezes and bright blue sky?! News flash! Scott and Tree Mercer saw the first NORTH-bound Gray Whale on Monday, Feb. 7th, just about on schedule. The first to head back to the Arctic are the newly pregnant females. They need to get to their feeding grounds as fast as possible. Gray Whales are arriving to the birthing lagoons off Baja California not. So, yes, the grays are coming and going!

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Karen Wilkinson was the first to spot them early last Wednesday morning. She called Craig Tooley, who showed up with his camera and his talent soon thereafter. Here are a couple of photos taken by Craig.

The seabirds in the first photo are Surf Scoters. I love the photo showing so many dolphins surfing a wave together - the original surfers!

Researcher and scientist Bill Keener was able to identify six of the eleven dolphins, and one was our old friend, Sakura. Sakura was photographed off the Mendonoma Coast in 2018 and in 2020 she was seen with her calf. Here is the study of this group of Bottlenose Dolphins by Bill, just click on the link below.

Bottlenose Dolphins 2022 Jan 12 CT Bill Keener

I plan to share some of Karen's photos and videos of these dolphins soon.

Thanks to Craig for allowing me to share his photos with you here. To see much more of Craig's nature photography, here is the link to his website: http://www.ruffimage.com

Another lovely, clear day on the Mendonoma Coast today. 68 degrees at our place in Anchor Bay this afternoon.

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On Christmas day, Mel Smith spotted and photographed perhaps the first appearing Slink Pod, Scoliopus bigelovii.

This wildflower is a member of the Lily family. Its distinctive leaves are just barely showing. But they will grow in the weeks ahead. They are mottled, so if you see them in the spring, long after these exquisite flowers, then remember where they are so you can look for them next winter. Here's a photo of the leaves, taken by Craig Tooley a few years ago.

Thanks to Mel and Craig for allowing me to share their photos with you here.

Clouds are pouring in and the surface water of the ocean is  now flowing northward - all signs that a storm is on the way!

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Brown Pelicans continue to be seen in large numbers. Paul Brewer recently photographed a flock flying north.

The white-headed pelicans are the adults and the brown-headed pelicans are the juveniles. I just received the first photo of a brown pelican in breeding plumage, and that male's head is yellow. Here's an example from a previous  year, photographed by Craig Tooley. These males are now heading south.

Thanks to Paul and Craig for allowing me to share their photos with you here. To see much more of Paul's nature photography, here is the link to his website: http://www.capturingnatureswonders.com/ and Craig's website is: http://www.ruffimage.com

We had another vigorous storm today. We sailed past 17 inches season to date, a marvelous amount of rain by the first day of November!