Tag Archives: Craig Tooley

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They are just so beautiful and jaunty, blooming on coastal meadows. Cream Cups, Platystemon californicus, are a treat to see. Craig Tooley recently photographed some for us to enjoy with the Pacific Ocean as a backdrop.

Cream Cups are members of the Poppy family. Here's a closeup of two of them, taken by Mary Sue Ittner last year.

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

Clouds this morning with a couple of drops of rain, followed by sun breaks this afternoon.

Spring doesn't know...

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Craig Tooley wrote, "This Little possum is one of those creatures I don't often get the opportunity to see and even less of an opportunity to photograph. Some people don't care for them, but as I was brought up on Dr. Seuss it reminds me of characters of my childhood. I managed to get a few pictures of it as it was foraging around some landscape lighting, much to my delight!

Opossums are marsupials and they quite beneficial in the environment. They prey on cockroaches, rats, and mice, and...THEY EAT TICKS! One Opossum can eat 5,000 ticks a season. You can read about their role to play at this link to the National Wildlife Foundation: https://blog.nwf.org/2017/06/opossums-unsung-heroes-in-the-fight-against-ticks-and-lyme-disease/

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 

Craig's photos are featured in our book, Mendonoma Sightings Throughout the Year, which is available at the Four-eyed Frog Books  https://www.foureyedfrog.com/ or on the homepage of this website. It's a beautiful book that will bring you visually to the Mendonoma Coast.

ooo, today is just a beautiful day. The birdsong this morning was a balm. We are at 75 degrees, light breeze and nothing but sunshine today.

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Craig Tooley recently photographed a Barred Owl, a large owl native to Eastern North America. It has, however,  made its way to the Pacific Northwest in recent years.

There is concern that Barred Owls will negatively affect the native Spotted Owls. The Barred Owl’s hooting call is described as, “Who cooks for you? Who cooks for you-all?” You can hear it for yourself at this link to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Barred_Owl/sounds

To compare a Barred with a Spotted Owl, here is a look at a Spotted that Craig photographed some time ago.

I love owls, I admit it. I heard the hooting of a Great Horned Owl a few nights ago and it brought me comfort!

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

It's sunny today with a northwest wind - more upwelling in the ocean! Rain coming in for the weekend.

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Craig Tooley spotted this beautiful hawk recently. We first thought it was a Sharp-shinned Hawk but it turns out the experts agree it's a Cooper's Hawk.

Here's what the Cornell Lab of Ornithology says about these hawks:

"Among the bird world’s most skillful fliers, Cooper’s Hawks are common woodland hawks that tear through cluttered tree canopies in high speed pursuit of other birds. You’re most likely to see one prowling above a forest edge or field using just a few stiff wingbeats followed by a glide. With their smaller lookalike, the Sharp-shinned Hawk, Cooper’s Hawks make for famously tricky identifications. Both species are sometimes unwanted guests at bird feeders, looking for an easy meal (but not one of sunflower seeds)." Yes, they eat smaller birds.

To hear their call, here is the link to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Coopers_Hawk/sounds

It's not a musical call, is it?  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

Feels like a storm is coming in this afternoon!

 

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Are you afraid of arachnids? Craig Tooley isn’t. He wrote, “The Harvestmen are back. They’ve actually been back for over four months. I just had not gotten out to get any pictures. They are really quite amazing, though I’m not sure exactly what they are eating.”

Craig’s photo shows a cluster of Harvestmen, a non-venomous arachnid also called Daddy long-legs. They are actually quite beneficial to a house. They are omnivores, eating insects, other spiders, aphids, dead insects, fungus, and more. They form clusters for protection.

Craig got a close-up of a couple of Harvestmen. He found the lead one was smiling at him!

Hope this photo makes you smile!

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

It's a stunning day on the Mendonoma coast. We are sad, though, that all the beaches and parks have been closed. Even the Point Arena Pier closed to everyone except the fishermen with boats. We'll get through this...together.

Spring doesn't know...