There was a nest of Red-tailed Hawks near The Sea Ranch. The chicks recently fledged. Craig Tooley photographed this fledgling soaring through the sky.
Looks like his/her flying lessons are going very well!
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: www.ruffimage.com
Gary Hopkins photographed this Black Oystercatcher on her nest off The Sea Ranch.
These shorebirds nest on rocky areas just above the high tide mark. This keeps them close to their favorite food in the ocean, mussels and limpets.
They have a whistling call, once described to me as "chattery," which makes me smile. You can hear it here: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Black_Oystercatcher/sounds
They have pink legs, red-orange beaks and red circles around their eyes. Craig Tooley photographed this Black Oystercatcher "dancing," or perhaps just landing. Craig's photos shows off those pink legs!
Thanks to Gary and Craig for allowing me to share their photos with you here. To see more of Craig's wildlife photography, here is his website: www.ruffimage.com
Sea Stars were hit hard by a wasting disease, which began several years ago. Their demise is one of the reasons things are out of balance in the ocean. I'm happy to report healthy Stars are being seen in the intertidal zone. John Wall recently photographed an Ocher Star.
Earlier this year Martin Steinpress found baby Stars, a heartwarming sighting.
In years past, Sea Stars, formerly called Starfish, were seen in abundance. Craig Tooley took this great photo some years ago. May this become a more common sighting in the years to come.
Craig's photo appears in our book, Mendonoma Sightings Throughout the Year. He titled it "Sea Star party."
Thanks to John, Martin and Craig for allowing me to share their photos with you here. To see more of Craig's nature photography, visit his website www.ruffimage.com
A warm, windless day so far on this Memorial Day.
To celebrate the day of love, here are some hearts for you. First, heart-shaped rocks found on the Mendonoma coast, hand-painted by Jann Littleton.
And a driftwood heart, photographed by Craig Tooley.
A heart-shaped cave photographed by Kate Gelles.
And the heart-shaped blow of a Gray Whale, photographed by Carol Bogovich.
Happy Valentine's Day, from me to you!
A wild and wet storm arrived yesterday [we got over two inches of rain], and the unsettled weather behind it has brought downpours, a little hail, mixed with brilliant sunshine today. A wait-five-minutes kind of day!
Craig Tooley photographed a couple of rainbows, one showing the big surf we are having.
After today's showers, the weather is suppose to be sunny and warmer through the weekend. Time for a trip to the Mendonoma coast? It should be beautiful.
Thanks to Craig for allowing me to share his photos with you here. To see much more of Craig's nature photography, here is his website: www.ruffimage.com