Tag Archives: Craig Tooley

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The Gualala River usually closes in the spring, after the winter rains. A big sandbar always forms at the river mouth, and the river then backs up and fills to the brim. We've been waiting and waiting for this to happen this year, and it finally happened mid-week.

Here is what the river looks like when it is closed - just beautiful.

Craig Tooley took this aerial photo of the closed Gualala a few years ago.

You can see the big sandbar stretching across the river's mouth. Some of the river seeps through the sandbar and some of the water will evaporate, as the river slowly loses water. Now is the perfect time to kayak the river.

Fun fact: When the river is closed, the water at the mouth is called a lagoon. When the river is open, the water at the mouth is called an estuary.

Thanks to Craig for allowing me to show his aerial photo. To see much more of Craig's work, here is his website: www.ruffimage.com

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Craig Tooley photographed the Peregrine Falcon nest with two chicks. In Craig's first photo, the adult Peregrine has just finished feeding the chicks and is flying away.

Here one of the Peregrine Falcon chicks is exercising his or her wings. It won't be too long before they fledge. These photos were taken over a week ago.

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: www.ruffimage.com

It really cooled off on the coast today...thank goodness!

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It's called fledging when the chicks leave their nest, testing their wings for the first time. Sometimes the beginning flying lessons can go awry. But in the case of a group of young Pacific Wrens, according to John Batchelder, they were hopping around in several bushes, doing just fine.

John commented that this fledgling's beak looks too big for its head. I agree! But we know he or she will grow into that big break. Here's a photo of an adult singing, taken by Craig Tooley.

We loved this photo so much, we included it in our book, Mendonoma Sightings Throughout the Year. This bird used to be called a Winter Wren. They have the most lovely song, which echoes through the forest in the spring and early summer. You can hear it here: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Pacific_Wren/sounds

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

 

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The two pair of Peregrine's who nested in southern Mendocino county returned to the same spots again this year. In the first photo is the nest with two chicks. Craig Tooley went out with his long lens to get these photos and a short video.

Here's Craig's video:

And Margaret Lindgren photographed the other nest with her cell phone camera. The nest has FOUR chicks.

Thanks to Craig and Margaret for allowing me to share their photos and video with you here. To see much more of Craig's nature photography, here is his website:  www.ruffimage.com

And to learn about Margaret's fabulous hiking tours here on the Mendonoma coast, here is the link to her website: http://www.unbeatenpathtours.com/

We got 1.02 inches of rain from the late season storm early yesterday. Everything got a nice soaking!

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Jan McCormick recently photographed two beautiful newborn Fawns with their mother, the essence of cuteness. With the newborn Fawns, this is the time of year to drive slowly, as Fawns follow their mothers when crossing a road, especially Highway 1.And Craig Tooley spotted this healthy-looking Buck in velvet.

Velvet is a membrane that nourishes the growth of the bones that make up the antler. With all the rains we had, there will be plenty of food for the Black-tailed Deer that also call the Mendonoma coast their home.

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