Tag Archives: Craig Tooley

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Beth Kattleman took a recent kayak trip on the Russian River. She had visitors, Harbor Seals, and they sure were curious about her!

harbor-seals-looking-at-me-by-beth-kattlemanBeth's photo reminds me of a photo of Craig Tooley's that we included in our book, Mendonoma Sightings Throughout the Year. He and Rita Peck were ocean kayaking off of The Sea Ranch when these CA Sea Lions checked them out.

sea-lions-seen-from-a-kayak-june-by-craig-tooleyYou can almost hear them talking - hey, what's happening? Seen any tasty fish? Can you come and swim with us?

A little fancifulness for you today as we try and recover from the election.

Thanks to Beth 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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Craig Tooley photographed this Semipalmated Plover "taking a walk on the beach."

semipalmated-plover-taking-a-walk-on-the-beach-by-craig-tooleyWe see them in the spring and then in the autumn, during their migration. To hear the sound of this shorebird, here is the link to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Semipalmated_Plover/sounds

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

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Steve Coffey-Smith was watching the fun from the Gualala Bluff Trail recently. Brown pelicans were coming in for a landing. So graceful in the air, they can be downright clumsy as they land, webbed feet stretched out. You will be hard pressed not to laugh.

Version 2Here's one of my favorite pelican photos. Craig Tooley photographed a Brown pelican about to land. Was it a smooth landing or did this pelican do a pratfall? Only Craig knows. This photo appears in our book, Mendonoma Sightings Throughout the Year, in the November chapter.brown-pelican-pelecanus-occidentalis-coming-in-for-a-landing-nov-by-craig-tooleyah, we love the wonderful Brown pelicans. They were on the Endangered Species List because of the pesticide DDT. It made their eggshells so thin that the shells broke when the mother sat on them. With the banning of DDT in the 1960's, these birds have recovered, so much so that they are no longer listed on the ESL.

Thanks to Steve 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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I'll let Craig Tooley tell the story:

Craig wrote, “I was out peeking into our local tide pools and thought you might enjoy some of my sightings. The Red Sea urchin is much less common in our area, and I felt honored to have found one.”

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Bob Van Syoc took a look at Craig’s photo and wrote, “The things that look like tentacles are tube feet. Urchins use them to move around and also to grab drift kelp to eat. They work like tiny hydraulic suction cups!”

Craig also found an Ochre Sea Star, a beautiful sight to behold!

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

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This is the time of year when the fall migration of Monarch butterflies occurs. I have seen one or two nearly every time the sun comes out and warms things up. I am always thrilled to see one. Barbara Rice sent in photos of a male and a female Monarch. The male, shown below, has two dark scent spots on its lower wings. Can you see them?

male-monarch-has-two-scent-spots-on-lower-wings-photo-courtesty-of-barbara-riceThe female does not have these two spots.

female-monarch-lacks-the-two-scent-spots-photo-courtesty-of-barbara-riceThis generation of Monarchs is called the Methuselah generation. They are the ones who migrate, and they live seven months.

Here's a photo taken by Craig Tooley that appears in our book, Mendonoma Sightings Throughout the Year. Looks like it's a female!

monarch-butterfly-with-pink-flowers-oct-by-craig-tooleyThanks to Barbara for sending in the first two photos, and 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