A male Harlequin Duck has been spotted off Black Point Beach on The Sea Ranch. Craig Tooley got several photos of the beautiful bird.
This duck is banded but Craig can only make out three numbers. He's trying to locate it again and try for the complete number so this sighting can be reported.
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
When fresh up, Western Trilliums are white. As they age they turn pink and then purple. Craig Tooley photographed one as it changed to pink.
Craig mentioned that it looked like it had been hand-painted.
A wet storm hit the Mendonoma Coast in the wee hours of the morning, bringing two inches of rain at our place in Anchor Bay. There are several more storms to come, for which we are very grateful.
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
Glenn and Kalynn Funk noticed this cute little owl in an owl nesting box they put up in their Anchor Bay property some years ago. Finally, they have attracted a Western Screech-Owl. Craig Tooley went over and captured a photo of the little owl.
We hope this owl will attract a mate and nest in the Funk's box. What fun that would be!
This owl has a bird-like call, not screech-like at all. To hear it, here is a link to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Western_Screech-Owl/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 his website: www.ruffimage.com
Many of our native wildflowers are quite small so you need to pay close attention when hiking in forests or on bluffs. Here are a few that are currently blooming.
Milkmaids, Cardamine californica, a member of the mustard family.
And Hooker's Fairybells, Disporum hookeri, a member of the lily family. The flowers shyly hid underneath this plant's leaves.
Slink Pod, aka Fetid Adder's Tongue, Scoliopus bigelovii, also a member of the lily family.
All of these and more are blooming now, though the Slink Pod bloom may be over. I will share more of our coastal wildflowers soon.
The first two photos were taken by Amy Ruegg and the last was taken by Craig Tooley. I thank them 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
Craig Tooley was out with his camera and photographed some of the big waves that have been hitting the coast. The first two show the action at Hearn Gulch, which is found in Mendocino County at mile marker 10.0 just north of Iversen Road. As you can clearly see in the second photo, there is an impressive blowhole there.
And Craig captured big waves and a rainbow - just lovely to see.
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
To learn more about Hearn Gulch, here is the link to the Redwood Coast Land Conservancy: http://www.rc-lc.org/ These fine folks have worked to bring us public access to Hearn Gulch, Cooks Beach and the Gualala Bluff Trail, and I, for one, am very grateful!