Tag Archives: Craig Tooley

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Sea Lions are fun to watch. They are a common sighting off the Mendonoma Coast. They are noisy, barking often. Killer Whales hunt them. Richard Kuehn got a photo of Sea Lions swimming hard and fast. Perhaps there was an Orca or two after them.

Sea Lions swimming hard and fast by Richard Kuehn

Sea Lions can look like porpoises, because when they swim fast they "porpoise" through the water. Jon Loveless photographed this action.

Sea Lions porpoising by Jon Loveless

They also gather together in rafts, which is what Rozann Grunig photographed.

Sea Lions rafting off of TSR by Rozann Grunig

It is thought they raft together for protection. They hold a flipper up in the air to either warm up or cool down - thermoregulation.

And lastly, Sea Lions are very curious. Craig Tooley was out kayaking when a group came in close to check him out.

Sea Lions seen from a kayak JUNE by Craig Tooley

Thanks to Rich, Jon, Rozann 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 To see Rozann's nature photography, here is her website: www.highway1designs.com

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Pelagic Cormorants nest on rocky bluff faces. There is a colony at The Sea Ranch and another at the north end of Hearn Gulch. Craig Tooley photographed a nest full of hatchlings off TSR.

Pelagic Cormorant nest with hatchlings by Craig Tooley

Rick and I didn't know Pelagic Cormorants were nesting at Hearn Gulch but when we hiked there recently we saw these black seabirds coming and going. If you look closely you can see two Pelagic Cormorants on the rock face. Other nests were obviously on the bluff facing west as the birds were flying to and fro.

Pelagic Cormorant nest at Hearn Gulch by Jeanne Jackson (Large)

Yes, it's too bad I don't have Craig Tooley's most excellent camera lens! To find Hearn Gulch, a fairly new public access gem, park at mile marker 10.0 just north of Iversen Road in Mendocino County. To learn more about new accesses, visit the Redwood Coast Land Conservancy website at: www.rc-lc.org

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 link: www.ruffimage.com

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Craig Tooley caught this Anna's Hummingbird glowing from the sunlight, showing the subtle colors of this tiny bird.

Anna's Hummingbird by Craig Tooley

Anna's Hummingbirds are year round residents of the Mendonoma Coast. Here is another photo of one that Craig took - this is a male. This photo appears in my book, Mendonoma Sightings Throughout The Year.

Male Anna's Hummingbird MARCH by Craig Tooley

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

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It's quite a sighting to see two Banana Slugs forming the symbol of yin-yang. Craig Tooley photographed just that.

Yin Yang Banana Slugs by Craig Tooley

The two Banana Slugs are actually preparing to mate. I was asked recently, who eats them? Garter snakes eat them, for one example. Raccoons eat them as do Ducks, Geese and Salamanders. Rick and I see them every day in our forest - tiny ones, skinny ones, fat ones. This spring they seem to be very abundant.

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.

 

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It's that time of year - Harbor Seal pups are being born. Carol Hunter got a photo of one of the very first pups of 2014.

Harbor Seal pups and their moms bond right after birth. It is quite endearing to see. Below is a photo from last year of a pup nuzzling its mom. It was taken by Craig Tooley.

After birthing, the mother Harbor Seal will leave her pup on the beach while she hunts for fish. Never try to "rescue" a pup or any other marine mammal. If you believe one needs help, call the Marine Mammal Center at 415) 289-7325 or 415)289-SEAL.

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