Craig Tooley recently took this photo of beautiful clouds from the bluffs of The Sea Ranch. And the Pacific Ocean abides. Just lovely.
Thanks to Craig for allowing me to share his photo here. To see more of his work, here is a link to his web site: http://ruffimage.com/
And on a recent walk Rick and I could only look from afar at these Oyster Mushrooms at least twenty feet high on a Tanoak snag. We were wishing we were able to levitate so we could harvest some for our meal.
Craig Tooley saw this young Bobcat in a stand-off with a Buck. The Bobcat seemed to be calling the Buck's bluff and that's the moment Craig captured this photograph. But the Bobcat's bravado was in vain. All it took was one step forward by the Buck and the Bobcat thought better of the situation. It quickly disappeared into the brush. Sometimes retreat is the best option!
And to see Drew Fagan's photo of a leaping Bobcat, click here: http://www.mendonomasightings.com/2011/06/09/bobcat-caught-in-mid-air-by-drew-fagan-in-gualala/
And to see a Bobcat walking a labyrinth photographed by Emily Nelson, click here: http://www.mendonomasightings.com/2011/04/21/bobcat-walking-a-labyrinth-an-amazing-sight-on-the-gualala-ridge/
Craig Tooley recently photographed a lovely Song Sparrow. They are found across the United States but those in the Pacific Northwest look a bit different from their Eastern counterparts. It fills the air with its lilting song.
To hear the Song Sparrow's call, here's a link to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Song_sparrow/sounds
Thanks to Craig for allowing me to show his photo here. To see more of Craig's work, here's a link to his web site: http://web.me.com/theruffians1
We share the Mendonoma Coast with the beautiful Gray Fox, Urocyon cinereoargenteus. They are often photographed hunting in the open meadows of The Sea Ranch. And that is where Hal Fogel photographed this Gray Fox. Thanks to Hal for kindly allowing me to share his photos with you.
Fun fact: Gray Foxes are monogamous. Their kits are some of the cutest critters you could hope to see. Here's a link to see Craig Tooley's photo of two Fox kits. http://www.mendonomasightings.com/2011/08/31/two-photos-of-gray-fox-kits-by-coastal-photographer-craig-tooley/
Yellow-rumped Warblers are arriving on the Mendonoma coast to spend the winter here. Their song can be heard from trees. I learned on the Cornell Lab of Ornithology website that they are the only warbler that can digest the wax of the berries of Wax Myrtle and Bayberries.
Here's a link to their site where you can hear their sweet call.
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Yellow-rumped_Warbler/sounds
Craig Tooley has photographed this small songbird several times and has kindly allowed me to share them with you here.
To see more of Craig's work, here is a link to his website: http://web.me.com/theruffians1