Tag Archives: Gualala River

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Last Friday, hundreds of Brown Pelicans were seen at the Gualala River estuary. Paul Brewer was there with his camera to photograph them.

Some were bathing, others were resting. Paul photographed some in flight.

The pelicans with brown heads and white tummies are the juveniles. The white-headed pelicans with dark tummies are the adults.

Brown Pelicans are so elegant in flight, but when they come in for a water landing, the results can be comical. The Gualala River estuary is a fun place to watch the show!

Thanks to Paul for allowing me to share his photos with you here. To see much more of Paul's nature photography, here is his website: http://www.capturingnatureswonders.com/

Sunny and warm here today!

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Erin McAllister noticed the female Bald Eagle on a snag in the Gualala River.

As Erin watched, the big eagle took flight and she took this video.

What struck me while watching this video is how very big she is! A female Bald Eagle's wingspan is close to seven feet!

We feel fortunate a Bald Eagle pair made the Gualala River area their home and that they successfully raised a chick this year. I will be sharing more photos of the eagle family here soon.

Thanks to Erin for allowing me to share her photo and video with you here.

It's a beautiful day on the Mendonoma Coast today, warm with a light breeze.

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Craig Tooley noticed this heart made out of rocks in the Gualala River, a sweet sighting.

Thanks to Craig for allowing me to share his fun picture with you here. To see much more of Craig's nature photography, here is his link: http://www.ruffimage.com

The fog has been pushed back over the Pacific Ocean and the sun reappeared. With a heat wave forecast for inland areas, the Mendonoma Coast will surely be the place to escape the heat. Masks and social distancing are the order of the day, along with enjoying the beauty of the coast.

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Karen Wilkinson had spotted a Killdeer nest in July. The mother bird had laid her eggs in the gravel and rocks alongside the Gualala River. When Karen checked recently, she saw three Killdeer chicks.

Here's a photo of one of the parents.

These beautiful birds are plovers. They are quite graceful, I think!

Thanks to Karen for allowing me to share her photos with you here.

It's kind of a strange weather day. The fog seems to be battling with the sun. Round 1 went to the fog, round 2 to the sun, and on it goes.

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Wood Ducks are quite shy, so Karen Wilkinson was delighted when she spotted one for a brief moment, paddling in the Gualala River. She only caught this one glimpse.

Some years ago Peter Baye photographed this pair of Wood Ducks, the female on the left.

And Kathy Bishop also had a sighting some years ago of these ducks and she got some great close-ups of the beautiful adult male, and a photo of the rather drab-looking female with her brightly-colored mate.

In the 15+ years of writing my column in the Independent Coast Observer, these are the only photos sent in over that time. So I'd say Wood Ducks are a rare sighting here!

Thanks to Karen, Peter and Kathy for allowing me to share their photos with you here.

Another foggy, cool day on the Mendonoma Coast. Hey, it must be summer!