Tag Archives: Independent Coast Observer

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Lynda Opperman and Howard Curtis had fortune smile on them when a Gray Fox couple decided to raise a family under their deck on The Sea Ranch.

The mother Fox had just finished nursing so I entitled this first photo, "Dinner's over - let's play!"

 You won't believe what the mother Gray Fox did - she climbed up into Lynda's birdbath and  took a nice long soak. It probably felt good after nursing six kits.

You can see several other photos in this series on the Independent Coast Observer's web site at: www.mendonoma.com Click on On-Line Features and then Mendonoma Sightings.

Thanks to Lynda for allowing me to share her photos with you.

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Ben Scarola was visiting the Mendonoma Coast when he saw a Doe and two Fawns appear. He captured a wonderful photo of the two Fawns playing.

The Coast is teeming with new life. Osprey eggs have hatched and furry heads can be seen peeking up from the nest. Two Acorn Woodpecker babies are begging to be fed by their hard-working parents. As you saw yesterday, Fox Kits have been born too. And as precious as a jewel, newborn fawns grace us with their presence.

Thanks to Ben for allowing me to share his photo with you here. To see Ben's photo of one of the Fawns nursing, you can see it at the Independent Coast Observer under on-line features, Mendonoma Sightings photos. Here's the link: www.mendonoma.com

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It's pretty wonderful to share the Mendonoma Coast with Bobcats. Mother Nature's rodent hunters, they can be seen hunting gophers and other rodents in meadows. One has been spotted in the Iversen Lane area, north of Gualala. Gary Humfeld recently spotted it and captured several photographs. One is posted on the Independent Coast Observer's web site under "On-line features, Mendonoma Sightings" at this link: www.mendonoma.com. The other photo I am happy to share with you here.

You can see the Bobcat's unique tufted ears. Thanks to Gary for allowing me to share his photo with  you here.

To see a dramatic photo of a Bobcat caught in a mid-air leap, here's the link: http://www.mendonomasightings.com/2011/06/09/bobcat-caught-in-mid-air-by-drew-fagan-in-gualala/

The fog rolled in overnight, cooling us off. With the low tides and calm ocean this morning, abalone divers descended upon the Coast in great numbers. Vehicles were parked at many key access points up an down the Coast. Hope they had a good dive!

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In the six years of writing Mendonoma Sightings in the Independent Coast Observer, I've only received one photo of a Western Spotted Skunk, Spilogale gracilis, and it was taken through a window. Until now, that is! John Bower found this little Skunk in a trash bin on the Gualala Ridge. After its close-up, John tipped the bin over so it could get out.

 A few old-timers erroneously call this Skunk a Civet Cat. It does move like a cat and is about the size of a house cat but it is indeed a Skunk. If it starts stomping its front paws, back away - fast! It can spray just as well as its bigger brother, the Striped Skunk.

In the winter they eat rodents, adding vegetation and insects to their diet in the summer. Fruit and berries in the autumn are also eaten by this Skunk. Thanks to John Bower for allowing me to share his photo with you here!

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A beautiful Bobcat was spotted by Jan de Vries hunting in the meadow outside his Sea Ranch home. The Bobcat stayed long enough for Jan to take a series of photos. One photo was published in the Independent Coast Observer this week and can be seen at http://www.mendonoma.com/. Jan has kindly allowed me to share several more photos here.

Such a healthy, beautiful Bobcat, it was probably hunting for Gophers in Jan's meadow.