Tag Archives: Michael Coustier

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Three mountain lions, I'm thinking a mother with her two grown offspring, were videoed by motion detection cameras last week, right in Gualala. One sighting was on the east side of Highway One and the other was on the west side. Michael Coustier wrote, “Thought you might get a kick out of seeing the kitties that were outside our house earlier this week.”

This is the time of year for the two younger cougars to leave their mother, and establish their own territory. We’ve been seeing that happening in the Bay Area recently.

I was impressed with the quality of the video Michael sent in. He sent me a link that told me it was a Tapo 2K Outdoor Pan/Tilt Wireless Floodlight Security Camera - Battery Power with Solar, 360º AI Motion Tracking. Here is the link to Michael's video:

The cougars sure seem comfortable in this area! And they would have crossed Highway One to reach the west side after this visit.

Thanks to Michael for allowing me to share his video and screen shot with you here.

It's been sunny today with a cool breeze - rain predicted starting tomorrow, Saturday, night. Happy Valentine's Day!

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Michael Coustier wrote, “[Last] weekend, the wife and I were in the Gualala Point Regional Park enjoying a walk and maybe hoping to see some whales. I was busy scanning the horizon with my camera when my wife (using binoculars) says, "What’s that bird on the edge?" I struggled for a minute to find what she was pointing out, but eventually found the bird - a pretty common Red-tailed Hawk. What was less common was watching him fly off with his lunch snack.”

The short tail and color of the rodent looks like the hawk caught a vole.

Thanks to Michael for allowing me to share his photos with you here.

Another lovely, dry day here today, with no wind. Temps close to 70 degrees!

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Such a treat to hear a Pileated Woodpecker and an even better treat to get a photo of the largest woodpecker on the Mendonoma Coast. Here's Michael's story:

"I first heard her on the prior Thursday night, never actually seeing her.  I spent the next five nights going back to the same spot. I heard her a few times and it wasn't until last Wednesday I actually found her."

MCOUSTIER@PROTONMAIL.COM

"It took me about six hours of standing in the same spot over those five nights with enhanced hay fever and three ticks.  She is the largest woodpecker in the USA and she was found behind RCMS.” RCMS is our medical clinic in Gualala.

Michael got two other photos I'd like to share with you. The first is a Red-shafted Northern Flicker.

MCOUSTIER@PROTONMAIL.COM

And here is a Red-shouldered Hawk with a juvenile Gartersnake for his/her meal.

 

Thanks to Michael for allowing me to share his photos with you here.

To hear the call of a Pileated Woodpecker - and it's impressive! - you can listen at this link to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Pileated_Woodpecker/sounds

It's a beautiful day here today with gentle breezes. There are many, many visitors here for the holiday!