Tag Archives: Mill Bend

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Mike Reinhard went to Mill Bend, the newly acquired land along the Gualala River this past week. He was visited by an adult Bald Eagle with its offspring. It's just a wonderful photo of these hawks!

Then Mike saw this group of ducks. I asked birder Tim Bray if Mike had photographed Mallards. Tim wrote, “It's ‘Brown Duck Season!’ More scientifically known as ‘eclipse plumage,’ the cryptic Summer phase when all the drakes look like hens. Thankfully that only lasts about a month and happens before they leave the breeding grounds. Some of them start migrating before they have grown breeding plumage and give us a few weeks of confusion. Most of these are indeed Mallards, the big ones with the yellowish bills, and you can see the drakes are already beginning to molt into breeding plumage. There appears to be two smaller ducks with dark bills that I can't identify. Most likely Green-winged Teal but it's hard to be sure.”

Mike also photographed Red-necked Phalaropes. These shorebirds have very thin beaks. They breed far to our north, in the Arctic tundra, and are migrating southward now.

Nice day at the Gualala River, Mike!

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

It's foggy today, Sunday, right at the bluffs, but sunny just a few yards inland.

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Mike Petrich was at Mill Bend recently. Mill Bend is the recently acquired land at the mouth of the Gualala river- thank you, Redwood Coast Land Conservancy! Mike found an Anna's Hummingbird perched on a branch after feeding on a red Bottlebrush plant.

After photographing the little hummer, Mike found a nest of America Robins close to the Gualala River. It looks like it's a very full house!

Mom or Dad must have been close as all those beaks are wide open..."feed me, feed me!" Looking closer at Mike's photo, I see one of the parents right behind the chicks!

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

This morning I drove to Point Arena to meet a friend for breakfast. It was drippy fog in PA. When I returned to Anchor Bay, the sun was out and it was 20 degrees warmer. ah, the micro climates of the Mendonoma Coast!

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Bill Brown was at Cooks Beach early one morning during a low tide.  How beautiful to see the offshore rocks reflected in the ocean.

Bill also saw many healthy Sea Stars, Ochre Stars, at Cooks Beach.

Cooks Beach is a lovely pocket beach, perfect for forgetting about a certain virus, or anything else that might be bothering you!

RCLC is our local land conservancy. Along with Cooks Beach, they have brought us the Gualala Bluff Trail and Hearn Gulch. To great excitement, they are also bringing us Mill Bend, which includes the mouth and part of the stem of the Gualala River. RCLC continues to fund raise for this once-in-a lifetime acquisition. You can find out much more at this link: https://www.rclc.org/ 

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

We had a very foggy morning, and it continues to be socked in right along the coastline. The sun is shining a little away from the bluffs, however. It's a mild summer day.

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Gaily Jackson was up early and she headed for Gualala Point Regional Park. She photographed the Serge, the ceremonial posts carved and dedicated by the wood carvers of the Sakha Republic.

The Serge looks beautiful morning light. You can learn more about these posts at this link: https://parks.sonomacounty.ca.gov/Visit/Gualala-Point-Regional-Park/Serge-Posts/

Gaily also photographed the Gualala River, showing the iconic Mill Bend.

And the dawn.

We are very lucky to have this beautiful park here in Gualala, and a wonderful photographer to show its beauty. Thanks to Gaily for allowing me to share her photos with you here. To see much more of her nature photography, here is her website: http://gailyimages.com/

We had some surprise rain this morning, but this afternoon is splashed in sunshine.

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The Gualala River closed last Sunday. The wave action built up the sandbar across the river mouth. This happens every year, and when it does the river backs up like a bathtub with a plug in it. Allen Vinson photographed the river mouth last Sunday afternoon.

After a couple of days, this is what the Gualala River lagoon looked like - full to the brim! Charlie Ivor took these photos. The first photo shows Mill Bend. And the second photo shows the Gualala Bridge. Oh, it's wonderful to see the river so full and beautiful!

This is the perfect time to kayak or canoe on the Gualala River. To schedule your day of fun, here is the website to Adventure Rents of Gualala: http://www.adventurerents.com/

Thanks to Allen and Charlie for allowing me to share their photos with you here.