Tag Archives: Point Arena Lighthouse

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The Point Arena Lighthouse is currently closed to the public because of the virus. But Tour Guide Mike Chandler filmed the Light Tower in 3D so you can virtually climb the tower and look out from the top. Here is the link: https://my.matterport.com/show/?m=nghSa8aorZQ

Click on the button on the bottom lower left to start the tour, or play around in the 3D space. It's pretty wonderful!

Here is a photo of the Lighthouse, taken by Mark Hancock. Notice the Baby Blue Eyes blooming in front. They are blooming now.

Thanks to Mike and Mark for allowing me to share their video/photo with you here. To learn more about this iconic lighthouse and the accommodations once we can have visitors again, here is the link to the website: https://www.pointarenalighthouse.com/

brrr, it's cold today after the two weekend storms. It is also achingly beautiful with oh-so-blue skies and puffy clouds racing across the sky.

Spring doesn't know...

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Fogbows are also called white rainbows. They don't appear very often so we cherish them when we are fortunate enough to see one. Mark Hancock wrote, “My dog, Tasi, and I were doing our closing stroll at the Lighthouse and we were treated to an amazing Fogbow to the east. Our Lighthouse Guide, Mike Chandler, had photographed one in the morning from the Tower balcony using his 360-degree camera, and it looked like a halo above the Fog Signal Building. The one I saw [in the afternoon] was a perfect arc above the perimeter fence, and I was able to take a photo with it embracing the Tower as well. What a great way to close our January 2020!”

Here is the link to see the 360 degree video taken by Mike:

Thanks to Mark and Mike for allowing me to share their photos and video here with you. To see more of Mike's photography and video services, here is the link to his website: https://www.thirdeyeviz.com/
Absolutely stellar day on the coast today,  mid 70's and little wind. Where is our rain?

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A week ago Thursday, eagle eyes at the Point Arena Lighthouse spotted a pod of Orcas. Sara Bogard and Scott & Tree Mercer were notified. Luckily they were out on the bluffs already, and Sara had her long lens camera. Sara wrote, “Scott, Tree, and I were blessed with this amazing sighting of eight Orcas a half-mile out on January 23, 2:30 to 4 pm. There were two males, and a mother and calf with the pod. This was the most amazing sighting after finishing up my Harbor Seal survey of 111 total count. Also, a North American River Otter was foraging. I’m so grateful for this sighting.”

The Mercers were excited too. Scott wrote, “The excitement this week arrived on Thursday afternoon with the surprise arrival of eight Killer Whales arriving from the northwest. OrcaNetwork in Washington, Orca experts Alisa Janiger and Nancy Black, and Jodi Smith of Naked Whale Research were notified immediately and were sent photos. Janiger and Black quickly identified the Orcas as meat-eating transient Orcas. We see Orcas on average, once a year, and rarely close, so this relatively close sighting was very exciting. Sara Bogard’s excellent photos made identification possible.”

This second photo is of one of the males. Note the very tall dorsal fin. The Orca experts were able to identify several of the females, CA26 and CA180. Nancy Black wrote, “CA26 is one of our oldest females. She lost her son many years ago so she now often travels with the other older females. [They are called] ‘the golden girls.’”

You can read about these golden girls at this link: https://ftw.usatoday.com/2019/09/orcas-golden-girls-grab-spotlight-monterey

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

A spring-like day, full of sun and warmth, today.

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Sara Bogard was at the bluffs of the Point Arena Lighthouse and the Point Arena-Stornetta Lands counting Harbor Seals, as she usually does once a week. Citizen science at it's best! She saw this American Kestrel.

These Kestrels are the smallest falcons in North America. They are fierce hunters, though, of insects and small prey. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology says their numbers are declining and you can help them by putting up a nesting box. You can learn about how to do so at this link: https://nestwatch.org/learn/all-about-birdhouses/?__hstc=75100365.3ba4c962035e2b46bef5a13526048f2b.1532470093277.1578698034623.1579993283940.72&__hssc=75100365.2.1579993283940&__hsfp=942012614#_ga=2.46727719.1805588219.1579993283-500012005.1532470093

American Kestrels have a distinctive call that can help you identify them. You can listen at this link: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/American_Kestrel/sounds

Thanks to Sara for allowing me to share her photo with you here.

Bonus sighting - a pod of Orcas, Killer Whales, was seen off our coast yesterday!

As I type this at 3 o'clock Saturday afternoon, it has begun to pour!

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Sara Bogard noticed this Osprey a few weeks ago at the Point Arena Lighthouse bluffs. It was a foggy day and the fog framed this Osprey beautifully.

Sara also got two photos of the Osprey in flight.

Most Ospreys are migrating southward now, though it isn't unheard of to have an Osprey overwinter on the Mendonoma Coast.

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

Rain and lots of it! Wind too! We lost power but got it back this afternoon.