Tag Archives: Rozanne Rapozo

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Rozanne Rapozo was down at the Gualala River when this Brown Pelican came in for a landing. As graceful as they are in the air, they can be quite clumsy when landing in the water.

And here Rozanne has photographed the gular pouch of a Brown Pelican.

The gular pouch is the flexible skin located on the pelican’s lower jaw and connected to the throat.

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

It's a beautiful day here today - a mixture of fog over the water, cool temps and sunny skies over the land.

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So many people have told me they have never seen one before, but this summer there are hundreds upon hundreds here on the Mendonoma Coast. Others have told me they are seeing them in other parts of the country. Are they having a mast year? What are the consequences of so many of these moths in a relatively small area? Their caterpillars are voracious eaters, I've read. But the beautiful moths are pollinators of various flowers. Rozanne Rapozo photographed one in her garden.

Paul Brewer also had these moths visit his garden in Gualala. You can see the very loooong tongue these moths have to reach down into flowers. They are feeding on nectar and they get pollen on their faces. Then when they go to another flowers, they pollinate it with the pollen on their faces. Win/win!

Thanks to Rozanne and Paul for allowing me to share their photos with you here.

Foggy and more fog. No wind and the temps are mild. We may get a little rain from the hurricane (!) to the south. That's forecast for tomorrow.

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It's fascinating to actually see the blur of the wings of this Yellow-faced Bumblebee gathering pollen. Rozanne Rapozo caught magic!

Bumblebees beat their wings about 200 times per second. Perhaps the wings beat a bit slower while this beauty is gathering her pollen and in the process pollinating this flower.

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

There's a big fogbank over the ocean and along some coastal bluffs. The wind really picked up again this afternoon. It's in the mid-70s at Rick's and my place in Anchor Bay.

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Rozanne Rapozo photographed a pair of Double-crested Cormorants, saying she was surprised to find them on the rocks at the park where she usually only sees Pelagic Cormorants. I was amazed by how beautiful the feathers were, etched in a darker color. She wrote, “Looks like [the one on the right] is ready for Spring, and aren’t we all!! A special treat to get one at the start of breeding plumage.”

Tim Bray took a look at this photo and determined the bird on the left is an immature and the bird of the right is an adult coming into breeding plumage.

I asked Diane Hichwa about this sighting. She wrote, “We don't have as many Double-cresteds.  A few nest on Fish Rock Islands. The Pelagic Cormorants nest on the cliff sides at discreet spots up and down the coast. And the Brandt's Cormorants need lots of flatter space so they nest on Gualala Point Island and on Fish Rock Islands."

Notice the "s" shape of their necks. And if you could see inside their mouths, you'd find bright blue mouths!

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

Very breezy, cool with high puffy clouds passing by today.

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Rozanne Rapozo found the mated pair of Bald Eagles near the Gualala River recently. Just look at the beautiful photo she took of the two landing in a tree.

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

It's cool on the Mendonoma Coast today, with clouds this afternoon. The sunset should be quite beautiful tonight!