Tag Archives: Teresa Denniston

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It was a high tide and high swell event, so the breach wasn't dramatic. I, and others, watched as it slowly opened to the Pacific Ocean for the first time in months, as the big sandbar had kept the river closed. It opened at the extreme far north end. Teresa Denniston photographed the river the next morning.

Here's what you shouldn't do when the river is breaching the sandbar.

Those people were very fortunate that the sandbar they were sitting on didn't give way. The best place to watch the river open is from the Gualala Bluff Trail.

As I watched on Sunday, bull kelp that had been swept into the closed river by the high tides, was swept out to sea. Steelhead and hopefully Coho Salmon were also swept out to sea to begin the next stage of their lives. Other fish will be entering the river to spawn. There are lots of comings and goings on the Gualala River!

The river did close again two days later, but with all the storms stacked up over the next week, the river will once again open. We are fortunate that it is so easy to observe the fascinating Gualala River.

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

Clouds are piling in after a sunny morning. Rain is in today's forecast, with a bigger storm due Sunday. Batten down the hatches!

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Rick and Teresa Denniston have a beautiful home overlooking the Gualala River and the Pacific Ocean. They named it Seredipidity and it's available to rent. When they come up to stay for a while, intending to work on the house, the great wildlife sightings distract them! First, they saw several Gray Whales. Here's a photo showing the back of one of them.

Then they were distracted by this lovely Doe and a young Buck looking up at them.

Finally, they were charmed by the sight of a family of California Quail, including four of the chicks.

Hard to get work done, that is for sure!

Thanks to Teresa and Rick for allowing me to share their photos with you here. To see Serendipity, here is the link: https://rentals.coastinghome.com/rns/vacation-rental/gualala/ca/serendipit

Our heat wave is over, thank goodness. The fog returned and burned off at the coast by noon. ahhh....

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Rick and Teresa Denniston noticed this Peregrine Falcon perched in the snag usually occupied by the two resident Bald Eagles.

Two Peregrines have been seen near Arena Cove recently. We had several successful nest on the Mendonoma coast this year. Tomorrow I will show you a few photos of a Peregrine who had just fledged.

Thanks to Rick for allowing me to share his photo with you here.

It's foggy, no, it's sunny, wait, it's foggy again. That's the weather report on the immediate coast. Warm, though, with very little wind. Rick and I walked at Gualala Point Regional Park late this morning with our rescue golden retriever, Duffy. Put these words to the tune "The Twelve Days of Christmas." This is what we saw.

Three bucks with antlers, Two Brown Pelicans, and an island full of many, many birds.

Gualala Point Island was nearly covered in birds today. Common Murre chicks are getting ready to fledge by leaping off the island into the ocean, following the sound of their fathers' voices. Good luck, little Murre chicks!

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Rick and Teresa Denniston had an exciting time watching a mother Deer with her Fawn at their Gualala home. Rick wrote, “We have been dealing with a lot of family drama today. This Doe and Fawn showed up two hours ago. The Fawn was very high energy, running back and forth all over the property, occasionally stopping to nurse."

“The Fawn got tired, went up to a big rock below our bedroom, curled up in the tall grass, and went to sleep. Mom must feel that the baby was safe, because she has been gone for over an hour and a half.”

Deer do leave their fawns in safe places so they can feed for themselves. Rick wrote further, “About an hour after sunset, the mom showed up and guided her baby off the property. Easiest babysitting ever!”

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

Oh my, it was hot yesterday. It reached 97 degrees at our house in Anchor Bay, about 20 degrees above normal. Early this morning the blessed fog rolled in, a 40 degree swing in temperature. Living in the coast, fog can roll in suddenly. A friend once told me, "Embrace your inner fog!" That works for me.

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Rick and Teresa Denniston were out on the Point Arena-Stornetta Public Lands recently. One of their sightings was this flock of Brown Pelicans migrating north just over the bluffs. Rick said Teresa, pictured on the bluff, was wishing she could fly too.

A fun photo for you on this breezy June day here on the Mendonoma coast. Thanks to Rick for allowing me to share his photo with you here.