The White Fawn born this summer is coloring up.

It's unusual to have a white Fawn born but it has happened in 2006, 2009 and now in 2013. In each case they colored up, proving that they weren't leucistic but tow-heads. Mike Mee got a recent photo of the white Fawn with its normal-colored sibling.

 Here is how the two fawns look on July 10th.

The mother of these fawns is light colored. Peggy Mee sent in this photo and theorized that she might have been the white fawn born in 2009.

A wonderful mystery to contemplate here on the Mendonoma Coast. Thanks to Peggy and Mike for allowing me to share their photos with you here.

A storm has just passed through bringing .65 inches of rain at our place in Anchor Bay. Early rains are always welcome, freshening up the plants and dampening down the fire danger. Can wild mushrooms be popping soon? I will most certainly let you know!

You never know just what you might see at Manchester State Park Beach.

Bettye Winters loves to walk on this huge crescent-shaped beach. She has sent me photos of so many different creatures she sees on her walks. But this is a first. She saw a hang glider!

The several people on the beach were sure surprised to see this person glide by.

Thanks to Bettye for a unique sighting and for allowing me to share her photo with you here.

I have to admit it, I just love Owls!

Kathy Bishop came across two Great Horned Owls that were roosting. She snapped a couple of photos and then beat a quick retreat. One of Kathy's photos was published in yesterday's Independent Coast Observer in my Mendonoma Sightings column. You can see it on-line at mendonoma.com. The other two photos I am pleased to share with  you here.

What beautiful owls! Here it what the Cornell Lab of Ornithology says about Great Horned Owls:

"With its long, earlike tufts, intimidating yellow-eyed stare, and deep hooting voice, the Great Horned Owl is the quintessential owl of storybooks. This powerful predator can take down birds and mammals even larger than itself, but it also dines on daintier fare such as tiny scorpions, mice, and frogs. It’s one of the most common owls in North America, equally at home in deserts, wetlands, forests, grasslands, backyards, cities, and almost any other semi-open habitat between the Arctic and the tropics."

That stare is a little intimidating! Their call is the "hoo hoo" call. Hear it at this link:
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/great_horned_owl/sounds

Last year Rick and I were privileged to take part in a release of two Western Screech Owls back into the wild, about ten miles north of where we live in Anchor Bay. Here is the link to learn more about this heartwarming event: http://mendonomasightings.blogspot.com/2012/12/two-western-screech-owls-released-back.html

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

The largest woodpecker on the Mendonoma Coast is the Pileated Woodpecker.

Pileated Woodpeckers are big, as big as a crow. They can be 16.5 inches long with a wingspan of 29 inches. I more often hear these prehistoric-looking birds than see them. One was recently feeding on the ground and Craig Tooley got this photo.

Their favorite food is carpenter ants. But termites are swarming and I'm wondering if that might be what this big bird had found in the ground.

Here is a photo of a female that Craig got another time. Note the lack of red by her beak.

I always feel fortunate when I see a Pileated. Along with hearing their calls, I hear them drumming on snags. They are also unique in that they create rectangular holes while searching for ants.

To hear the calls of a Pileated Woodpecker, here is the link to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/pileated_woodpecker/sounds.

To see much more of Craig's nature photography, here is the link to his website: ruffimage.com.
And thanks to Craig for allowing me to share his beautiful photos with you here.

Fawns are growing up, healthy and beautiful!

Robert and Nancy Scarola were fortunate to have several fawns born at their Sea Ranch property. Here is a recent photo of two fawns that were born earlier this year. They have lost their spots. They also seem to be posing just for Robert.

Below is a photo of these two fawns just after they were born. They love to play with each other.

Black-tailed Deer are a wonderful part of the landscape that is the Mendonoma Coast.

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

Stunning aerial photo of trees topped with fog.

Tom Landecker was flying over Gualala when he saw this sight. He turned his airplane around so he could get this photo.

You can see the sun was about a half hour or so from setting. The tops of the trees are draped with individual clouds of fog. Quite an amazing sight.

Thanks to Tom for allowing me to share this beautiful photo with you here.

Ron LeValley went on a boat to see seabirds but found a Blue Whale instead.

Ron took a boat out of Noyo Harbor. He and the others on board got to see Humpbacks and a few Blue Whales.

Here you see the behemouth spouting.

And below you can see its mottled back. Ron tells me you can identify individual Blue Whales by the patterns on its back. 

Here is the Blue Whale's very small dorsal fin.

And here's a photo of a Blue Whale's tail. 

You won't see Blue Whales come out of the water much. They don't - probably can't - breach like Humpbacks or Gray Whales as they are so huge. They are extremely endangered as they try to recover from intense whaling of years past.

A reference book I enjoy is "Whales and other Marine Mammals of California and Baja" by Tamara Eder. She writes that at birth a Blue Whale weighs about 2.5 tons and is 23 feet long. An adult can weigh up to 200 tons (181,000 kg) and be up to 110 feet (34 m) long.

I was told some years ago that if you see an island in the ocean where there wasn't one before, you've just seen a Blue Whale.

Thanks to Ron for allowing me to share his photos with you here. To see much more of Ron's nature photography, here is the link to his website: http://www.levalleyphoto.com/home/

The Moon and Venus

A few weeks ago the Moon and Venus were side by side in the sky. I took these photos from our deck in Anchor Bay. A lone fishing boat was still plying the waters.

A peaceful, beautiful moment in time here on the Mendonoma Coast.

Breaching young Humpback Whale as photographed by Jan de Vries

Though this photo wasn't taken off the Mendonoma Coast, we do see Humpbacks this time of year. Jan de Vries was traveling in Panama a few weeks ago when he took this photo. It's such a wonderful photo that I couldn't resist sharing here with you.

We have a storm front approaching the Coast, the first rain we have seen in three months. Our rains usually don't begin until October. As we've had a very dry year, we are welcoming this storm!

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

Dennis Latona entitled this photo "Peanut Face."

Dennis Latona recently visited the Fort Bragg area and sent in several photos from his visit. The first is Peanut Face, a Western Gray Squirrel.

And here are a couple of masked bandits - Raccoons - out looking for trouble or, more likely, food.

And finally a Striped Skunk drinking from a water dish. If you put out water, you might be amazed at the wildlife that comes to it.

Thanks to Dennis for allowing me to share his photos with you here. To see much more of Dennis' nature photography, here's the link to his website: www.pinenutz.com

A big Abalone was found by Louie Ozenne

Any Abalone ten inches or more is considered a trophy abalone. Here is what one looks like.

Paul Weston took this photo of one happy hunter of red treasure. Paul wrote, “[Here is a photo] I took of Louie Ozenne with a 10 1/4 inch Abalone taken on the outside of Schooner Gulch. The depth was between 25 and 30 feet. Louie was thrilled; his normal passive personality actually changed to one of an extrovert. Congratulations, Louie!”

Thanks to Paul for allowing me to share his photo and congratulations to Louie on his feat!

A beautiful morning on the Mendonoma Coast.

Craig Tooley was out early with his camera. Sunrises on the Coast can be magnificent.

You can see the big fog bank out over the Pacific Ocean. It's keeping our temperatures nice and mild.

There is a touch of autumn in the air. Autumn can bring us beautiful clouds as storms to our north slowly begin tracking south. Beautiful clouds like these that were also taken by Craig.

Thanks to Craig for allowing me to share his photos with you here. To see much more of Craig's nature photography, here is the link to his website: ruffimage.com

A Northern Harrier, as photographed by Ron Bolander.

Ron Bolander was working at the Point Arena Lighthouse when he saw this raptor coming in from the west. He had his long lens on his camera and captured this photo.

You can see the distinctive white patch at the base of its tail. This hawk has an owl-like face that helps it hear its favorite food - mice and voles. Its facial feathers direct sound to its ears, just as an Owl's. Add this hawk's sharp eyesight and you will see why they are successful  hunters of small mammals.

To hear the sound of a Northern Harrier, here is the link to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/northern_harrier/sounds

To see a photo of a female Northern Harrier, here is the link: http://mendonomasightings.blogspot.com/2013/02/a-female-northern-harrier-as.html

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

We are often blessed with beautiful clouds on the Mendonoma Coast

Don Spear had his camera when he was headed north of Gualala the other day. He was captivated by the cloud show.

I thank Don for allowing me to share his photos with you here so we can see these beautiful clouds.

A much more common snake was seen but it sure bothered our golden retriever, Huckleberry!

Garter Snakes are common on the Mendonoma Coast. They can be several feet long. They eat snails and banana slugs and pretty much everything else they come across as they are carnivorous. Luckily for Huckleberry, he is way too big to attract this snake's attention.

Huckleberry does not like snakes or reptiles. I've seen him jump up into the air and BACKWARDS when he sees one slither along. Recently Rick and I spotted a Garter Snake on a forest path. As you can see, Huckleberry saw it too.

The snake is in the right lower corner. And Huckleberry's fur is standing up on his back. A fun photo for you today!

We're not suppose to have Rattlesnakes on the Mendonoma Coast but look at these two rattlers.

Rattlesnakes prefer warm climes than the Mendonoma Coast. There are legends of a rattlesnake hitching a ride on a logging truck and falling off near the ocean. Perhaps that is what happened here. But there were two of them spotted within a week.

The first one was seen near a road at Gualala Point Regional Park by Kathy Bishop.

It was identified by Gary Nafis as an adult Northern Pacific Rattlesnake. It appeared to have been run over by a vehicle and it soon died.

However another adult was seen several days later at the south end of The Sea Ranch. Jim Merryman photographed the head and the tail.

I wondered if these extremely unusual sightings of rattlesnakes could be because they are searching for water. Gary Nafis told me they don't drink water. He said, “Rattlesnakes get most of their water from food, which they’re always looking for until they find it and go underground to digest. They often need to travel out of their usual home territories in their search, which could be happening here. Both snakes are adults, so it’s not a case of juveniles looking for a place to settle.”

Jim said about an hour after his sighting he saw a White-tailed Kite with a snake the same size as the rattlesnake so perhaps the Mendonoma Coast is once again free of rattlesnakes.

To see Gary Nafis' fascinating website about amphibians and reptiles, here is the link: californiaherps.com

Thanks to Kathy and Jim for allowing me to share their photos with you here.

Brush Rabbit hiding in an unusual place!

Jinx McCombs was surprised to find this little Western Brush Rabbit in a flower pot on her deck.

We have two types of rabbits on the Mendonoma Coast - these little "bunny" rabbits, Brush Rabbits, and the larger Jackrabbit.

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

I saw my first Fogbow last Tuesday. Hooray!

Rick and I were traveling down Highway 1 a week ago Tuesday and the fog was hovering bluff-high. With the morning sun shining on the fog, a beautiful fogbow formed. Rick was able to pull over and I tried to get a photo. My auto focus wouldn't focus on the fogbow, much to my frustration. Then Rick told me to switch to manual and I got this photo.

Fogbows are also called white rainbows. Now that I've finally seen one, I can move on to my next goal - to see a Moonbow! With autumn approaching and the first of our rains, there is a chance to see this very rare occurrence. The moon needs to be full or close to full with showers opposite it. I would dearly love to see one.

A Gray Fox Kit relaxing in the sun.

I can't resist sharing one last photo by Kathy Bishop of a cute Gray Fox Kit lounging in the sun.

This little fox is exemplifying the Sea Ranch motto of living lightly on the land.

We are having a heat wave on the Mendonoma Coast. With no fog on the horizon there was a beautiful green flash last night a sunset. Tonight should be another great chance to see this phenomenon.

To see a photo of a green flash, here's the link: http://mendonomasightings.blogspot.com/2012/02/green-flash-was-photographed-by-richard.html

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

Big Event for the Point Arena Pintos Saturday September 14th, 10 am to 1 pm

The Point Arena Pintos fascinate visitors and locals alike. To assist in their care, Jacqueline McAbery has planned a fundraiser which gives us a chance to get up close and personal with the pintos.

This is Suki, Little Lady and Moonbeam with the Pacific Ocean behind them.

Here is what Jacqueline has planned. Rick and I plan on attending so perhaps we'll see you there!

THE POINT ARENA PINTO EVENT AND RAFFLE

COME SEE THE PINTOS AND WATCH TRAINER KATHE SMOTHERS GENTLE THEM
GET YOUR EQUINE QUESTIONS ANSWERED BY JOHN FLING  D.V.M.SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 14, 2013
10:00am – 1:00pm
AT THE PINTO RANCH IN POINT ARENA

TICKET/RAFFLE COST:
$60.00 FOR ADULTS;  $10.00 FOR CHILDREN UNDER 12
(FOR SAFETY REASONS PLEASE ONLY TWO CHILDREN PER ADULT)

THE PRICE OF YOUR TICKET INCLUDES PARTICIPATION IN THE RAFFLE AND YOU MUST BE PRESENT TO WIN.

TICKETS SOLD AT FOUR EYED FROG BOOKS, ARFF FEED AND PET SUPPLIES , AND THE SEA TRADER IN GUALALA, CA, OUTBACK GARDEN AND FEED (STORE ON MAIN ST), POINT ARENA, CA. TICKETS ALSO SOLD AT THE GATE.

SORRY NO DOGS ALLOWED, FOR THE SAFETY OF THE HORSES

HORSE TRAINER KATHE SMOTHERS, AN ONGOING STUDENT OF BUCK BRANNAMAN FOR TWENTY YEARS, WILL DEMONSTRATE THE WORK SHE IS DOING WITH THE PINTOS IN THE ROUND PEN. OUR VET, DR JOHN FLING WILL JOIN KATHE IN ANSWERING QUESTIONS.

T-SHIRTS , THE POINT ARENA PINTO BOOK,  2014 CALENDARS, POSTERS AND OTHER PINTO RELATED ITEMS WILL BE FOR SALE AT THE EVENT.

WHEN YOU PURCHASE YOUR TICKET YOU WILL BE GIVEN WRITTEN DIRECTIONS AND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.  *NOTE PRIUS HYBRID CARS CANNOT MAKE IT UP OUR ROAD.

FOR UPDATES AND TO SEE THE LIST OF RAFFLE PRIZES, VISIT :http://pointarenapintos.blogspot.com.

Sparkling Pacific Ocean as photographed by Bettye Winters

Bettye Winters noticed the sparkling ocean with a fishing boat passing by. Lucky for us she had her camera at hand.

And here Bettye photographed Manchester Beach from the bluffs at the north end. This California state park is lightly used. It is not unusual to see no one else at this beautiful beach.

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

Fantastic photo of a Brown Pelican plunge-diving by Patrick Killen

Patrick Killen caught the moment just before this Brown Pelican plunged into the Pacific Ocean.

Fish were milliseconds from being caught by this pelican. The force of the pelican's impact in the water actually stuns the fish and then the pelican simply scoops them up.

Adult Brown Pelicans are mostly silent. To hear the sound of a young one calling to be fed, here is the link to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Brown_Pelican/sounds

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

Fishing off the Point Arena Pier as photographed by Carolyn André.

A few weeks ago the salmon fishing was fantastic. Big salmon are still being caught but the pace has slowed down. Carolyn André was at the Point Arena Pier during the fishing bonanza. There are a lot of boats - big and small - fishing off Arena Cove.

You can see people fishing right off the pier. No license is required to fish here but people do have to abide by Fish and Wildlife rules. Boats have to be hoisted down from the pier and that created quite a wait during the salmon run.

 Below is a view of the cove to the south.

Today there is a big Seafood Festival at the pier. It's quite a fun event and, yes, there is fresh seafood cooked while you wait. I'll stand in line for their fish tacos!

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