Red Clintonia berries - a cobalt-blue treat for the eyes on the Mendonoma Coast

A beautiful member of the Lily family, the Red Clintonia, Clintonia andrewsiana ,usually is in full bloom around Mother's Day here in the United States, which is the first part of May. If the flower doesn't get eaten by a Deer, the flowers will turn into striking cobalt-blue berries.

Rozann Grunig photographed one this past week at The Sea Ranch and has allowed me to share it here. You will also see below a photo by Frank Drouillard showing the red bloom.

I love finding this shade-loving wildflower in the forest. You probably won't be surprised to learn that another name for this plant is Blue Bead Lily.

A Pine White Butterfly visits my garden on the Mendocino Coast

A lovely white butterfly with black/dark brown markings was feeding on the blossoms of a succulent. I found the ID on Art Shapiro's Butterfly Site - http://butterfly.ucdavis.edu/ - a wonderful place to look at all the many butterflies that grace us with their presence.

The butterfly in my garden was a Pine White, Neophasia menapia. As their name implies, these beauties visit Pine trees, laying their eggs on pine needles. Welcome to my garden, Pine White!

Snowy Egret photographed on the Mendonoma Coast by Craig Tooley

The Snowy Egret is a small white Heron with black legs and yellow feet. They are found near ponds and by the ocean's shores.

To hear what they sound like, here's a link to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Snowy_Egret/sounds.

What I like about Craig's photo is the Snowy Egret's head plumes. Reminds me of a bad hair day or perhaps static electricity!

If you'd like to see more of Craig'd work, go to:http://ruffimage.com/

California Huckleberries ripening on the Mendonoma Coast!

California Huckleberry - Vaccinium ovatum - bushes are full of berries after the wet winter and spring we had. The first berry to ripen is the biggest and seems to be the sweetest. On a walk yesterday I saw many berries ready to pick. Hooray! The berries are very high in antioxidants - Mother Nature's vitamin pill. They are found on the Pacific Coast and coastal British Columbia.

Many creatures feed on these berries - birds, foxes, deer and me, to name a few. I freeze big bags and put them in sourdough pancakes all year long. Delish!

A young Grevy's Zebra at the B. Byran Preserve in Point Arena

Judy and Frank Mello have a wonderful preserve for endangered African animals right in Point Arena called the B. Bryan Preserve. You can see the exotic critters grazing in the fields as you drive up Riverside Drive.

Judy sent me a great photo if a young Grevy's Zebra, which is very startled by the appearance of a Gopher. I imagine the zebra saying, "Mom! What the heck???" It made me laugh and I hope you enjoy it too.

This would be a fantastic place to stay when visiting the Mendonoma Coast. Afternoon tours are also offered by appointment. Here's their web site to learn more. http://www.bbryanpreserve.com/

Beautiful Sunset at Gualala Point Regional Park

Gail Spencer photographed a beautiful sunset at Gualala Point Regional Park. This park is one of my favorites for a walk on the bluffs or a visit to the beach. It's the perfect place to watch the sunset too.

Rick and I had a memorable day there when a Gray Whale and her calf were rolling in the surf. Two visitors from New York were on the beach too and were they ever thrilled. Here's a link to find out more about this park. http://www.sonoma-county.org/parks/pk_glala.htm

It's also a wonderful place to walk your dog on leash. Huckleberry, our golden retriever, gives it two paws up! Thanks to Gail for allowing me to share her photo.

White-crowned Sparrow being fed by its parent - could we have a picky eater here?

Craig Tooley recently trained his long lens on a fledgling White-crowned Sparrow. As he watched a parent flew in with a nice bug. It looks like the baby isn't all that thrilled with snack and the parent in turn looks like its glaring. Here's a fun picture for you to enjoy today. Thank you, Craig!

To see more of Craig's photos, check out his web site:http://web.me.com/theruffians1