Humpback Whale breaching, as if just for the Secretary of the Interior Jewell.

Ron LeValley was out on the Point Arena-Stornetta lands when Secretary Jewel visited to see this beautiful land for herself last November. The hope of many of us is for this land to be included in the California Coastal National Monument.

While Sally Jewell visited the land, three Humpback Whales started breaching. Though it was a long ways off Ron got this photo. What perfect timing - even the Whales are in agreement!

Ron enjoys going on pelagic trips and sometimes gets some fantastic up close and personal photos of Humpback Whales. Below is one such photo.

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

Just another beautiful sunset at Anchor Bay Beach and another off of Gualala.

I will never become blasé about our beautiful sunsets - they are to be savored. Seeing the sun "set" into the Pacific Ocean is a privilege. Jerry Anon took this photo recently, capturing a moment of loveliness off Anchor Bay Beach.

Paul Brewer also photographs sunsets, often from his home in Gualala. Here is a recent photo from Paul showing waves hitting Castle Rock and the bluffs with a beautiful sunset to set it all off.

Thanks to Jerry and Paul for allowing me to share their photos with you here. To see much more of Paul's nature photography, here is the link to his website: http://www.capturingnatureswonders.com/

A very hard to find winter wildflower - the Fetid Adder's Tongue.

Rick and I wanted to show our friends the hard to spot wildflower, the Fetid Adder's Tongue. Worst. Name. Ever. It is also called Slinkpod, almost as bad a name. Its scientific name is Scoliopus bigelovii.

Here we all are searching for the tiny orchid-like wildflower. Huckleberry, our golden retriever, is assisting in the hunt.

Rick was the one who spotted it. It was only about two inches high. You can see the two distinctive mottled leaves on the forest floor.

Trilliums and Milkmaids are also blooming now. We are having warm, sunny weather, which we are able to enjoy because there is a lot of rain in our forecast!

Thanks to C'Anna Bergman-Hill for allowing me to share her photos with you here.

A Sea Star reaches for its meal.

Mark Simkins photographed a Sea Star on the move. It is reaching, perhaps, for a mussel. 

Sea Stars, more commonly called Starfish, move more quickly than you might expect. They have hundreds of tube feet on their undersides. Sea Stars are in the family Asteroidea. They are related to Sand Dollars, Sea Urchins and Sea Cucumbers. 

Low tide is a great time to see some, as Peggy Berryhill photographed above.

Thanks to Mark and Peggy for allowing me to share their photos with you here.

Birds are already building nests, including Anna's Hummingbirds.

Anna's Hummingbirds nest early, as early as January. They build the most exquisite nests out of spider webs, lichen and small twigs. Jenny and John Biglow found this hummingbird nest with two babies inside. Can you spot them?

Siegfried Matull found an occupied nest too. Here's the mother hummingbird sitting on the nest.

And when the female took off for a moment, Siegfried got a photo of her eggs. Look how perfect the nest is.

Thanks to Jenny and Siegfried for allowing me to share their photos with you here.

Glass fishing floats can be found by a lucky beachcomber.

Glass fishing floats were used by deep sea fishermen in days gone by. However many are still floating in the world's oceans. Mel Smith has a collection of glass fishing balls and cylinders - a collection of a lifetime. Mel met photographer Craig Tooley at Cook's Beach recently to photograph his finds.

In the photo below, the glass float still has its rope, which is quite rare.

After a storm, you might choose to go beach combing. May you would be lucky to find a glass fishing float nestled in some kelp.

Or one washed up in the surf.

Below is one of the glass fishing cylinders that Mel has found.

It's amazing to think that glass balls could survive for decades, riding the currents, and traveling halfway around the world to then be tossed up on a Mendonoma beach.

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

A rare but welcome sighting is one of a Short-eared Owl, photographed by Ron LeValley.

This medium-sized Owl is a rare sighting on the Mendonoma Coast. Ron LeValley recently photographed one.

They fly low over grasslands listening for small mammals, or sometimes birds. Yes, they find their prey mainly with their ears rather than with their eyes.

This owl must have heard Ron, as it turned and looked directly at him.

Such a beautiful bird! To hear its call, here is a link to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/short-eared_owl/sounds 

I thank 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/