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Shouqin Huo wrote, "The songs of the white-crowned sparrows have imprinted on me during my very first visit to the Mendonoma coast and over the years I have learned to associate the their songs with the area. I was happy to find this one in my garden singing without interruption while I moved close enough for a portrait"

"Of course, it took off when I got too close."

To hear the song of a White-crowned Sparrow, here is the link to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's website: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/White-crowned_Sparrow/sounds

It's almost always the male doing the singing. Nice calls, Mr. W-c Sparrow!

Great photos! Thanks to Shouqin for allowing me to share his photos with you here.

The storms have left us with puffy clouds, lots of delicious sun, and some wind. Rain totals season to date - 60.93 inches! 50 inches is a nice, wet season, so we're doing great.

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Michael Reinhart found this very small wren and took this great photo.

This is what the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's website has to say about these birds, which I have near me in Anchor Bay:

"Pacific Wrens are tiny brown wrens with a song much larger than themselves. One researcher deemed them a “pinnacle of song complexity.” This tinkling, bubbly songster is more often heard than seen within the dark understory of old-growth evergreen forests where they live. When Pacific Wrens sing they hold their tail upright and their entire body shakes with sound. They move like mice through the forest understory, hopping along logs and upturned roots."

To hear their tinkling song, you can listen at this link: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Pacific_Wren/sounds

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

We've had a cold, tumultuous storm which appears to be nearly over. It's a wait-five-minutes kind of day - sunny for a bit, and then hey! it's hailing! Starting tomorrow, Wednesday, we are expected to have dry, warmer weather through the weekend. Rain report: 60.75 inches season to date! Rivers and seasonal creeks are roaring now.

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Kathye Hitt's camera captured this healthy-looking Mountain Lion late last month. She wrote, "I thought you might be interested in this video of a mountain lion that was caught on our exterior camera at about 3:30am. We live right on the bluff and were surprised to find that we had been visited in the night by such a magnificent creature."

Thanks to Kathye for allowing me to share her video with you here.

It was raining this  morning, Sunday, and the total rain for the season zoomed past 60 inches. 50 inches is a normal, wet winter for our place in Anchor Bay. More rain coming in tonight!

 

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Robert Caughey’s camera was working overtime when a Black Bear visited his garage multiple times on the Gualala Ridge. The bear got into the garbage and opened up a small refrigerator with ease. One video showed the camera in motion – yes, the bear had taken it down and absconded with it. Here are two photos Robert got from his videos.

Once a Black Bear has found food, he/she will return. They have excellent memories. And they will eat pretty much anything!

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

It's been a beautiful day here, with clouds beginning to appear. Rain is in the forecast for the next three days. Bonus sightings - multiple Gray Whales were seen yesterday and today, all heading northward. Thanks, Shari Goforth!

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Peter Baye told me he's never seen this before - a Calypso Orchid with two lips.

This is what a Calypso almost always looks like, as photographed by Perry Hoffman.

I wonder if Mother Nature is playing tricks on us! It is fun to find an anomaly like this.

Thanks to Peter and Perry for allowing me to share their photos with you here.