Last night's sunset had me gasping in awe. I had been working at my computer and looked out the window to see this.
You can see the sliver of the moon on the left. Beauty filled the sky and I was filled with wonder.
It's a beautiful, sunny day here with little or no wind.
It's great fun to spot a Bobcat but you don't really expect one to be right outside your door. But that's what Janet Burch and Jim Tervo witnessed at their Sea Ranch home. In this first photo, taken by Janet, the Bobcat is on the hunt.
The Bobcat was successful - look at the rodent in his/her mouth.
Thanks to Janet for allowing me to share her photos with you here.
There were clouds this morning but this afternoon is sunny. Temps are in the 60's - a beautiful autumn afternoon!
Pileated Woodpeckers are the largest woodpeckers here on the Mendonoma Coast. They are so very striking and their calls are unmistakable. Craig Tooley recently found this male Pileated working on a tree with its very powerful beak.
You can see bits of bark flying as he uncovers a nest of tasty carpenter ants, his favorite food.
To hear their call, here is a link to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Pileated_Woodpecker/sounds
They often call while flying. Peter Baye told me these woodpeckers also like Concord grapes. Peter grows them and leaves some of the crop for the Pileateds. He said they will often gorge upside down!
Thanks to Craig for allowing me to share his photo with you here. To see much more of Craig's nature photography, here is the link to his website: http://www.ruffimage.com
It's sunny, breezy and cool today. In a walk in the forest today, I noticed the ponds of water in a seasonal creek have gotten deeper from the recent rains.
Eric Zetterholm found this American Kestrel nicely posing for him with the moon as a beautiful accent. Nice!
I love how the breeze has ruffled one of this Kestrel's feathers!
To listen to this small falcon's calls, here is a link to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/American_Kestrel/sounds
Thanks to Eric for allowing me to share his photo with you here.
As I type this at 3:30 Friday afternoon, the storm has just begun. It's raining pretty darn hard!
Neil and Susan Silverman found a big spider in their bathtub. Laura Baker identified it as a Calisoga longitarsus. the Velvet or False Tarantula.
Elizabeth Benishin found a round hole that was the size of a half dollar on the Jenner grade. I wondered if that was hair around the opening.
Peter Baye and Laura Baker took a look. Peter wrote, “It looks like a Calisoga longitarsus, False Tarantula, tunnel to me. They are huge, fast, venomous, and aggressive if they are cornered. The neurotoxin of full-sized adult bites is much, much more painful and long-lasting than the accounts repeated anecdotally by arachnologists...far worse than bees or wasps.” And Laura added, “I think Peter's right. The only additional comment that I'd make is that what looks very much like hair around the burrow is actually silk.”
I learned that Tarantulas are burrowing spiders. For most of the time, Tarantulas live underground in burrows. They will dig burrows themselves, using their fangs, or will borrow an abandoned burrow. Shudder!
One last sighting of this spider from Rozanne Rapozo. It was dead in the water bowl set out for dogs at Gualala Point Regional Park. It was determined it was a male.
How's that for some spooky sightings on Halloween?!
Thanks to Neil and Susan, Elizabeth, and Rozanne for allowing me to share their photos with you here.
We had rain late yesterday, 0.43 inches in my gauge. Sunny and cool this afternoon with more rain coming in late Friday. Hooray!