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If you look close at Pam Powell's beautiful photo, you will such exquisite details of this male California Quail.

The black feather on his head? It's actually three feathers!  These birds are pairing off now, and chicks may soon appear. I found this Fun Fact on the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's website:

"Several California Quail broods may mix after hatching, and all the parents care for the young. Adults that raise young this way tend to live longer than adults that do not."

You can listen to their calls at this link: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/California_Quail/sounds

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

It's breezy today and warm. 80 degrees this afternoon!

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Eric Zetterholm wrote, "A big Black Bear grabbed a late night snack from our can last night. It took a bag over to our neighbors’ yard for a moonlit picnic but got the attention of our dog and was soon eating in the bright light of my flashlight."

"Damage to the gate was small and the mess in the yard was minimal. The Bear was nice enough to eat from the bag like it was a melted candy bar without getting chocolate all over the place.”

You have to imagine Eric outside in the dark training his flashlight on the bear with one hand and taking photos with the other. Amazing!

Eric wrote further, “I think this gets me close to having a photo of all the different kinds of animals in our area. Fox, Bobcat, Coyote, Mountain Lion, Black Bear... I don't know what else will come to visit us.” Okay, Eric, here’s your challenge. You and Amy Ruegg need a visit from a Ring -tailed Cat. And a Badger. Let's not forget Long-tailed Weasels. And a Spotted Skunk.

Thanks to Eric for allowing me to share his photos with you here!

It's sunny this Sunday, with some passing clouds. It's cooler today, in the mid 60's and the wind is still a-blowing!

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John Sheafe was out looking at cloud formations. He wrote, “Here is the moon behind clouds shaped like the Sea of Cortez.”

The Sea of Cortez is also known as the Gulf of California. It’s remarkable how much the cloud resembles that part of the west coast. Pretty fun stuff, don't you think?

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

It's another sunny day, with the wind picking up in the afternoon. Lots going here over the holiday weekend!

 

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Connie King photographed one of the first Fawns to appear this spring. You have to admit, he/she is very cute! And exquisite.

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

Breezy and sunny day today. Lots of visitors beginning to arrive! Welcome to the Mendonoma Coast!

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Craig Tooley got a good look at a small bird that can be hard to photograph. This Golden-crowed Kinglet took two good looks right back at Craig!

The second photo, where the kinglet is looking back at Craig makes me laugh!

Golden-crowned Kinglets are birds of the forest and they eat insects. They are not much bigger than a hummingbird! Their call is quite high pitched. You can hear their call at this link to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Golden-crowned_Kinglet/sounds

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: http://www.ruffimage.com

We've had a lot of wind this week, but this morning was calm. But the wind returned this afternoon. It must be spring! Temps in the low 70's today.