Allen Francis got this great photo of a Yellow-faced Bumblebee collecting pollen. You can even see the blur of her wings!
It's amazing she can still fly with so much pollen on her, and she was going for more! These native bumblebees are important pollinators. She is a good reason not to use pesticides in your garden!
Thanks to Allen for allowing me to share his photo with you here.
After a very warm day yesterday, today - Wednesday - a fog bank is keeping it nice and mild.
Janet Pierucci found this spiderweb adorned with the morning mist - spiderweb jewels.
Jim Corbett wrote, “Down by Anchor Bay beach, I happened to be in the right light this morning to appreciate this beautiful spider’s web that’s connected to a lemon tree and patio cover. It bends to the breezes off the beach and catches goodies along the way; a tiny ecosystem at work.”
The ability to create a web from a substance in their body, and the web then catches their food, is quite amazing. Mother Nature must rate spiders high on her list.
Thanks to Janet and Jim for allowing me to share their photos with you here.
It's sunny and breezy today. Warm temps are predicted for Tuesday through Thursday. Our typical September heatwave. Bonus sightings: Humpback Whales have been seen off the Mendonoma Coast for the past several days!
Perry Hoffman got this great photo of a juvenile Acorn Woodpecker being fed.
There have been a lot of young woodpeckers chasing their parents to get fed. It can get pretty noisy out there as they have raucous calls. You can listen for yourself at this link to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Acorn_Woodpecker/sounds
Thanks to Perry for allowing me to share his photo with you here. Perry's studio will be open this coming Labor Day weekend as part of the annual Studio Discovery Tour here on the Mendonoma Coast. Here is a link showing some of Perry's art and his address: https://www.studiodiscoverytour.com/perryhoffman20a
Heavy fog this morning has given way to brilliant sunshine!
Pretty as a picture, this Great Blue Heron stands amongst late blooming wildflowers on a bluff on the Mendonoma Coast. Sterling Lanier got this beautiful photo.
Great Blue Herons are year round residents of the Mendonoma Coast.
Thanks to Sterling for allowing me to share his photo with you here.
It was cooler today and the fog has rolled in tonight.
Last week skies were clear for watching the Perseid Meteor Shower. Paul Kozal outdid himself with this photo of the Milky Way and a streaking meteor on the right.
Paul took this photo at Cooks Beach, a lovely pocket beach just north of Gualala. To learn more about this beach, here is the Redwood Coast Land Conservancy's website: https://rclc.org/cooks-beach/
Thanks to Paul for allowing me to share his photo with you here. To see more of Paul's nature photography, here is the link to his gallery, https://www.paulkozal.com/Visit-the-Gallery
Today has been warm with no wind, a beautiful day on the Mendonoma Coast!