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Paul Brewer visited Salt Point State Park recently. He found crashing waves and some beautiful waterfalls.

I'd sure like to see these waterfalls after today's storm is over - they should be in full flood!

Thanks to Paul for allowing me to share his photos with you here. To see much more of Paul's nature photography, here is his website: https://paulbrewer.smugmug.com/

We received more than 2 3/4 inches of rain from the previous storm, and my season to date total was 27.45 inches. It's pouring as I type this so the total will be going up...way up!

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Michele Melio was at Shell Beach, one of public access trails of The Sea Ranch. She wrote, "I saw something red, maybe a Downy or Hairy Woodpecker. No, something better, a Pileated Woodpecker, nature's chainsaw."

"The Beaver is nature's builder and engineer, but the woody woodpecker lives up to its name. They can turn a tree into sawdust and wood chips in a matter of days. I've never seen one in this area before, as they generally hide and hunt in the forest on the ridge with the bigger trees. I tried my best to get a better shot, but it kept calling "ha-ha-ha-ha-ha." Then comes a noisy pair of humans walking down the trail talking loudly. It took off cackling the entire way."

It's not always easy to get a photo of one of these prehistoric-looking birds. Here's another look at one of these beauties, this one taken by Mike Petrich.

Pileateds have a very unique call. You can listen to it at this link at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Pileated_Woodpecker/sounds

Thanks to Michele and Mike for allowing me to share their photos with you here.

The storm late Friday brought another inch of rain, and we sailed past 25 inches season to date. It's raining Saturday afternoon and another storm is due in Sunday. Bring it, Mother Nature!

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Ospreys usually migrate to points south around the first week of autumn. And the vast majority have. But here comes a lone Osprey last week, hunting fish at the Gualala River. Eric Zetterholm was there with his camera.

Looks like the Osprey may have spotted a fish in this second photo.

Ospreys are a rare sighting in the Winter here. But I've been told an occasional Osprey has overwintered here on the Mendonoma Coast in the past. We'll be keeping watch to see if this Osprey is seen again.

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

We are having a sunny day with many high clouds overhead. It's the calm before the storms - we have a series of storms predicted to arrive beginning tomorrow, Friday.

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We've had stormy weather which often brings rainbows. Perry Hoffman captured magic with his photo of a rainbow over the Pacific Ocean. You'd have to swim to get that pot of gold!

Paul Brewer photographed this big rainbow in Gualala.

Chris Braley may have photographed the same rainbow as Paul but she was at the Gualala River, on the Gualala Bluff Trail.

It's always a treat to see rainbows! Thanks to Perry, Chris and Paul for allowing me to share their photos with you here.

At Rick's and my place in Anchor Bay, we received 2.75 inches of rain from the storm. 23.96 season to date. Seasonal creeks are roaring today! It's a great time to look for waterfalls.

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Karen Wilkinson found this Great Blue Heron, and he/she was apparently looking at her.

I wondered if the Heron was laughing at her. But Karen disabused my whimsy. She said she thinks the Heron was actually hacking up a feather!

Here's one of my favorite photos of a Great Blue Heron taking off, by Betsy Anderson

And here is a Great Blue Heron cloud, as photographed by Marilyn Green.

Great Blue Herons are year round residents of the Mendonoma Coast.

Thanks to Karen, Betsy and Marilyn for allowing me to share their photos with you here.

Oh boy, we're having a big, fat, wet storm. Two inches so far, and it's raining as I type this!