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The pair of Bald Eagles has returned and are involved with courtship and mating now. Ron Bolander was at Gualala Point Regional Park when he took this photo of a Bald Eagle soaring near the Gualala River.

What a beautiful blue sky in Ron's photo!

Rozanne Rapozo photographed one of the Bald Eagles as it landed on a snag in the river. Magnificent!

Thanks to Ron and Rozanne for allowing me to share their photos with you here.

We have a big storm coming in, which is to start in the wee hours of Saturday and continue all day. I'll report rain totals after the storm. We might receive a couple of inches of the wet stuff!

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Black Bears in Mendonoma with guest speakers Meghan Walla-Murphy of North Bay Bear Collaborative and Stacy Martinelli of California Fish and Wildlife

Gualala Arts Lecture Series

Thursday, January 11 at 7 pm

Gualala Arts Center Coleman Hall

$5 at the door

This Black Bear was recently photographed on the Gualala ridge by a Nest camera. They live here too, and we need to learn how to peacefully share the Mendonoma Coast.

This photo is from a video of Kathy Willem's Nest camera.

More on the Black Bear talk can be found at this link to Gualala Arts: https://gualalaarts.org/2024/01/black-bears-in-mendonoma/

Thanks to Kathy for allowing me to share a photo from her video.

It's windy, cold, with rain showers...kind of feels like winter!

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Dorothy Spalding took this dramatic photo of the flooding Gualala River and the Pacific Ocean washing over the sandbar from the Gualala Bluff Trail.

Chris Braley visited on a different day and took this lovely photo.

And, two weeks ago Wednesday, a lone Tundra Swan was seen at the river. Rozanne Rapozo got these two photos.

And Mike Petrich photographed the beautiful swan in the Gualala River during a downpour.

We haven't spotted the Tundra Swan since. Tundra Swans used to overwinter here, especially in the wetlands of the Garcia River, north of Point Arena. They don't seem to coming this far south anymore, perhaps due to climate change and a change in the wetlands they love.

Thanks to Dorothy, Chris, Rozanne and Mike for allowing me to share their photos with you here.

We had 0.43 inches of rain yesterday, 20.91 season to date. Today is beautiful, cool, breezy with clouds drifting by.

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Sara Bogard took this photo of an Anna's Hummingbird looking directly at her. Just what is this little hummer thinking?

Perry Hoffman had a Common Raven take a good at him and his camera!

And lastly Ron Bolander found this male American Kestrel giving him the eye.

These photos cry out for a caption! Feel free to chime in.

Thanks to Sara, Perry and Ron for allowing me to share their photos with  you here.

Today is sunny, windy and cool. Yesterday a quick but potent storm moved in and dumped a half inch at Rick's and my place in Anchor Bay. 19.98 inches season to date!

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Ferruginous Hawk's scientific name is Buteo regalis. And this beautiful hawk IS regal! Ron Bolander recently spotted one, last Saturday to be more exact, near Lighthouse Road in Point Arena.

Here are two fun facts from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's website, http://www.allaboutbirds.org:

Ferruginous Hawks and Rough-legged Hawks (plus the Golden Eagle) are the only American hawks to have feathered legs all the way down to their toes.

Ferruginous means rust-colored, and refers to the reddish back and legs of light-morph birds (which are more common than dark morphs).

To hear the call of this hawk, here is the link: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Ferruginous_Hawk/sounds

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

We are having rain today, Tuesday. Over 2/3 of an inch so far. More to come overnight. Coast waterfalls are beautiful now and seasonal creeks are full and racing towards the Pacific Ocean. There's a feeling of abundance in the moist air.