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Mike Petrich and Karen Wilkinson were out looking for birds. Mike wrote, “There have been a variety of inhabitants on the coastal beaches and rocks the last few days. Always looking for a new bird, Karen spotted two new species (for us) this week. Her Bird of the Day is at 187 and over the weekend we photographed a Ruddy Turnstone in breeding plumage and the large flock of Sooty Shearwaters."

We’re hoping for more new sightings since we are running out of ‘known birds’ for the website!”

This Ruddy Turnstone is just coming out of breeding plumage. To see Karen's fantastic bird of the day website, here is the link: http://www.mpkw.com/BirdOfTheDay

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

It's a beautiful, mild day here on the Mendonoma Coast today, with no wind. Huckleberries are ripe and ready for picking, which what I did with several friends earlier today!

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It turns out there are two juvenile Great Horned Owls at the southern part of The Sea Ranch. Eric Zetterholm wrote, “I saw the two young owls together on the rooftop of what I think are airplane hangers at the TSR airstrip. It's been foggy at sunset for the past week but on a couple nights the owls were extremely kind in landing in shorter trees close to the roadside. One owl flew to a treetop just before us, almost as if to greet us."

"I’m very surprised at how close I have been able to get with Sydney [the dog] on leash walking up the street. The owls seem to favor the Timber Ridge side of the airstrip and most evenings are starting out with calls coming from the trees around the sag pond there. I’m very much enjoying having owls in walking distance from the house.” Eric got a cute photo of the two owls from the back."

Their fluffy feathers show they are juveniles. And their screaming to be fed also is a big clue!

To see the photo of these two owls from the front, check out today's Independent Coast Observer Community News newspaper! To subscribe, here's the website: https://mendonoma.com/subscribe.htm That way you'd also get to read my weekly column, Mendonoma Sightings!

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

It was quite warm here yesterday, but it cooled off nicely today. Fog is coming up from the south, which is a little unusual - it usually comes from the north.

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So many people have told me they have never seen one before, but this summer there are hundreds upon hundreds here on the Mendonoma Coast. Others have told me they are seeing them in other parts of the country. Are they having a mast year? What are the consequences of so many of these moths in a relatively small area? Their caterpillars are voracious eaters, I've read. But the beautiful moths are pollinators of various flowers. Rozanne Rapozo photographed one in her garden.

Paul Brewer also had these moths visit his garden in Gualala. You can see the very loooong tongue these moths have to reach down into flowers. They are feeding on nectar and they get pollen on their faces. Then when they go to another flowers, they pollinate it with the pollen on their faces. Win/win!

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

Foggy and more fog. No wind and the temps are mild. We may get a little rain from the hurricane (!) to the south. That's forecast for tomorrow.

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Lisa Walker-Roseman was up at MacKerricher State Park when she had an aerial show. She wrote, “I was standing on Ten Mile Beach, watching the Pelicans and Gulls as they alternately fed on fish and returned to shore to rest. A woman and little girl were walking along the shore, the little girl chasing the birds, when my friend Shannon, who is volunteering with State Parks for the "Share the Beach" program, went over to speak to them about chasing the birds. Then I saw a flash of white and dark brown and knew I was seeing a Bald Eagle. So, I reached for my camera with its 800mm lens and started shooting the drama that unfolded in front of me"

"The eagle was chasing the Osprey, trying to get it to drop its prize - what appeared to be a Salmon."

"After about ten minutes (!), the Osprey dropped its catch into the surf"

"The eagle did dive down to try and grab it, but was left empty-taloned. After a few circles above where the fish fell, the eagle, panting, flew off over the dunes and towards Ten Mile River, defeated."

The Osprey returned and caught a fish.”

Lisa's photos and commentary tell quite a story! I thank her for allowing me to share her photos with you here. To see much more of Lisa's nature photos, here is the link to her Facebook account, Feather's Fotos: https://www.facebook.com/PhotographyByFeather/

Another lovely day with mild temps and no wind. Just about perfect here on the Mendonoma Coast!

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Eric Zetterholm wrote, "Amy had her daughter Aurora here on the 7th and we all came across Diane Hichwa on a walk to see the sunset. Diane said there was an owl in the area and we followed her a little further down the street to have a look. At the south end of the airstrip at The Sea Ranch, we had a Great Horned Owl land in a tree just above our heads"

This is the owl that hoots. You can hear their call at this link to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Great_Horned_Owl/sounds

There are young Great Horned Owls calling for food now - and it's not the hooting call, it's a screaming call! Young owls have been seen and heard at Stewart's Point and at Sea Ranch.

I love owls! Thanks to Eric for allowing me to share his photo with you here.

A mild day with no wind. White clouds are drifting by and just a wisp of fog over the ocean. Highs in the low 70's. Pretty wonderful.