Tag Archives: Amy Ruegg

•

Amy Ruegg wrote, “I thought you might enjoy seeing my amphibian friends found at the Hot Spot! A juvenile Western Toad was hopping enthusiastically over the rounded river stones and was so challenging to photograph." The Hot Spot is on The Sea Ranch, a sunny place along the Gualala River.

Amy continues, "A Rough-skinned Newt was squirming quickly into the fallen leaves at river’s edge. They are so cute and surprisingly bright orange underneath I am wishing for rain while I enjoy autumn’s abundance!”

Thanks to Amy for allowing me to share her photos with you here.

The smoke is much less today and the humidity is higher. With a series of three storms headed our way, we are (literally) breathing easier.

• 2 Comments

•

One of the easiest waterfalls to see is the one at Stengel Beach on The Sea Ranch. Amy Ruegg went to check it out on Saturday after the big, juicy storm we just had. It did not disappoint.  You can almost hear the waterfall.

Here's a photo Amy took from the bluffs, showing paintbrush in bloom with the waterfall behind it.

Thanks to Amy for allowing me to share her photos with you here.

•

After a very dry December, we are looking forward to some wet stuff - rain! With the rain, we hope the coast's seasonal creeks will come back to life and bring us sightings of waterfalls.

In late November, Amy Ruegg photographed this waterfall at Stengel Beach, one of the public access trails on The Sea Ranch.

We will also be watching to see when the Gualala River will breach the sandbar that currently is blocking most of the river from entering the Pacific Ocean. The best place to witness this exciting event is from the Gualala Bluff Trail.

And we will be looking for more mushrooms to appear. Winter is a fun and interesting time to be on the Mendonoma coast.

Thanks to Amy for allowing me to share her photo here.

•

Amy Ruegg photographed two members of the Orchid family, Merten's Coralroot and Spotted Coralroot. They depend on fungi for the nutrients they need. First is the Merten's.

And here is the Spotted.

Because they need fungi in the soil to thrive, they cannot be transplanted. If you find one, just admire it and feel fortunate that you got to see one!

Thanks to Amy for allowing me to share her photos with you here.

•

Craig Tooley and Amy Ruegg trained their cameras on a strange-looking black fungus, which turned out to be Velvety Black Earth Tongue, Trichoglossum hirsutum.

Amy Ruegg photographed several Earth Tongues.

In David Arora's book "Mushrooms Demystified," he states that they are common in our area, which doesn't explain why I've never spotted one. He does go on to say they are hard to spot, making me feel a little better. Possibly edible, but Arora says they are much too tough to eat. The velvety texture, Arora writes, comes from hundreds of minute hairs.

Thanks to Craig and Amy for allowing me to share their photos with you here. To see much more of Craig's wildlife photography, here is his website: www.ruffimage.com