The Mendonoma Coast has been enveloped in fog the past two days. It quiets down the sound of the barking Sea Lions on Fish Rocks. Karen Tracy photographed the early morning fog drifting up below her home in Anchor Bay.
Thanks to Karen for allowing me to share her photo with you here.
To see a photo of another beautiful sunrise, here's the link: http://www.mendonomasightings.com/2011/12/24/beautiful-sunrise-photographed-by-coastal-photographer-craig-tooley/
Craig Tooley came to our home in Anchor Bay to photograph the two baby Ospreys in a nest that we can see through our scope. Conditions weren't that good so he will try again. It is wonderful seeing the two tiny heads and necks of the babies. Now the parents are coming and going, bring fish to their hungry offspring.
Craig did photograph the birdhouse that was enveloped by Paper Wasps. I thought you'd enjoy seeing a close up of their exquisite work. The metal roof is untouched and a tiny portion of the white front still shows.
Below you can see the Paper Wasps coming and going, as they build a nest inside the birdhouse. They covered up at least 90% of the opening to the birdhouse.
Luckily this birdhouse/paper wasp nest is at the bottom of our driveway. Live and let live is the motto here.
If you'd like to see the original post on this rather unique situation, here's the link: http://www.mendonomasightings.com/2012/07/22/the-strangest-thing-one-of-our-birdhouses-was-recently-taken-over-by-paper-wasps/
To see much more of Craig's nature photography, here's the link to his website: http://ruffimage.com/
Before I show you some of the interiors of Fort Ross, I wanted to show you that Salmon are running off the Mendocino Coast. Rick and I live in Anchor Bay. When the clouds lifted a little while ago, I saw fishing boats off of Fish Rocks. Yesterday Ken Bailey and Richard Lewis went out in a Zodiak and look what they caught:
A fifteen pound King Salmon and a seventeen pound Ling Cod - gifts from the sea.
Thanks to Ken for allowing me to share his photo with you here and thanks to Wendy Bailey for sending the photo and sighting in.
Rozann Grunig was at the bluffs near Tidepool Beach on The Sea Ranch when she saw this Osprey perched in a tree.
Nice spot to take in the view or perhaps catch sight of a nice, fat fish. Thanks to Rozann for allowing me to share her photo with you here.
We can see an Osprey nest from our home in Anchor Bay. It's nearly a half mile away so we view it through our scope. The other day as we watched the male Osprey came with a fish and the female briefly left the nest. Rick and I saw two fuzzy heads peak up over the rim of the nest. Yes, Ospreys have hatched on the Mendonoma Coast!
I love this little wildflower. Little Prince's Pine, Chimaphila menziesii, has begun to bloom in a sunny spot in Anchor Bay.
It's a perennial herb and a native of California though it is found in other western states. It is growing in sandy soil at the 600 foot elevation. This small pink wildflower is a rare sighting on the Mendonoma Coast.