Tag Archives: Anchor Bay

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On calm days the Sea Lions on the colony at Fish Rocks just off of the hamlet of Anchor Bay can be heard noisely barking. They are giving birth to pups now on the rocky islands off the coast. Craig Tooley captured a photo of a mom and her newborn pup and has kindly allowed me to share it here. Another of Craig's photos shows a group of Sea Lions on Fish Rocks. They are known for their intelligence and playfulness - this mammal is often the trained "seal" found in zoos. I prefer to view - and listen - to them in the wild!

To see more of Craig's photos, go to: http://web.me.com/theruffians1

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A beautiful bright yellow wildflower is blooming in sunny, dry places on the Mendonoma Coast now. It's name is Goldwire or Hypericum concinnum. Rick and I have several nice clumps of this perennial herb on our property in Anchor Bay. Peter Baye recently identified it for me. There are many subtlety different yellow wildflowers blooming now. But Goldwire is unique enough to stand out and say, "Look at me!" Its stems are very wirey. It's a member of the St. John's-wort family and is only found in California. It's a California native just like me!

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A Coast Lily - Lilium maritimum - one of the most beautiful of our spring wildflowers has just bloomed on our road near the hamlet of Anchor Bay. It's a perennial herb and now only grows on the North Coast, particularly in Mendocino County. It grows nowhere else in the world. It grows on a tall stalk over a foot tall, sometimes reaching as high as three feet. It is pollinated by Anna's and Allen's Hummingbirds and by Bumblebees. Our weather may be saying "Winter!" but this Coast Lily is saying "Spring!"

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This pair has survived several attacks by Ravens and some very high winds but they are still thriving. The nest overlooking the Pacific Ocean is a little tattered but still intact. The female Osprey has been sitting on the nest for several weeks now. Occasionally she stands up and appears to move the eggs around. Yesterday I photographed through our spotting scope a visit to the nest by the male Osprey. The rocky island on the left is Fish Rocks, which is just off of Anchor Bay.

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Wild Rhododendrons are in bloom on the Mendonoma Coast now and what a delight it is to see their lovely blooms. They begin blooming in April and peak in early May. This is prime time to see them! I took this photo yesterday right along Highway One at Salt Point State Park. These plants are protected by law - it is illegal to sell them. The Pacific Northwest has ideal growing conditions for wild Rhododendrons and I feel so fortunate to have some growing on the land where we live in Anchor Bay.