Tag Archives: Big River

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Jon Shiu got a touching photo of two Great Blue Herons with their necks entwined. He wrote, “Must be nesting time for Great Blue Herons? Seen March 4, 2025 near Mendocino.”

Great Blue Herons nest in colonies with the nests high up in trees. There has been an active colony along Big River near Mendocino.

I read that Great Blue Herons attract mates by twining their necks, clattering their bills, and raising their nuptial plumes. Then I needed to look up nuptial plumes. They are long, decorative feathers that grow during breeding season, which they use to display and attract mates during courtship.

Thanks to Jon for allowing me to share his photo with you here!

It's storming here today - lots of wind and rain. As of this morning, Sunday, our rain total shows 57.32 inches season to date. There is more than one inch in our gauge from today's storm, and it's still pouring. Will we hit 60 inches??? 50 inches is a normal, wet winter for us, so this is another very good rain year.

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Peter Baye was north, up at Big River, where he found several pairs of elusive Wood Ducks. He wrote, “I almost always hear Wood Ducks on the Gualala River without seeing anything more than their backends in flight. They are even more shy on the water than Pond Turtles, but these were in partial cover in the native Pond-lilies. They were wary but not alarmed, long enough for me to see their painted plumage. They look like fantasy waterfowl.”

Wood Ducks' calls are quite different. You can listen to them here: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Wood_Duck/sounds

Here's what the Cornell Lab of Ornithology has to say about these beautiful ducks: "The Wood Duck is one of the most stunningly pretty of all waterfowl. Males are iridescent chestnut and green, with ornate patterns on nearly every feather; the elegant females have a distinctive profile and delicate white pattern around the eye. These birds live in wooded swamps, where they nest in holes in trees or in nest boxes put up around lake margins. They are one of the few duck species equipped with strong claws that can grip bark and perch on branches."

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

It's still windy today, but warmer...almost 70 degrees!

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Loren Adrian wrote, "Here are a couple of shots from Big River right after the big heat wave. There was a family of [River] Otters on the lower end of the river, a mother and her four offspring. My wife and I paddled up the river about two hours, then returned after we came across a log jam. It was a nice day on Big River.”

If you haven’t explored the trails at Big River, you are in for a treat. The Mendocino Land Trust acquired over 7000 acres in 2002. There is a ten-mile trail, formerly a haul road, that connects Big River Beach to Mendocino Woodlands State Park. You can hike or bike there, with the river flowing gently by your side. It is now part of California State Parks.

To learn more about the Big River Trail, here is the link to the Mendocino Land Trust: https://www.mendocinolandtrust.org/trails/central-coastal-trails/big-river-trail/

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