Sus Susulla noticed a very strange bug on the screen door of his Gualala home. It turned out to be a California Walking Stick.
They are in the family Timenas. Not much is known of the unique insect but we do know they eat plants.
Cathleen Crosby also spotted one and her photo gives us a different perspective on this weird-looking insect. Isn't Mother Nature creative?
Cook's Beach is one of the many accomplishments of the Redwood Coast Land Conservancy. Irene Leidner is project chair and did a wonderful job in bringing this coastal access to us all. She is being honored tonight at Gualala Arts Center and Rick and I will be there to cheer her accomplishments.
This past weekend, after a small storm blew through on Friday, was especially beautiful. The ocean was calm with no white caps. Cathleen Crosby photographed Cook's Beach and has graciously shared it with all of us here.
You can see that it is a lovely pocket beach, protected from the wind. It's a perfect place to let a friendly dog play on the beach and in the waves.
To read how to find this pocket beach, here's a previous Sightings post: http://www.mendonomasightings.com/2012/02/12/cooks-beach-a-beautiful-pocket-beach-just-north-of-gualala/
This past week Cathleen Crosby and her granddaughter, Tali, came across a small Pacific Tree Frog on The Sea Ranch. The way it's looking at Cathleen's camera makes me think this frog has an attitude! This would be a fun photo to have a caption contest.
This is the only frog who's call is "ribbitt, ribbitt." It is usually green but can change color to help camouflage itself. These frogs are found on the West Coast all the way up to British Columbia. To see another photo Cathleen took of a Pacific Tree Frog on a spa, here's the link: http://www.mendonomasightings.com/2011/10/21/a-tiny-frog-with-a-big-voice-meet-the-pacific-tree-frog/
Recently Cathleen Crosby captured a photo of a Sun Dog, which is also called a Parhelion. This Sun Dog was seen out over the Pacific Ocean. It looks like several Ravens were flying by.
A Sun Dog is a rainbow in the sky but there are no rain clouds. It is formed when light rays pass through high cirrus clouds. The ice crystals in the clouds act as prisms and, if conditions are right, you get this rare phenomenon. Thanks to Cathleen for allowing me to share it with you here!
To see another rare cloud with a rainbow phenomenon, click here to see a cloud falling out of a cloud. It's amazing!http://www.mendonomasightings.com/2011/05/13/rare-cloud-phenomenon-a-cloud-falling-out-of-a-cloud/
Some days it just pays to watch the sunset with your camera at the ready. This Wednesday Cathleen Crosby was watching the sunset thinking maybe, just maybe, there might be a green flash. The horizon was clear with a thin layer of clouds above it. Sure enough, Cathleen saw a green flash and snapped a picture at the perfect moment in time.
Thanks to Cathleen for letting me share her photos with you here. To see another photo of the green flash, click here: http://www.mendonomasightings.com/2011/04/28/the-green-flash-its-not-a-myth/