Tag Archives: Cornell Lab of Ornithology

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I guess everyone drops something now and then. Rozanne Rapozo was watching and photographing this Cedar Waxwing feeding on a cotoneaster bush, stilled filled with ripe red berries. But this bird dropped a berry and Rozanne captured with her camera and talent.

We see the nonbreeders here this time of year. The best way to spot these birds - other than finding a bush full of fruit - is to listen for their calls. You can listen at this link to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Cedar_Waxwing/sounds

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

It was a beautiful, sunny day here this Friday. No rain in the forecast. The Mendonoma Coast is a great place to explore during this break in the rains.

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The first photo shows a beautiful White-tailed Kite. The second photo...a tangled kite!

I love White-tailed Kites. Here is what the Cornell Lab of Ornithology writes about them: "Grasslands and savannas are great places to fly a kite and that's exactly where you will find the White-tailed Kite, flying as if it were attached to a kite string. With its body turned toward the wind and wings gently flapping, it hovers above the ground, a behavior that’s so distinctive it’s become known as kiting. From above it tips its head down to look for small mammals moving in the grass below. Its white underparts, gleaming white tail, and black shoulder patches are its other marks of distinction."

To hear the call of this kite, here is the link: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/White-tailed_Kite/sounds

Thanks to Karen Wilkinson for two fun photos and for allowing me to share them with you here.

Today started off sunny, but clouds moved it. It's been drizzly today, with the bricks in our courtyard damp. More mushrooms are up - matsutakes and cocorra. King and Queen boletes, and yellow Chanterelles are also being found. I found several Zeller's Boletes today.

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Rozanne Rapozo was at Gualala Point Regional Park when she saw these three female Western Bluebirds feeding on a California Coffeeberry bush.

These beautiful birds are members of the Thrush family. They eat insects, and as you see with Rozanne's photo, they eat berries too!

They have a sweet call that you can hear at this link to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Western_Bluebird/sounds

Thanks to Rozanne for allowing me to share her photo with you here.

Another beautiful windless day. The Pacific Ocean looks flat calm. Tree Mercer told me she and Scott saw four Humpback Whales yesterday, Thursday.

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Pileated Woodpeckers are the largest woodpeckers here on the Mendonoma Coast. They are so very striking and their calls are unmistakable. Craig Tooley recently found this male Pileated working on a tree with its very powerful beak.

You can see bits of bark flying as he uncovers a nest of tasty carpenter ants, his favorite food.

To hear their call, here is a link to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Pileated_Woodpecker/sounds

They often call while flying. Peter Baye told me these woodpeckers also like Concord grapes. Peter grows them and leaves some of the crop for the Pileateds. He said they will often gorge upside down!

Thanks to Craig for allowing me to share his photo with you here. To see much more of Craig's nature photography, here is the link to his website: http://www.ruffimage.com

It's sunny, breezy and cool today. In a walk in the forest today, I noticed the ponds of water in a seasonal creek have gotten deeper from the recent rains.

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Eric Zetterholm found this American Kestrel nicely posing for him with the moon as a beautiful accent. Nice!

I love how the breeze has ruffled one of this Kestrel's feathers!

To listen to this small falcon's calls, here is a link to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/American_Kestrel/sounds

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

As I type this at 3:30 Friday afternoon, the storm has just begun. It's raining pretty darn hard!