Tag Archives: Cornell Lab of Ornithology

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Michael Reinhart spotted this Red-shouldered Hawk in Point Arena recently.

Isn't this a beautiful hawk? Red-shouldered Hawks live in areas of tall trees and water. Sounds suspiciously like the Mendonoma Coast! They have loud calls which can be listened to at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology at this link: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Red-shouldered_Hawk/sounds

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

Today started off with fog but it cleared in most places by mid-morning. A sunny, windless day was our reward for being on the beautiful Mendonoma Coast today. Lots of Gray Whales are migrating southward now. I saw multiple spouts off the Mendocino Headlands today.

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Mike Petrich and Karen Wilkinson found a juvenile Red-shouldered Hawk. Mike wrote, “It’s been an active Fall in terms of raptors, especially around the Garcia River. Last weekend we watched Ferruginous Hawks, White-tailed Kites, Northern Harriers, and a juvenile Red-shouldered Hawk. It seemed to be hiding out away from the strong winds that preceded our rainy weather. We peered over the edge of the cliff overlooking the river, and it stared right back at us!”

These hawks are hawks of the forest. They prey on rodents, frogs and snakes. They have a rather plaintive call which you can hear at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology at this link: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Red-shouldered_Hawk/sounds

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

Today, Tuesday, is a lovely sunny day after a rainy day yesterday.

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Black Turnstones overwinter on the Mendonoma Coast - they breed far to our north. Mike Reinhart recently found a group foraging at a beach at The Sea Ranch. In flight you can see their beautiful markings.

Black Turnstones are shorebirds and they do turn over stones and kelp to find food. Mike photographed one standing on kelp which has washed up on the beach. The bird overturns bits of kelp to find flies and eggs and other tasty morsels.

This Turnstone has some sand on its beak!

To hear their high-pitched calls, here is the link to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Black_Turnstone/sounds

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

We had a nice storm this afternoon, Sunday. October rain is such a blessing. We have a lot of rain in our forecast too. Thank you, Mother Nature!

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Western Sandpipers have migrated into our area and photographer Ron Bolander was there with his camera as a flock of five or perhaps six took wing.

Western Sandpipers are shorebirds that nest way up in the Arctic. Some of them will overwinter on the Mendonoma Coast. Fun Fact: females are generally bigger than the males and they have longer beaks.

If you'd like to listen to their calls, you can do so at this link to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Western_Sandpiper/sounds

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

oh my, we are so thankful an early storm from the north arrived yesterday, Saturday. Our rain gauge showed a little over 1.5 inches of the blessed wet stuff.