Tag Archives: Gualala Ridge

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Black Bears in Mendonoma with guest speakers Meghan Walla-Murphy of North Bay Bear Collaborative and Stacy Martinelli of California Fish and Wildlife

Gualala Arts Lecture Series

Thursday, January 11 at 7 pm

Gualala Arts Center Coleman Hall

$5 at the door

This Black Bear was recently photographed on the Gualala ridge by a Nest camera. They live here too, and we need to learn how to peacefully share the Mendonoma Coast.

This photo is from a video of Kathy Willem's Nest camera.

More on the Black Bear talk can be found at this link to Gualala Arts: https://gualalaarts.org/2024/01/black-bears-in-mendonoma/

Thanks to Kathy for allowing me to share a photo from her video.

It's windy, cold, with rain showers...kind of feels like winter!

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Tony and Ricky Thomas live up on the Gualala Ridge and their security cameras captured a big Black Bear rambling up a neighbors' driveway. Those neighbors are Eric and Lisa Kritz! Here's a screen shot from the video.

Here is the video of the Black Bear. Click on the link below to watch it.

Video of Black Bear roaming the Gualala ridge by Tony Thomas.jpg

Thanks to Tony and Ricky Thomas for allowing me to share their video and screen shot here.

The weather has cooled off today. Chance of rain tomorrow, Monday!

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California Sisters seems to be having a good year, as sightings continue to pour in. I saw several this morning, feeding on various flowers on the deck. Perry Hoffman recently photographed one up on the Gualala Ridge.

Monarchs are arriving now, such a pleasure. Perry photographed one at the same location as the CA Sister.

Thanks to Perry for allowing me to share his photos with you here. Perry will be showing some of his varied artwork at the Coast Highway Art Collective. See below for info!

It's warming up today! The next few days will be quite warm. Should be a chance to see a green flash at sunset with no fog on the horizon.

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Ed Roshitsh photographed this Black Bear at his Gualala property, just walking along.

A few weeks earlier, Allan Hogle photographed these bear prints near his farm by Old Stage Road.

Last month, an obviously pregnant Black Bear was caught on a motion detector camera on the ridge. Yes, we do share the Mendonoma coast with several Black Bears.

Thanks to Ed and Allan for allowing me to share their photos with you here.

We are experiencing a big, windy storm today, with two more storms behind it. The drought has broken with all this wonderful winter rain, at least in Northern California.

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In the six years of writing Mendonoma Sightings in the Independent Coast Observer, I've only received one photo of a Western Spotted Skunk, Spilogale gracilis, and it was taken through a window. Until now, that is! John Bower found this little Skunk in a trash bin on the Gualala Ridge. After its close-up, John tipped the bin over so it could get out.

 A few old-timers erroneously call this Skunk a Civet Cat. It does move like a cat and is about the size of a house cat but it is indeed a Skunk. If it starts stomping its front paws, back away - fast! It can spray just as well as its bigger brother, the Striped Skunk.

In the winter they eat rodents, adding vegetation and insects to their diet in the summer. Fruit and berries in the autumn are also eaten by this Skunk. Thanks to John Bower for allowing me to share his photo with you here!