Michele Melio found this Echo Azure Butterfly drinking water out of the Wheatfield Fork of the Gualala River when she took a recent walk with her dad.
These are small butterflies, and a treat to see.
Thanks to Michele for allowing me to share her photo with you here.
No fog this morning, and temps were in the 60s. All of a sudden the temperature jumped, at it's 81 degrees this afternoon. Wow! Warm weather is moving in.
Eric Zetterholm found this juvenile Bald Eagle drinking water, or perhaps looking for a fish, at the Gualala River. Behind him or her is a Killdeer on the riverbank.
Thanks to Eric for allowing me to share his photo with you here.
Sunny and very breezy this afternoon!
Here is Eric Zetterholm's story from Feb. 26.
“I saw Chris Beach pointing his camera at the river as I came into Gualala for work in the morning. I turned around and pulled in next to him to see the two adult Bald Eagles on the logging structure in the river. We said hello and he said that the eagles had been just sitting there and he was waiting for one to take off and fly. I walked up the highway a bit to get a different angle and took a few pictures of the adult eagles together. I zoomed in for some close up shots and then out again to watch for one taking flight. It was then I spotted the young Eagle sitting just below the parents.”
Eric walked back to his car and found several people now watching the Bald Eagles from the riverside. Eric wrote further, “I mentioned the little one being so hard to see hidden in plain sight, its color blending in with the logs and shadows. No one had seen the young one there, just focusing on the two white-headed adults. I went back up the road and was surprised again to see the adults start mating with the youth having a front row seat."
"Soon after, the male adult gathered up some nesting materials and flew off up river."
"I missed seeing the female adult fly away and left for work with the juvenile still sitting there perplexed. Parents can be so embarrassing.”
Eric Zetterholm recently found the Bald Eagles near the mouth of the Gualala River on a cloudy day. In this first photo, the smaller male seems to be "singing" to his mate. Could it be a love song, eagle-style?
Apparently she approved, as the male was allowed to mate with her.
And in the last photo, the deed is done. hmmm, she doesn't seem very happy...
Thanks to Eric for allowing me to share these photos with you here.
Another big storm is headed our way tonight and tomorrow, Sunday. The Gualala River is already full from the previous river-of-rain event. It will be majestic to see when the storm leaves. Batten down the hatches!
Bonny Dunn piloted her drone out over the Pacific Ocean to get this view of the coastline. It was at the peak of the recent King tides.
You can see the Gualala River flowing into the ocean and the town of Gualala in the middle. What a fascinating look at our area.
Thanks to Bonny for allowing me to share her photo with you here. To see more of Bonny's photography, here is a link to her website: https://bonnydunn.com/
We had a break from the storms today, Tuesday, but another storm is coming in tonight. Clouds are piling in! The last storm brought 2.50 inches, bringing my season to date total to 29.95 inches. 50 inches is a "normal" year at Rick's and my place, so we are well on our way!