Tag Archives: Gualala

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On May 9th, John Wall caught the magic!  He photographed a fogbow stretching over Gualala Point Island. We had fog with very high water content. Normally fogbows are completely white, but this one had a little hint of color.

Gary Curtis also photographed a fogbow that day, and his shows even more color.

These were both taken from The Sea Ranch. But fogbows were seen that day off Gualala and off Anchor Bay. Yes, I saw one that day too. It's rare to see a fogbow, so we are always excited about seeing one.

Thanks to John and Gary for allowing me to share their photos with you here.

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Richard Hansen is the lucky person to live in Gualala and overlook Castle Rock. He has photographed various waves hitting a submerged rock in front of Castle Rock, which creates some interesting sightings. He swears this wave was ready to hug the distinctive rock.

One of my favorite photos by Richard of waves and Castle Rock is this one, taken a few years ago. It looks like a big monster is planning on hugging the rock.

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

Lovely sunny weather today. Lots of birds are singing their mating songs. It's a great time to be on the Mendonoma Coast.

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Another x-rated sighting for you. First I showed you mating Bald Eagles. Today, thanks to Paul Brewer, I can show you amorous male Gray Whales. According to whale expert, Scott Mercer, this isn't the time of year for female Gray Whales to mate. They prefer mating earlier in the year in the warm lagoons off Baja. But sometimes the males have other ideas. Here are some photos of a recent encounter just off Gualala - tails, bodies rolling, and a head next another whale are seen in these first three photos.

And here's proof of the male's intent. His male sexual organ has been dubbed the "Pink Floyd."

Unfortunately for the males, the females just want to get away and continue on their northward migration.

Speaking of the migration, this past weekend and Monday many Gray Whales were seen. Conditions were perfect for spotting their blows. It seems like we hit peak migration, which is normal for this time of year. The mother/calf pairs won't be seen off the Mendonoma coast for a couple of weeks yet.

Thanks to Paul for allowing me to share his photos with you here. To see much more of Paul's nature photography, here is his website: http://www.capturingnatureswonders.com/

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Teresa Denniston was watching for Gray Whales recently. Their southward migration is in full swing. Teresa saw this Gray Whale spyhopping, a thrilling sight.

Here is a photo her husband, Rick, took from their home overlooking the Gualala River and the Pacific Ocean of another Gray Whale spyhopping.

I saw a spyhopping Gray Whale once, off of Biehler Point on The Sea Ranch. The whale was so quiet, took a quick look, and then just as quietly sank back down into the water. I almost doubted what I saw!

Thanks to Teresa and Rick for allowing me to share their photos with  you here. Their home is called Serendipity and is available as a short-term rental. You can see it at this link: http://rentals.coastinghome.com/rns/property/Serendipit.aspx

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Rich Trissel keeps a "yard list," a list of birds he sees in their yard north of Gualala. A few days ago he added a Rough-legged Hawk to  his list. Nancy got the photo.

Here is what the Cornell Lab of Ornithology says about these autumn/winter visitors: "The Rough-legged Hawk spends the summer capturing lemmings on the arctic tundra, tending a cliffside nest under a sun that never sets. Winter is the time to see this large, open-country hawk in southern Canada and the U.S., where it may be perched on a pole or hovering over a marsh or pasture on the hunt for small rodents. Found globally across northern latitudes, this species occurs in both light and dark forms."

Nancy photographed a light form, adult Rough-legged Hawk.

To hear their calls, here is the link: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Rough-legged_Hawk/sounds

Here is a close-up photo I found on the web, from the Audubon handbook.

I hope I get to see one of these magnificent hawks! The Trissels and I are neighbors, as the Raven flies!

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