Tag Archives: Irish Beach

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Paul Kozal loves photographing the night sky. Each photo is just spectacular. Here's one Paul took of the Milky Way from Cooks Beach, which is at the north end of Gualala. He got a streak of a meteor in this photo too.

Shouqin Huo wrote me last Friday,  "I caught something strange on the camera in Irish Beach last night, Thursday. It might be a meteor burning up. Whatever it was, it was close. You can hear two sonic booms in the video."

If so, it would be a meteorite. What do you think? If you can't open the short video, I believe I can email it to you. It's only four seconds long.

Thanks to Paul for allowing me to share his beautiful photo with you here. To see much more of Paul's art, here is his website: https://www.paulkozal.com/

And thanks to Shouqin for sharing his video!

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This sighting is from over a month ago, when the King Tides were taking place. Cindy Morey had a wonderful find during the extra low tides. She wrote, “This Sea Star with 22 arms was alive and in a tide pool way out in the rocks during low tide on Irish Beach. It was really something to see. I've only seen one other one near the same place many years ago.” What Cindy photographed was a beautiful Sunflower Sea Star, Pycnopodia helianthoides.

About ten years ago, a disease called the Sea Star wasting disease severely impacted many Stars, but it seems to have hit the Sunflower Stars the hardest. It’s estimated 90 percent of the big Stars died. I have not had a sighting of one since the outbreak so Cindy’s photo was so very welcome. I shared Cindy’s photo with folks at NOAA and they were excited too. Sunflower Stars prey on Purple Urchins which proliferated in the Stars absence, so with the Stars hoped for recovery, balance may be restored in the ocean.

Thanks to Cindy for allowing me to share her photo with you here. Cindy is an artist with the Coast Highway Artists Collective. You can take a look at this link: https://coast-highway-artists.com/

Rain has returned to the Mendonoma Coast. Hooray!

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Shouqin Huo was welcomed to the coast by visits from a Bobcat. Shouqin wrote, “We recently became part-time residents of Irish Beach. During our last stay, we noticed almost daily a Bobcat hunting for gophers in the grass area between our neighbors’ houses. I would like to share a couple of photos.”

I was amazed at the Bobcat’s beautiful eyes, a light green or hazel. I learned Bobcat kits under four weeks old have bright blue eyes, which then change to green or hazel.

Thanks to Shouqin for allowing me to share these photos with you here.

Rain yesterday (0.15 inches), brilliant sunshine today, Sunday. Lots of folks at Art in the Redwoods at the Gualala Arts Center today. If you didn't make it this weekend, stop by to see the fabulous art displayed throughout the Arts Center. And check out the Best Mendonoma Sightings winner, a beautiful photo of a Great Egret by Paul Brewer!

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This is the beautiful sight Gary Levenson-Palmer saw in Irish Beach - a dramatic sunset. It looks rather like a painting!

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

Sunny and warmer today, and the breezes picked up this afternoon. Many Humpback Whales are being seen off our coast. Here's a report from Friday by Scott and Tree Mercer of the Mendonoma Whale and Seal Study:

Friday August 25,2023. Point Arena Peninsula and Saunders Reef.
Foggy, overcast morning but with 4 plus miles of visibility.
NW 8,
Bright sun by noon.
23 humpbacks stretched from the California Coastal Monument to NNW of the Lighthouse.
Lots of breaching, some chin slams, flipper slaps.
None seen at Saunders Reef.
Also
1 Northern harrier
Unknown oyster catchers
hundreds of pelicans both southbound in groups up to 30. Many other pelicans circling and diving for food over the humpbacks.
2 osprey.

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Walt Rush found this little owl on his deck in Irish Beach - a Northern Pygmy-Owl.

I love these little owls. They can be seen in the daytime hours hunting small birds.  Their calls are interesting, a slow, measured hoot. You can hear it for yourself at this link at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northern_Pygmy-Owl/sounds

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

Lots of clouds from a tropical disturbance to the south. Maybe some rain tonight? But, please, no dry lightning!