Tag Archives: Jim Garlock

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Harm Wilkinson was sure surprised to see this Acorn Woodpecker imitating a hummingbird at his sugar-water feeder.

Harm said the woodpecker drained the hummingbird feeder.

Here's a close-up of a male Acorn Woodpecker on the left (notice the red on his head goes all the way to the white on his face) and a female (she has black between the white on her face and the red on top of her head) at a seed feeder. This photo was taken by Jim Garlock.

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Thanks to Harm and Jim for allowing me to share their photos with you here.

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It's always a treat to see a Red-shouldered Hawk. Mark Simkins recently photographed a young one near Manchester sitting on a fence post.

A juvenile Red-shouldered Hawk by Mark Simkins

And Robert Scarola spotted a juvenile in the Sea Ranch area. These hawks are year round residents of the Mendonoma Coast.Juvenile Red-shouldered Hawk by Robert Scarola

Robert also photographed this forest hawk on a rainy day and the bird doesn't look pleased!

Juvenile Red-Shouldered Hawk in Light Rain by Robert Scarola

These hawks have a distinctive call. You can hear it at this link to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Red-shouldered_Hawk/sounds

Here is what an adult looks like, photo taken by Jim Garlock. No more brown head!

Red-shouldered Hawk by Jim Garlock

Thanks to Mark, Robert, and Jim for allowing me to share their photos with you here.

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One of my favorite birds is the clown-faced Acorn Woodpecker. They often appear at our birdfeeder. Clay Yale and Siegfried Matull recently photographed two Acorn Woodpeckers. Both photos show a female. First here is Siegfried's photo.

Female Acorn Woodpecker by Siegfried Matull

And next is Clay's photo.

Female Acorn Woodpecker by Clay Yale

To show you the difference between a male and female Acorn Woodpecker, here is a photo taken by Jim Garlock. The female is on the right and the male is on the left. Note that the red on top of the male's head is bigger and there is no black between his white and red feathers on his face.

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The sound of Acorns is quite distinctive. Some describe it as "waka waka." To hear for yourself, here's a link to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/acorn_woodpecker/sounds

Thanks to Siegfried, Clay and Jim for allowing me to share their photos with you here.

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What a season we are having this year with wild mushrooms. Hedgehog mushrooms, one of my favorites, are  up in abundance, as are Winter Chanterelles and Black Trumpets. One of the most distinctive mushrooms is the Fly Amanita. Jim  Garlock recently photographed one.

Fly Amanita by Jim Garlock

Rick and I went on a mushroom hunt last week, looking for edibles, of course. We found a treasure trove of Matsutakes! Also found was a Shaggy Man, Candy Caps, Black Trumpets and Hedgehogs.

Basket of edible mushrooms by Jeanne Jackson

Finding edible mushrooms in the forest is like finding treasure - a gift from Mother Nature.

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

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American White Pelicans often head to the coast to overwinter. A flock has been seen near the mouth of the Russian River. Richard Kuehn recently photographed one giving him the eye. The second photo was taken by Allen Vinson of a pair in Bodega Bay. That is followed by Siegfried Matull's photo of one coming in for a landing.

American White Pelican by Richard Kuehn American White Pelicans off Bodega Bay by Allen Vinson American White Pelicans by Siegfried Matull SONY DSC American White Pelicans by Janet Tervo

The second to last photo is by Jim Garlock and the last by Janet Tervo. These are huge birds with a wing span of 108 inches! They are usually silent away from their breeding grounds, which is inland and to the north.

Thanks to all the photographers for allowing me to share their photos with you here.