Tag Archives: Jon Shiu

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Jon Shiu got a touching photo of two Great Blue Herons with their necks entwined. He wrote, “Must be nesting time for Great Blue Herons? Seen March 4, 2025 near Mendocino.”

Great Blue Herons nest in colonies with the nests high up in trees. There has been an active colony along Big River near Mendocino.

I read that Great Blue Herons attract mates by twining their necks, clattering their bills, and raising their nuptial plumes. Then I needed to look up nuptial plumes. They are long, decorative feathers that grow during breeding season, which they use to display and attract mates during courtship.

Thanks to Jon for allowing me to share his photo with you here!

It's storming here today - lots of wind and rain. As of this morning, Sunday, our rain total shows 57.32 inches season to date. There is more than one inch in our gauge from today's storm, and it's still pouring. Will we hit 60 inches??? 50 inches is a normal, wet winter for us, so this is another very good rain year.

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Michael Reinhart photographed a skein of Aleutian Cackling Geese heading south.

Here's a close-up photo Mike got recently.

And Jon Shiu got this video, taken off the Mendocino Headlands, where you can hear them cackling away.

Video of Aleutian Cackling Geese flying south by Jon Shiu

Aleutian Cackling Geese can be confused with Canada Geese but they are quite a bit smaller and have shorter necks that the Canadas. I love hearing them. On calm days, I can hear them at Rick's and my place which is a half mile from the ocean. They usually fly over the ocean, but in stormy weather, they can be a bit inland.

Thanks to Mike and Jon for allowing me to share their photos and video.

It's raining here - hooray! It's a nice, gentle rain with no wind. 0.43 inches so far.

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It's so fun to watch Brown Pelicans plunge-dive for fish. They hit the water beak first! Jon Shiu photographed this awesome sight.

With many Brown Pelicans here, along with Humpback Whales, some with their calves, the waters off the Mendonoma Coast are abundant with feed - the food chain in action.

Thanks to Jon for allowing me to share his photo with you here. Another of Jon's photos will be in tomorrow's Independent Coast Observer. It shows the gular pouch of a Brown Pelican. Don't miss it! What? You aren't a subscriber??? You can remedy that by going to the ICO's website and subscribing. https://www.mendonoma.com/

Drippy fog was what dawn revealed this morning. There is still a lot of fog this afternoon, but the sun is trying to break through. Temps are in the 60's. There is very little wind and the ocean looks calm from my vantage point!

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Western Gulls are the only gulls that nest on the Mendonoma coast. Jon Shiu recently photographed three chicks, looking like little rocks with legs! Is the one on the right singing? Most likely he/she is hoping to get fed.

Here's a look at three adult Western Gulls with the chicks behind them.

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

There's a fog bank over the ocean, keeping temps very nice and not too toasty. It's very hot inland and it was hot away from the ocean yesterday. It hit 88 degrees at my place in Anchor Bay yesterday, and today it's 78 degrees. No wind to speak of and lots of visitors are here escaping the inland heat, just as Rick and I used to do when we lived in Walnut Creek!

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Brandt's Cormorants are nesting along the Mendonoma Coast. Jon Shiu photographed this group at the Mendocino Headlands.

From the Cornell Lab of Ornithology: “The largest cormorant on the Pacific Coast, Brandt’s Cormorant is an expert diver that can swim deeper than 200 feet in pursuit of fish and shellfish. In addition to standard cormorant black, Brandt’s sports a vivid cobalt-blue throat patch and eyes during breeding season, along with wispy white feathers on the head. This species nests and forages in the California Current, an area of rich upwelling between British Columbia, Canada, and Baja California, Mexico.”

How great to see the blue throat patch in Jon’s photo!

Thanks to Jon for allowing me to share his photo.

It’s sunny with a gentle breeze…a beautiful day on the Mendonoma coast!