Chris Beach got this wonderful photo of the juvenile Tundra Swan as it flapped its wings in the Gualala River.
The swan hasn't been seen for a few days, so perhaps he/she has moved on. Mel Smith told me he saw the swan flying northward late last week.
We've had visits from mature Bald Eagles recently. I'll be posting about them soon.
Thanks to Chris for allowing me to share his photo with you here.
It's very rare indeed to see a Tundra Swan in early autumn, but one arrived last Monday and has been seen at the Gualala River since then. Mel Smith reported he saw the swan today, paddling in the river.
Bob Rutemoeller was the first to spot the Tundra Swan while he was volunteering at the Gualala Bluff Trail on Monday. The Swan was preening itself while standing on the riverbank.
Rick Denniston spotted the swan too, this time swimming in the river.
I have never had a sighting before of a Tundra Swan in the Gualala River. We always hope to see these beautiful white swans in the winter when they migrate down to the Garcia River floodplain.
Here is a collage Anne Mary Schaefer took of two Tundra Swans flying by. Just look at those long necks!
And here is a photo Martin Steinpress took on 12/31/15 of three adult Tundra Swans swimming with Mallards in a creek north of Point Arena.
I hope we see more of these swans in the months to come. So far the juvenile swan seems happy to be at the Gualala River. Being at the Gualala River makes me happy too!
Thanks to Bob, Rick, Anne Mary and Martin for allowing me to share their photos with you here.
Weather report! We had .66 inches of rain overnight at our house. The air is clear and smells so sweet, just the way we like it. Thank you, Mother Nature, for the healing rains.
Jon Loveless saw some, and Paul Brewer too. Young Gray Whales, juvenile whales who did not migrate up to their feeding grounds in the Arctic, have been seen most days off the Mendonoma coast. Paul Brewer got a few photos of one of these whales.
Whale expert, Scott Mercer, is excited about this development. He says, “These sightings clearly demonstrate how rich our local coast is.”
Our heat wave is over and the smoky skies have cleared, thank goodness.
Thanks to Paul for allowing me to share his photos with you here. To see much more of Paul's nature photography, here is the link to his website: http://www.capturingnatureswonders.com/
Craig Tooley was out photographing dragonflies when he came across a tiny toad, only the size of a quarter. It's a Western Toad.
Peggy Berryhill was alongside the Gualala River one summer day when she spotted hundreds of juvenile Western Toads. You can see how tiny they were by the one in her hand.
The second photo shows four tiny toads, looking like pebbles in the river. I show this photo to children as one of many reasons why people should never drive in a river or along its banks. You'd never spot these little guys.
Thanks to Craig and Peggy for allowing me to share their photos with you here.
Eric Zetterholm is an amateur photographer, but you'd never know it by this photo. It's a male Northern Harrier.
They have an owl-like face that allows them to hear mice and voles in the meadows below them. These slim hawks holds their wings in a V shape in air. Their call is a high-pitched "kek, kek." You can hear it for yourself at this link to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northern_Harrier/sounds
Here is a great photo of a juvenile Northern Harrier, taken by Robert Scarola.
Thanks to Eric and Robert for allowing me to share their photos with you here.