Tag Archives: Karen Wilkinson

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Karen Wilkinson wrote, “I get excited over all shorebirds, but the Killdeer are such fun little birds with some rather peculiar behaviors.  The injured wing defense is the one most birders talk about, but their ‘dancing in the sand or ‘fishing with their feet’ are my official favorites.

I'm wondering what's really going on when they're doing this. I was 'belly in the sand' trying not to spook them after they flew in above me, as I was focused on watching a Spotted Sandpiper. It took a while, but I could hardly believe my luck as they started coming straight towards me.

I'm still going through the 1200 plus photos I took, but I thought you might enjoy seeing the video, just looking back on it cracks me up!” I too wonder what this Killdeer is doing with  his feet. Maybe you know?

Thanks to Karen for allowing me to share her photos and video with  you here.

brrr, it's cold and cloudy with rain due to arrive mid-afternoon. Tomorrow is supposed to be very stormy, another river-of-rain event. Bring it, Mother Nature!

 

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Craig Tooley recently photographed a Downy Woodpecker.

Karen Wilkinson also spotted one.

These woodpeckers eat insects. In Karen's photos it looks like the bird is looking for tasty bugs in a snag. Downy Woodpeckers joins flocks of chickadees and nuthatches, barely outsizing them - that's small!

Thanks to Craig and Karen for allowing me to share their photos with you here. To see much more of Craig's nature photography, here is the link to his website: http://www.ruffimage.com

A spectacularly clear day with no wind...consequently the temps soared. It reached 80 degrees at my place in Anchor Bay. Last night, with the clear horizon, there was a green flash at sunset. Hooray!

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Mike Petrich and Karen Wilkinson were looking for nature sightings near the P'da Hau, aka the Garcia River recently. Mike wrote, “We looked up towards the Point Arena Lighthouse and photographed a Caspian Tern playing with its food in mid-air! I assembled an image from a series of individual pictures while it dropped the fish, and caught it again several times"

I didn't know Caspian Terns would do this - so interesting to learn! Here's a close-up Mike took of the Tern:

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

Foggy mornings, with some high clouds overhead - it's nice and mild on the Mendonoma Coast today.

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Karen Wilkinson was the first to spot them early last Wednesday morning. She called Craig Tooley, who showed up with his camera and his talent soon thereafter. Here are a couple of photos taken by Craig.

The seabirds in the first photo are Surf Scoters. I love the photo showing so many dolphins surfing a wave together - the original surfers!

Researcher and scientist Bill Keener was able to identify six of the eleven dolphins, and one was our old friend, Sakura. Sakura was photographed off the Mendonoma Coast in 2018 and in 2020 she was seen with her calf. Here is the study of this group of Bottlenose Dolphins by Bill, just click on the link below.

Bottlenose Dolphins 2022 Jan 12 CT Bill Keener

I plan to share some of Karen's photos and videos of these dolphins soon.

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

Another lovely, clear day on the Mendonoma Coast today. 68 degrees at our place in Anchor Bay this afternoon.

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Mike Petrich and Karen Wilkinson found a juvenile Red-shouldered Hawk. Mike wrote, “It’s been an active Fall in terms of raptors, especially around the Garcia River. Last weekend we watched Ferruginous Hawks, White-tailed Kites, Northern Harriers, and a juvenile Red-shouldered Hawk. It seemed to be hiding out away from the strong winds that preceded our rainy weather. We peered over the edge of the cliff overlooking the river, and it stared right back at us!”

These hawks are hawks of the forest. They prey on rodents, frogs and snakes. They have a rather plaintive call which you can hear at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology at this link: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Red-shouldered_Hawk/sounds

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

Today, Tuesday, is a lovely sunny day after a rainy day yesterday.