Tag Archives: Karen Wilkinson

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There is a nest at Gualala Point Regional Park with several newly-hatched White-crowned Sparrows. Craig Tooley didn't want to disturb the nest, but he did find one of the parents bringing an insect back to the nest.

Park ranger Roberta Chan cordoned off the area where the nest is. The chicks should fledge soon but in the meantime, don't disturb the little ones in their nest! Karen Wilkinson took the photo of the nest area.

Thanks to Craig and Karen for allowing me to share their photos with you here.

It's a sunny, warm, breezy day here on the Mendonoma Coast.

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Wood Ducks are quite shy, so Karen Wilkinson was delighted when she spotted one for a brief moment, paddling in the Gualala River. She only caught this one glimpse.

Some years ago Peter Baye photographed this pair of Wood Ducks, the female on the left.

And Kathy Bishop also had a sighting some years ago of these ducks and she got some great close-ups of the beautiful adult male, and a photo of the rather drab-looking female with her brightly-colored mate.

In the 15+ years of writing my column in the Independent Coast Observer, these are the only photos sent in over that time. So I'd say Wood Ducks are a rare sighting here!

Thanks to Karen, Peter and Kathy for allowing me to share their photos with you here.

Another foggy, cool day on the Mendonoma Coast. Hey, it must be summer!

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Karen Wilkinson heard a River Otter pup calling for its mother. When Karen carefully scooted over to the bluff edge to take a look, this River Otter looked back up at her.

What do you think this little one is saying to Karen?

Thanks to Karen for allowing me to share her photo with you here.

Another foggy day, though the fog is high this afternoon, and 62 degrees. It's calming!

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Pelagic Cormorants, seabirds, nest on bluff faces on the Mendonoma Coast. Karen Wilkinson photographed a pair at their nest, and when she looked at her photo on her computer, she found two tiny chicks.

You can see an eggshell (or possibly an unhatched egg!) and two chicks that look as if they just hatched! The father Pelagic Cormorant is leaving the nest in Karen's photo. He brings food back to his mate and now for his offspring. It's quite magical to watch these nests. They are very quiet and it's almost mystical to be in the moment and be quiet too.

Thanks to Karen for allowing me to share her photo with you here.

Another hot day, but it feels like it is breaking. Yep, the weather is changing again, maybe even some rain for the weekend.

Spring doesn't know...

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Karen Wilkinson spotted Bottlenose Dolphins several weeks ago. She enjoyed watching them surf the waves.

Bill Keener of Golden Gate Cetacean Research took a look at Karen's photos. Bill wrote, “This was a tough bunch because most of the dolphins were unknown to me. I am sending them on to other researchers in Monterey Bay to see if they know them. However, the first dolphin was easily recognizable as Sakura, a female. You have seen Sakura before on August 19, 2018 at Sea Ranch. She was with Bliss in that group, but Bliss did not appear in the group from February 1.”

Below is a photo Karen took of Sakura in 2018 with her newborn calf just to her right.

Bottlenose Dolphins are identified by the notches in their dorsal fins. They have extended their territory northward and we are seeing more them off our coast. As Karen knows, they are so much fun to watch. And it’s interesting that Sakura was seen in a different pod. There is a lot to learn about them in the days ahead.

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

Back to incredible balmy weather today. News flash! A few Gray Whale mother/calf pairs have swum by our shores in the past few days, very early this year. Hundreds of adult Grays swam by this past week headed back to their feeding grounds in the Arctic.