Don Phelps found two of these large buoys washed up on Manchester State Beach. There were no barnacles on them so they hadn't been in the water for a long time.
Gary Humfeld found a smaller buoy that had been in the water a long time as it did have barnacles on it.
Below you will see two Asian characters and a series of numbers on the buoy.
Tomorrow I will post the photo of the large light bulb Gary found. If you can further our knowledge in any way, we would surely appreciate it.
Ferruginous Hawks are migrating into the Mendonoma Coast where they will overwinter. They are our largest hawk. One of the best places to see hawks hunting is between Manchester and Elk in Mendocino County. Steve Wilcox enjoys "hunting" hawks with his camera. I thank him for allowing me to share his beautiful photo with you here.
The favorite food of Ferruginous Hawks is Rabbits and Ground Squirrels. If you'd like to hear their piercing call, here's a link to Cornell Lab of Ornithology: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/ferruginous_hawk/sounds
Irma Brandt was the lucky one who came home with this Boletus edulis, a choice edible mushroom. She brought it over and Rick weighed it. It was a mighty four pounds. When Irma sliced it for drying she found no bugs at all. That's a lot of porcini mushrooms for the months to come!
In the picture Irma is peeking out behind the big 'shroom. She is also holding a more normal-sized Bolete.
Last year in September Craig Tooley photographed two Marbled Godwits frolicking in the surf at Manchester State Beach. We're hoping these large shorebirds will make a repeat visit this year. Here's a link to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology if you would like to hear what their call sounds like. http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/marbled_godwit/sounds
I thank Craig for allowing me to show you this charming photo. If you'd like to see more of Craig's photos, here's his web site link: http://ruffimage.com/ You can also put Craig's name in the search box at the top of this blog to see more photos by Craig. He's one of the best!