Tag Archives: Michael Reinhart

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Patricia Bacchetti had a Hairy Woodpecker land on a nearby tree and seemingly pose for her.

This is a small woodpecker, but very powerful. It has a look alike, the Downy Woodpecker. One big difference between the two is the beak. In a Hairy, the beak is much longer. Below is a photo of a Downy for comparison, photo taken by Michael Reinhart. See how small the beak of the Downy is?

Hairy Woodpeckers eat insects that they search for on trunks and large branches of trees. They have a short "peek" call, which you can listen to at this link from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology:  https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Hairy_Woodpecker/sounds Scroll down to "Calls, Pacific."

Guess what? The Downy Woodpecker has a similar call. Mother Nature sure has a sense of humor at times!

Thanks to Patricia and Michael for allowing me to share their photos with you here.

Very foggy at the coast but sunny just a short ways away. Very mild and lovely today.

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Pelagic Cormorants attache their nests to bluff faces, using their own guano as glue. Rozanne Rapozo recently photographed several nests.

Michael Reinhart found Pigeon Guillemots. They use openings in rocks for their hidden nests, much safer than the Pelagic Cormorant nests. This is a rather rare photo of a chick being fed.

Here are two Pigeon Guillemots on the water. It looks like they are talking to each other. Note the orange-red mouth!

Pelagic Cormorants are mostly silent, but Pigeon Guillemots have a whistling call that  you can hear on the Cornell Lab of Ornithology at this link: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Pigeon_Guillemot/sounds

Thanks to Rozanne and Michael for allowing me to share their photos with you here.

It was very foggy this morning, with the sun finally breaking through mid-afternoon, a lovely cool day on the Mendonoma Coast!

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One of my favorite birds is the Hermit Thrush because of their beautiful, trilling songs. Michael Reinhart recently photographed one singing.

There are two Hermit Thrushes singing to each other near our place in Anchor Bay. They begin singing even before sunrise. To hear their lovely call, here is a link to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Hermit_Thrush/sounds

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

Billowy, white fog appeared overnight over the Pacific Ocean and immediate coastline, though it held off for many to see the beautiful Northern Lights, a rare occurrence here. I will share photos of that soon. There is another chance to see it a little after sunset tonight here on the Mendonoma Coast...if the fog doesn't roll back in!

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Michael Reinhart recently got a nice photo of a Hairy Woodpecker.

Here's what the Cornell Lab of Ornithology says about these woodpeckers:

"The larger of two look alikes, the Hairy Woodpecker is a small but powerful bird that forages along trunks and main branches of large trees. It wields a much longer bill than the Downy Woodpecker's almost thornlike bill. Hairy Woodpeckers have a somewhat soldierly look, with their erect, straight-backed posture on tree trunks and their cleanly striped heads. Look for them at backyard suet or sunflower feeders, and listen for them whinnying from woodlots, parks, and forests."

To listen to their one-note call, scroll down till you see Calls Pacific: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Hairy_Woodpecker/sounds

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

Another beautiful day here, though cooler. Temps in the low 60s with a few drifting clouds.

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Michael Reinhart saw this Great Blue Heron strutting along the bluff recently.

This looks like a Heron with an attitude!

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

The rains are gone for now, though we had a lot of cloud cover. Temps were in the low 60s. This weekend could be stellar!