Tag Archives: Michael Reinhart

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Hairy and Downy Woodpeckers can be difficult to tell apart. Diane Hichwa identified this woodpecker Michael Reinhart photographed as a Hairy.

Here's what Diane said about how to ID a Downy versus a Hairy:

"The white down the back is indicative of a Downy OR a Hairy.

The white outer tail feathers with NO black dots tell me it is a Hairy.

(D for downy and D for dots).

Also the bill length to head width says bigger Hairy."

Here is a photo of a Downy Woodpecker, taken by Craig Tooley, for comparison sake.

Hairy Woodpeckers have a quiet "cheep" call which you can hear at this link to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Hairy_Woodpecker/sounds

Thanks to Mike for allowing me to share his photo with you here. And thanks to Craig for allowing me to show his photo here also. To see much more of Craig's nature photography, here is his website: http://www.ruffimage.com

0.60 inches of rain overnight, sunny and mild today. Another smallish storm coming in Saturday afternoon/evening.

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Mike Reinhart and his wife were taking a walk on The Sea Ranch when they came across two Gray Foxes lounging in the sun. One fox took off but this one stayed for his closeup. Or her closeup.

It's fun to see the beautiful markings on this healthy-looking Gray Fox. He/she must be living lightly on the land!

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

It was sunny this morning but clouds are pouring in, with a chance of some showers. Then we have what looks to be a dry spell for about a week.

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Michael Reinhart saw this female Common Merganser at the Gualala River and the merganser had caught her lunch!

Mike also photographed an American Goldfinch feeding on thistle.

And Marbled Godwits at Manchester State Beach. You can also see the Bull Kelp tossed up on the beach by the ocean waves.

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

It's about 20 degrees cooler today, with a big fog bank back over the Pacific Ocean. It really feels like Autumn today. I found King Boletes, a Queen Bolete, and a Shrimp Russula late yesterday afternoon. Lots of mushrooms are popping up now.

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Lots of birds use dead trees. We see the Gualala Bald Eagle pair often perched in a snag just north of the mouth of the Gualala River. Acorn Woodpeckers use snags to drill their holes, which they then proceed to stuff with acorns, creating a granary tree. Michael Reinhart found this dead tree providing nesting cavities for several birds, including Pygmy Nuthatches. He also found Violet-green Swallows bringing insects to their chicks.

The moral of the story is, if you have a dead tree on your property and it isn't a hazard, consider leaving it up for the birds.

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

We woke up to drippy fog this morning, and temps are in the high 50's. Years ago a good friend, Linda Brodie, told me to "embrace your inner fog," a fun way of being able to enjoy the fog we get this time of year. The moisture it brings is very welcome and I'm embracing my inner fog today!

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Michael Reinhart spotted this young Buck, a Black-tailed Deer, looking at him. It sure looks like the Buck is smiling!

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

We had clouds this morning, but they have disappeared, leaving behind sunny skies with strong breezes. And it's a chilly breeze! Wildflowers are amazing now. But watch out for ticks. A friend told me she picked eight of them off of her after a walk through grasses at Manchester State Park this morning. And I found one on me after a hike today. Yikes!