Tag Archives: Mike Petrich

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Karen Wilkinson heard about this beautiful bird and convinced her husband, Mike Petrich, to get a photo. Karen wrote, “Getting outside and soaking up the sunshine and calm winds was a total treat, but so was the Manchester Christmas Bird Count this [past] weekend.  I joined Rich Trissel’s team for the southern territory and had a great day out. We saw 70 species of birds in a single day.  That's a decent number for a winter's day along the Mendonoma coast.  On the walk, some of the more experienced birders were talking about a rarity that was seen in Pt Arena earlier in the week - a Harris's Sparrow.  It was a long shot, but I bribed Mike with a Zack's Milkshake if he'd join me for a little sparrow stalking expedition.  It really was a long shot…BUT… we found it!  I got my 'lifer bird' and Mike got a banana chocolate milkshake.  Win, win.”

The wayward sparrow was with a mixed flock of White-crowned Sparrows and Golden-crowned Sparrows. The flock was immediately behind the blue apartment buildings (Point Arena Village Apartments) which can be accessed off of Port Road. I have not received any more sightings of this bird for some days now.

Harris’s Sparrow is the only songbird that breeds in Canada and nowhere else in the world. In winter it is found in the south-central Great Plains, which is nowhere near Point Arena. Their populations are declining due to their vulnerability to habitat loss on the wintering and breeding grounds.

It's beautiful here today with blue skies and very little wind.

 

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Here's a critter you don't see every day - a Long-tailed Weasel. Mike Petrich and Karen Wilkinson found this fellow or gal on the Sonoma Coast recently.

These weasels are awfully cute, but they are fierce hunters! I did a feature article for the Press Democrat on them which you can read at this link: https://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/lifestyle/cute-cunning-long-tailed-weasels-thrive-in-sonoma-county/

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

Another spectacular, warm day on the Mendonoma Coast. The weather people say it's going to be 20 degrees cooler tomorrow with rain coming in late Friday night into Saturday. April showers...

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Michele Melio was at Shell Beach, one of public access trails of The Sea Ranch. She wrote, "I saw something red, maybe a Downy or Hairy Woodpecker. No, something better, a Pileated Woodpecker, nature's chainsaw."

"The Beaver is nature's builder and engineer, but the woody woodpecker lives up to its name. They can turn a tree into sawdust and wood chips in a matter of days. I've never seen one in this area before, as they generally hide and hunt in the forest on the ridge with the bigger trees. I tried my best to get a better shot, but it kept calling "ha-ha-ha-ha-ha." Then comes a noisy pair of humans walking down the trail talking loudly. It took off cackling the entire way."

It's not always easy to get a photo of one of these prehistoric-looking birds. Here's another look at one of these beauties, this one taken by Mike Petrich.

Pileateds have a very unique call. You can listen to it at this link at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Pileated_Woodpecker/sounds

Thanks to Michele and Mike for allowing me to share their photos with you here.

The storm late Friday brought another inch of rain, and we sailed past 25 inches season to date. It's raining Saturday afternoon and another storm is due in Sunday. Bring it, Mother Nature!

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Dorothy Spalding took this dramatic photo of the flooding Gualala River and the Pacific Ocean washing over the sandbar from the Gualala Bluff Trail.

Chris Braley visited on a different day and took this lovely photo.

And, two weeks ago Wednesday, a lone Tundra Swan was seen at the river. Rozanne Rapozo got these two photos.

And Mike Petrich photographed the beautiful swan in the Gualala River during a downpour.

We haven't spotted the Tundra Swan since. Tundra Swans used to overwinter here, especially in the wetlands of the Garcia River, north of Point Arena. They don't seem to coming this far south anymore, perhaps due to climate change and a change in the wetlands they love.

Thanks to Dorothy, Chris, Rozanne and Mike for allowing me to share their photos with you here.

We had 0.43 inches of rain yesterday, 20.91 season to date. Today is beautiful, cool, breezy with clouds drifting by.

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This Gray Fox looks like he/she is waiting for someone. Could this fox be watching and waiting for Santa Claus? It's possible!

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

Today was a beautiful, mild day. Visiting family members went on a mushroom hike with me and we found more Matsutakes! What a year for this special mushroom.