Tag Archives: Richard Kuehn

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Sea Lions are fun to watch. They are a common sighting off the Mendonoma Coast. They are noisy, barking often. Killer Whales hunt them. Richard Kuehn got a photo of Sea Lions swimming hard and fast. Perhaps there was an Orca or two after them.

Sea Lions swimming hard and fast by Richard Kuehn

Sea Lions can look like porpoises, because when they swim fast they "porpoise" through the water. Jon Loveless photographed this action.

Sea Lions porpoising by Jon Loveless

They also gather together in rafts, which is what Rozann Grunig photographed.

Sea Lions rafting off of TSR by Rozann Grunig

It is thought they raft together for protection. They hold a flipper up in the air to either warm up or cool down - thermoregulation.

And lastly, Sea Lions are very curious. Craig Tooley was out kayaking when a group came in close to check him out.

Sea Lions seen from a kayak JUNE by Craig Tooley

Thanks to Rich, Jon, Rozann and Craig for allowing me to share their photos with you here. To see much more of Craig's nature photography, here is his website: www.ruffimage.com To see Rozann's nature photography, here is her website: www.highway1designs.com

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Before the wind picked up yesterday there were quite a few sightings of Gray Whales, mostly mothers with their calves. Richard Kuehn photographed a calf apparently lunge feeding.

Gray Whale calf lunge feeding by Richard Kuehn

And the young Gray Whale also breached several times.

Gray Whale calf breaching by Richard Kuehn

This is a fun time to be on the Mendonoma Coast! Thanks to Rich for allowing me to share his photos with you here.

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Gray Whales have been seen the past several days, many are mothers with calves. On Wednesday we watched a pod from our deck in Anchor Bay in the late afternoon. One whale did a complete breach! Here is a photo taken by Ron LeValley that shows you what a Gray Whale breach looks like. When the whale hits the water there is a BIG splash.

Also migrating north are thousands of Aleutian Cackling Geese. Richard Kuehn photographed several large flocks this past week consisting of over two hundred geese in each flock. The flocks look like undulating ribbons in the sky.

Rich took a close-up of them. They used to be called Canada Geese but they are smaller than Canada Geese and have the new name of Aleutian Cackling Geese. And, yes, they are quite noisy as they migrate. It's really fun to hear them approaching, cackling away.

Thanks to Rich and Ron for allowing me to share their photos with you here. To see much more of Ron's nature photography, here is the link to his website: http://www.levalleyphoto.com/home/

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The waves were huge and the warnings of high surf went up on Saturday. Richard Kuehn photographed Gualala Point Island being hit big a big wave.

Rich says Gualala Point Island is about sixty feet high. That makes this wave more than a hundred feet high.

There were beautiful clouds that day too. I took this photo from our deck in Anchor Bay. A storm was headed our way.

And another welcome storm is hitting the Coast this afternoon. We just say no to a drought! At my home we have had 28.85 inches of rain so far this season, a miraculous comeback. On Feb. 1st we had just 5.65 inches. We still have a ways to go but we're getting there, thank goodness.

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

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I have to admit it - I love owls. Richard Kuehn recently saw and photographed a Burrowing Owl on the north end of The Sea Ranch, the first one he has seen there in five years.

This little owl can be seen hunting for insects in the day and night. It's a smart owl too. Burrowing Owls put dung from other critters around the outside of their nests. That attracts dung beetles, which they love to eat.

To hear the call of this owl, here is the link to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/burrowing_owl/sounds

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

To see several photos of another little owl that landed on our deck railing, a Northern Pygmy Owl, here's the link to that post: http://www.mendonomasightings.com/2011/08/20/a-northern-pygmy-owl-paid-us-a-visit-in-anchor-bay-earlier-this-week/