Tag Archives: Rita Peck

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Craig Tooley and Rita Peck visited a local beach. Craig wrote, “We were walking along the beach and discovered this Crab, trying to escape from the big waves, I guess.”

Then a bad boy or girl appeared, a Common Raven. The Raven spotted the Crab and nabbed the Crab for its dinner.

Craig wrote further, “I guess this Raven heard that crab was the thing to have as part of a New Year's celebration.”

I was curious as to what kind of crab Craig had photographed so I send his photos to Bob Van Syoc. Bob wrote, “The crab looks like Cancer antennarius, a Rock Crab that lives in rocky (duh) intertidal reefs.”

ah, the food chain in action. It's not always easy to watch!

Thanks to Craig for allowing me to share his photos with you here. To see much more of Craig's nature photography, here is the link to his website: http://www.ruffimage.com

A smaller storm is hitting the Mendonoma Coast this afternoon. When it is done, the forecast is for sunny and warmer weather. We need it to dry out!

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Craig's wife, Rita Peck, looked out their window and saw this little owl taking a bath in one of the water bowls they leave out for wildlife.

Craig spotted the Pygmy Owl again, this time perched on a branch and looking very clean from its bath!

I love these little owls and I thank Craig for allowing me to share his photos with you here. To see much more of Craig's nature photography, here is the link to his website: http://www.ruffimage.com

Sunny and cold this morning with clouds drifting in this afternoon. We have rain forecast for tomorrow - hooray!

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Craig Tooley photographed this photo of an adult Western Gull giving its chick "the look." What do you think the caption should be? Western Gull parent tell its chick “Oh, why, yes! They're SUPPOSED to be pink,” cap. by Steve Serdahely, pho.by Craig Tooley Steve Serdahely sent in the winning caption (the judge was Craig's wife, Rita Peck). His caption was: "What? Oh, why YES! They're supposed to be pink!"

Other fun captions were: "Don't you kids wear anything but camo?" by Joseph Reader

"How many times must I repeat that you are still too young to get your beak pierced." by Irma Brandt

"He takes after his father!" by Rozann Grunig

Thanks to Craig for allowing me to caption it and share it here with you. To see much more of Craig's nature photography, his website is: www.ruffimage.com

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Craig Tooley and Rita Peck had several days this week to enjoy a family of Gray Foxes near their home on The Sea Ranch. Frequent readers of this blog will know that Craig got some great photographs. Below is a photo of a young Fox Kit.

 And here Craig captured the mother Gray Fox nursing several of her young ones.

 And this Fox Kit decided to go for a different approach - nursing in comfort on its back!

Thanks to Craig for allowing me to share his photos here. To see more of Craig's Coast photographs, here's the link to his web site: http://ruffimage.com/

And to see several more photos of Fox Kits on this site, here are the links: http://www.mendonomasightings.com/2011/08/31/two-photos-of-gray-fox-kits-by-coastal-photographer-craig-tooley/

http://www.mendonomasightings.com/2011/06/02/gray-fox-kits-are-being-born-now-on-the-beautiful-mendonoma-coast/

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This is the first photo of an American Badger sent in to Mendonoma Sightings in the six plus years I've been doing the column, so you can see how rare it is to see an American Badger. This juvenile Badger had apparently fallen down a cliff and was unable to climb back up. Craig Tooley and Rita Peck, trained in wildlife rescue, were called after members of our ambulance service had seen it alongside Highway One in Sonoma County.

Craig said the little fellow - or gal, we don't know for sure - was VERY feisty. An man employed by the Park Service happened by and helped Craig and Rita get the Badger in a box. They climbed the steep cliff and let the Badger go in the grassy meadow - a successful wildlife rescue!

Below is a photo of a Badger mound that was seen on The Sea Ranch in 2007 and photographed by Dibby Tyler. The Badger was never seen.

To see more of Craig Tooley's wildlife photos, here's the link to his website: http://ruffimage.com/