Tag Archives: Ron Bolander

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First, here's a look at one of my favorite birds, photographed by Ron Bolander earlier this year.

I had had two clutches of these small birds this year, and the second clutch fledged about two weeks ago. What I didn't know is the entire family comes back to the birdhouse and rests in there overnight, leaving just after dawn. Since the birdhouse is just outside our bedroom window, the sounds of their chirping wake me up. And then I get to see this magic happen! You'll want to count how many pop out.

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If you'd like to listen to these cute and vocal birds, here is a link to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Pygmy_Nuthatch/sounds

I just learned this from that site: "They survive cold nights by sheltering themselves in tree cavities, huddling together, and letting their body temperature drop into hypothermia. They and the unrelated Vaux's Swift are the only bird species in North America that combine those three energy-saving mechanisms." Wow! Tree cavities or a nesting box outside the window.

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

Foggy on the immediate coast, but warm a little ways inland. It's in the low 70's here in Anchor Bay today. Thank you, fog, for keeping us cool.

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Ron Bolander found a Western Bluebird couple. The male is the more brightly-colored bird on the left.

Here is a photo of the male. Yes, he's quite handsome!

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

It's a lovely day on the Mendonoma Coast. Fog is out over the ocean, but away from the bluff edge, it's sunny with gently breezes. It's in the 70's this afternoon.

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Ron Bolander wrote, "There was a Bald Eagle bathing on the north end of the gravel bar of the Gualala River. When it took off I got some photos and noticed the odd markings. The tail and the head are not completely white."

We think this eagle might be four years old. Five years is when a Bald Eagle is fully mature. Beautiful to see!

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

The fierce wind died down to gentle breezes and the temps came up. It's a beautiful day here on the Mendonoma Coast!

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Ron Bolander photographed this Canada Goose family last week. There is just one gosling but he/she is cute and photogenic.

The Mendonoma Coast isn't normally where Canada Geese breed, but occasionally we see them nest here. They have to contend with Bald Eagles, Peregrine Falcons and River Otters, to name a few predators. Tim Bray told me the adult geese are ferocious defenders of their chicks. The remaining chick, with his/her head tilted, seems to be looking at Ron, wondering just what the heck it was seeing!

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

It's sunny and breezy today, with some high clouds drifting by. It's quite lovely.

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Cliff Swallows have arrived and are busy building their nests of mud. You can see these beautiful swallows working hard at the north end of the Gualala Community Center building, along the entrance road to the post office. Cliff Swallows nest in colonies. Here is a photo Robert Scarolo took some years ago in a tunnel at The Sea Ranch.

Diane Hichwa further explains. She wrote, “Our Barn Swallows build individual nests [hidden from each other]. Tree Swallows build in cavities in trees or boxes, and may be harder to find! Violet-green Swallows use nesting boxes.” Our largest swallow, the Purple Martin, uses nesting cavities in trees that other birds have made, such as woodpeckers.

Here is the beautiful Violet-green Swallow photographed by Craig Tooley.

And there is one more swallow species that returns here in the spring. Ron Bolander wrote, “I was out photographing at Gualala Point with my  usual Saturday group of friends. We all photographed these Northern Rough-winged Swallows in this tree. It was nice to capture this image on a beautiful day in the park.” Diane tells me this type of swallow is found near a river, as they nest in the river’s banks.

All of these swallows leave our area in the late Summer or early Fall. They are insect eaters, eating over a hundred insects a day, each one of them. In the Winter there aren’t enough insects for them to survive here, so they fly to warmer climes to our south.

If you are lucky enough to have swallows build a nest under your eves or in a light fixture, as happened one year at Surf Super’s entrance doors, think of the benefits these swallows bring by keeping the insect population under control. If you are worried about the mess the baby birds make, you can take a cardboard box and cut the sides off, leaving an inch or so. Tack that up under the nest to catch the waste, and when the birds have fledged, take it down and dispose of it. Remember that migratory birds, and their nests, are protected by law.

Thanks to Robert, Craig and Ron for allowing me to share their photos with you here.