Rozann Grunig has the magic - Bobcat magic! She had this beauty saunter across the front of her property and turn around and look back at her, as if posing. Rozann got several great photos. I thank her for sharing this one with us here.
Bobcats have great hearing and vision and a good sense of smell. They usually avoid water but will swim if they have to. Climbing is where they excel. The gray in Rozann's photo is a road on The Sea Ranch!
Gorilla Rock is found on The Sea Ranch near the White Barn. Rozann Grunig recently photographed this unique stone structure with a Gull sitting on top. I thank her for allowing me to share her fun photo with you here.
I sincerely hope nobody is out trying to abalone dive today on the first day of the season. Huge swells and high winds make the ocean very treacherous. Local diver Eric Anderson already proclaimed today unsafe. No abalone is worth a life. Check out Eric's web site if you need an abalone fix today: https://sites.google.com/site/abaloneten/ It's the best web site for all things abalone.
It was nice to hear the rain overnight. It was enough to freshen our creeks and rivers. Today storm clouds fill the sky, bringing brief downpours. Rozann Grunig photographed a similar day and has kindly allowed me to share it with you here.
One more storm for tomorrow and then the weekend looks dry. If you are thinking of visiting the Mendonoma Coast, this weekend could be ideal. Gray Whales were seen headed north before the storm closed the viewing window. The earliest wildflowers are blooming. I saw the first Bracken Ferns. They appeared as if by magic this morning. You can feel the thrum of life!
A lone Gray Whale was headed north when Allen Vinson photographed him recently. I'm assuming it's a male because he was traveling alone. You can see the whale was quite close to shore.
And here's what we often see, the back of the whale slicing through the water with the spout trailing off behind.
To see a photo of the distinctive tail of a Gray Whale, here's a link to Rozann Grunig's photo: http://www.mendonomasightings.com/2011/11/26/thanksgiving-day-brought-sightings-of-gray-whales/
Thanks to Allen for allowing me to share his photos with you here.
On Thursday Gray Whales were seen off the Mendonoma Coast. A few were seen headed north, but most were headed south. It is the time of the southward migration, when the mother whales head down to Mexico's Baja California to give birth in protected lagoons.
Here is a picture of a Gray Whale's tail taken by Rozann Grunig near the Point Arena Lighthouse. Noting the shape of the tail can tell you what kind of whale you are seeing.
Fun fact: The Gray Whales have the longest migration than any other migratory mammal on Earth. They travel 5000 to 6000 miles, twice a year!
Here's a fun web site to learn more about these magnificent creatures:
http://www.learner.org/jnorth/tm/gwhale/AnnualFall.html
Thanks to Rozann for allowing me to share her photo here with you.