Tag Archives: Scott Mercer

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A week ago Thursday, eagle eyes at the Point Arena Lighthouse spotted a pod of Orcas. Sara Bogard and Scott & Tree Mercer were notified. Luckily they were out on the bluffs already, and Sara had her long lens camera. Sara wrote, “Scott, Tree, and I were blessed with this amazing sighting of eight Orcas a half-mile out on January 23, 2:30 to 4 pm. There were two males, and a mother and calf with the pod. This was the most amazing sighting after finishing up my Harbor Seal survey of 111 total count. Also, a North American River Otter was foraging. I’m so grateful for this sighting.”

The Mercers were excited too. Scott wrote, “The excitement this week arrived on Thursday afternoon with the surprise arrival of eight Killer Whales arriving from the northwest. OrcaNetwork in Washington, Orca experts Alisa Janiger and Nancy Black, and Jodi Smith of Naked Whale Research were notified immediately and were sent photos. Janiger and Black quickly identified the Orcas as meat-eating transient Orcas. We see Orcas on average, once a year, and rarely close, so this relatively close sighting was very exciting. Sara Bogard’s excellent photos made identification possible.”

This second photo is of one of the males. Note the very tall dorsal fin. The Orca experts were able to identify several of the females, CA26 and CA180. Nancy Black wrote, “CA26 is one of our oldest females. She lost her son many years ago so she now often travels with the other older females. [They are called] ‘the golden girls.’”

You can read about these golden girls at this link: https://ftw.usatoday.com/2019/09/orcas-golden-girls-grab-spotlight-monterey

Thanks to Sara for allowing me to share her photos with you here.

A spring-like day, full of sun and warmth, today.

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Scott and Tree Mercer, of the Mendonoma Whale and Seal Study, sit out on the bluffs near the Point Arena Lighthouse most days, looking for Gray Whales and other marine life. The beginning of the southward bound Gray Whale migration was late this year, which caused concern. But yesterday, and again today, Gray Whales are passing by in big numbers. Yesterday the Mercers spotted 63 Grays Whales, and today by 2:00 p.m. they have seen 42. Here's an aerial photo of three migrating Gray Whales taken by Craig Tooley several years ago.

Here's a panoramic view of the Point Arena-Stornetta Lands taken by Peggy Berryhill. It's a great place to whale watch!

Thanks to Craig and Peggy 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

You can follow the Mercer's daily posts on their Facebook page, which is: https://www.facebook.com/Mendonoma-Whale-and-Seal-Study-1421926098039236/

Quite cloudy today, temps in the low 50s. Rain coming late tomorrow.

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A lone bull Roosevelt Elk has been hanging out with domestic cattle near the town of Elk for several years. Ron Bolander photographed the big fellow resting in a meadow.

Scott Mercer found him nearer to the town of Irish Beach recently.

We hope a female or two will find their way to him as the domestic cattle herd doesn't qualify for his harem!

Thanks to Ron and Scott for allowing me to share their photos with you here.

Rain overnight, brilliantly sunny today - kind of sounds like Camelot, doesn't it?

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Amy Ruegg photographed a recent sunset at Pebble Beach, on The Sea Ranch.

Amy also found Oyster mushrooms.

And Scott Mercer found a King Bolete, boletus edulis, in his yard.

I heard that Catherine Miller found her first King Bolete this morning, along with the first Yellow Chanterelle. A combination of some rain (.14 inches at our place early Friday morning, and some heavy fog earlier in the week, seem to have prompted the first bloom of choice, edible mushrooms. Hooray!

Thanks to Amy and Scott for allowing me to share their photos with you here.

The ground is damp, the sun is out and the temps this afternoon are in the high sixties. Perfect!

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Eric Zetterholm photographed this Gray Whale very close to the surf break at the sandbar by the Gualala River. Two beach walkers had an up-close-and-personal experience that day!

Here's a second look.

Whale expert, Scott Mercer, says this is a subadult Gray Whale. We have a small group of young Gray Whales that did not migrate, and we are know seeing them 12 months of the year.

Yesterday, Scott and Tree Mercer saw two Blue Whales, and I may have seen those Blues later in the afternoon. I saw a super tall spout quite a ways out, and the spout lingered. Sounds like a Blue Whale to me. Closer in there was a pod of at least four whales, perhaps Humpbacks. Lots of wonderful whale sightings lately.

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

Breeze picked up today, making whale spouts almost impossible to see! Warmer weather ahead.