Tag Archives: Steve Woolson

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Gualala Point Island is found off the far north end of The Sea Ranch. It is an important rookery for nesting seabirds. So it shouldn't be a surprise that the island gets a covering of white guano.

Steve Woolson took a photo of the island after the January storms, and he found it all washed clean.

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

There is a big, thick fog bank over the ocean today but it pulled back, showing me some of the Pacific Ocean. Then I noticed a black line on the calm ocean. An anomaly on the ocean means a feeding frenzy could be going on. And that was the case. Gulls and Brown Pelicans were diving in what I think was a huge group of Anchovies. At the front of the southward moving line, I saw spouts which could have been dolphins! Hopefully someone closer to the ocean was able to identify them.

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Many of us love to watch the sunset and see if there will be a green flash at the moment the sun disappears. Steve Woolson captured just that recently.

I've seen several green flashes this past week, and it always feels like a gift.

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

Sunny, mild weather but perhaps some wet stuff tomorrow, Saturday.

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Allen Vinson photographed an Osprey with its catch of the day, a fish! The Osprey looks very intent, don't  you agree?

Steve Woolson photographed an Osprey flying near Salal Creek on another sunny day. You can tell it was windy by the white caps on the ocean.

Ospreys usually stay on the Mendonoma Coast until the first of autumn. Then they leave, migrating far to our south. One or two have been known to stay here and overwinter, rather than migrate. We'll have to see if that happens this year.

Thanks to Allen and Steve for allowing me to share their photos with  you here.

Foggy coast-side, sunny when you move a bit inland, and quite mild. No smoke smell, but the sunlight has a red tinge to it, so some smoke particles are here.

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If you follow these blog posts or read my column in the Independent Coast Observer, you know that we have had a mated pair of Bald Eagles in Gualala for the past several years. We've been wishing and hoping they would have a chick and it looks like they did this year. Steve Woolson photographed the family near Salal Creek, which is very close to the Gualala River. The fledgling is eating a bird that one of the adults caught for him/her.

The fierce-looking mother is on the right. You can make out a few stray dark hairs on her head. A totally white head denotes a mature bald eagle. She was obviously mature enough this year to hatch an egg and nurture her chick. The father had been seen diligently fishing and then flying upriver with his catch. We believe the nest is in the watershed of the Gualala River.

So, how about this goo - no, great - news?! We need it, right? Thanks to Steve for allowing me to share his photo with you here.

We have no smoke from the wildfires here, as the wind is pushing it southward. In fact, if you didn't read or listen to the news, you'd never know anything was amiss if you were on the Mendonoma Coast! It's sunny and breezy today. Many Humpbacks were seen today too.