Tag Archives: Timber Cove

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The Pacific Ocean has been loud and mighty lately. Huge waves have crashed against sandy beaches and rocky cliffs. Janet Burch was out on the bluffs at The Sea Ranch when she saw this awesome sight.

Grace O'Malley photographed these waves called Rooster Tails off of Timber Cove.

And Bob Rutemoeller witnessed this roiled-up ocean off the Gualala Bluff Trail.

Shirley Mitchell photographed the action off of Gualala Point.

Such power and such beauty - we need to respect the Pacific Ocean and stay well back when she is flexing her awesome power.

Thanks to Janet, Grace, Bob and Shirley for allowing me to share their photos with you here.

Today it is raining - hooray! A half-inch so far but the bulk of the storm is due in a bit later.

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We usually see many Monarchs in the autumn here on the Mendonoma Coast. But sightings this year have been few and far between - not good news for these beautiful butterflies. However, Molly McKusick found this one at The Sea Ranch.

And Grace O'Malley photographed this one in Timber Cove.

I saw a large orange butterfly this morning from my house, but it was too far to confirm if it was a Monarch, but I'd like to believe it was!

Thanks to Molly and Grace for allowing me to share their photos with you here.

Another clear, dry day, with mild temperatures. Thank goodness we had those two storms before this high pressure system moved back in. Last night there was a green flash at sunset, and conditions for one tonight look very promising.

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Grace O’Malley in Timber Cove wrote, “The warm air last week brought out a kaleidoscope of butterflies, flitting and fluttering about in my flower beds. I was delighted to see a pair of Monarchs dating in flight, and then they landed together on a grassy bed, glued abdomen to abdomen. May she successfully locate the native milkweed to perpetuate life."I asked Monarch expert Mia Monroe about these butterflies mating in the autumn. She wrote, “Good to hear from you and with such good news. With this warm weather much is going on, like migration, and some seem frisky and mate. It’s not the best thing as it’s the wrong time of year. But that female can also make it through the winter and then in spring lay her eggs at the ‘right’ time.”

Interesting! Thanks to Grace for allowing me to share her photo with you here.

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Zak Rudy has been fortunate to observe a pair of Peregrine Falcons mate and nest near Timber Cove over the past several years. Zak has seen the male, who he says is waiting for his mate to arrive. The sun was shining brightly on the chest feathers of the world's fastest animal.

Here's another photo Zak took a week or so earlier when the skies were cloudy.

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

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Grace O'Malley spotted this Hummingbird Moth, Hyles lineata, in her garden near Timber Cove. In Grace's first photo you can see the very long tongue of this moth.

Grace wrote,“A Hummingbird Moth appeared in my garden, hovering around and sipping nectar from the Giant Impatiens.  The U.S. Forest Service advises ‘like most moths, they have a very long tongue which they carry rolled under their chins’ and unfurl to reach the nectar of the long-necked flowers they prefer."

These spectacular moths are most often seen around dusk. Thanks to Grace for allowing me to share her photos with you here.

The Mendonoma coast is free of smoke from the terrible fires. Many evacuees have come here and their stories are heartbreaking. Rain is in our forecast for next Wednesday. We hope it will come sooner than that and put out all the fires.