Michele Melio found this Echo Azure Butterfly drinking water out of the Wheatfield Fork of the Gualala River when she took a recent walk with her dad.
These are small butterflies, and a treat to see.
Thanks to Michele for allowing me to share her photo with you here.
No fog this morning, and temps were in the 60s. All of a sudden the temperature jumped, at it's 81 degrees this afternoon. Wow! Warm weather is moving in.
Peter Baye was exploring the Wheatfield Fork of the Gualala River when he came across a what he called "a massive aggregation of Western Toad tadpoles!"
That's a lot of tadpoles! Nice to see. Here is a photo of a newly hatched Western Toad at the Gualala River, taken a few years ago by Peggy Berryhill.
Amy Ruegg photographed a juvenile.
And here is one of my favorite all-time Sightings photos, taken by Holly McCarroll, of an adult Western Toad looking in the window at Starcross in Annapolis. Just what was this frog thinking? Too funny!
Thanks to Peter, Peggy, Amy and Holly for allowing me to share their photos with you here.
It's been quite foggy today, with some sun breaks this afternoon.
Peter Baye wrote, "“I have had in-channel flowing river sightings of Foothill Yellow-legged Frog egg masses, over 20 egg masses in one reach only a couple hundred feet long, and hatched larvae. The black tadpoles are as numerous as toads!"
"And Steelhead fry that definitely came from recent redds [nests.] Fly fisherman Charlie Ivor noted that the Steelhead are making their nests later than normal, adapting to the wintery spring flows.”
The Gualala River, designated a "scenic and wild river" by the State of California, is a wonder. The river has many challenges and many of us are involved in protecting it. You can learn more at Friends of Gualala River's website: http://gualalariver.org/
Thanks to Peter for allowing me to share his photos with you here.
Oh my, it's spectacular on the coast today. The wind died down and the temps are up. Low tide in the mornings have brought in sightings of beautiful Sea Stars, giving me more photos to share with you in the days to come.
Will Ericson has been exploring the Wheatfield fork of the Gualala River and some of its tributaries. He found these rare beauties, a colony of California Fawn Lilies, Erythronium californicum.
Will also found a stand of old-growth Redwood trees in his wanderings.
And while he was there, he startled a Spotted Owl from its roosting place, a thrilling sighting of this endangered little owl.
Thanks to Will for allowing me to shared his photos with you here!
Peter Cracknell wanted to see what the Wheatfield Fork of the Gualala River looked like from the Annapolis Road Bridge. Here's what he found.
John Sperry was out by Stump Beach, which is found at Salt Point State Park, and this is what he found - a seasonal waterfall and stormy seas.
Now we have a chance to dry out for a few days. After 28 inches in such a short time, we deserve a pause. Hello, sunshine!
Thanks to Peter and John for allowing me to share their photos with you here.