Purple Finch eating grass seeds

This finch I spotted on a fence near Fort Bragg, California. It was stretching out and doing all kinds of contortions to get to the very best grass seeds without actually leaving its perch!

Ducklings on the lake

A scattering of young ducks following their mother across Lake Mendocino near Ukiah California.

Black Phoebe

Black Phoebe perched on a fencepost near Lake Mendocino. These little birds are in the flycatcher family and often fly over fields and open water to snabble up small insects on the wing. They tend to be fairly unafraid of humans, and often nest underneath eaves.

Calypso Orchids

You'll probably never notice these beautiful wild orchids until they start to bloom - and maybe not even then. The plain green leaves are easily overlooked for most of the year, and they like to hide away in dark, undisturbed conifer forests. Around here, they particularly like growing in the shade beneath stands of Douglas Fir.

Purple Vetch

Purple vetch growing up a fence by the Ukiah Airport. These masses of bright blue-purple flowers are always accompanied by a steady hum of bees gathering the sweet nectar.

Yellow Scale Lichen

Xanthoria parietina goes by many common names, including Yellow Scale Lichen, Common Orange Lichen [which is a very creative name, clearly] and maritime sunburst lichen. It's widely distributed, and grows on rocks, trees, and walls. It prefers wood to rock, and when growing on rocks often depends upon bird droppings for nutrients. This piece fell off a tree with a bit of loose dead bark.

Milk Maids in bloom

Milk Maids are one of my favorite plants. They grow in shady forested areas, and have clusters of usually white, but sometimes pinkish or purple flowers. They are edible and very tasty - a fresh green and slightly peppery flavor, similar to arugula. Sparrows like them too, sometimes the leaves will be nibbled a bit ragged around the edges.

Male Ruddy Duck

A male ruddy duck shows off its bright blue beak after a dive in a pond near Ukiah, California.

Trillium Flowers

Trilliums - so called for the three petals and three leaves - love to grow in shady areas along streams. The Californian varieties smell quite sweet, unlike [I am told] some of the East Coast species, which probably attract flies and vultures.

They are so pretty that many people want to pick them. Unfortunately, picking parts off a trillium can kill the plant, even if the roots are left undisturbed. So enjoy their beauty outdoors, and let them live.

Song Sparrow

The plainness of this little bird's plumage belies the beautiful sound of its voice. The name 'song sparrow' is aptly given!

Red-Wing Blackbirds

This male red-wing blackbird was calling out at the edge of a pond, trying to attract a mate.

Killdeer nesting in the rocks

Killdeer are shorebirds often found around the edges of lakes and rivers. When they lay eggs, they simply make a hollow in the rocks as their nest, and rely on camouflage for protection. If a predator [or a photographer] gets too close, the birds will try to lead the intruder away from their eggs.

Baby hummingbirds

A delicate hummingbird's nest made from lichens in a rhododendron bush near the town of Mendocino. The entire nest is only a little bigger than a quarter dollar, with two chicks inside.

Fawn Lilies Blooming

Fawn Lilies - so called because of the delicate spots on their leaves, like a fawn's fur - are a beautiful and delicate native lily. They bloom in abundance throughout the spring, in forests, along streams, and in chaparral hillsides. The flowers are pale yellow and six-petaled.

Male Anna's Hummingbird

This male Anna's hummingbird was buzzing around the flowers at Mendocino College Ukiah Campus, and was kind enough to sit still a moment for a photo. The males are distinguishable from the females by their bright red necks.

Cloud Iridescence

These spectacular rainbow-colored clouds may look like someone took a paintbrush to the photograph, but they're actually a natural phenomenon known as 'cloud iridescence' caused by sunlight reflecting off water droplets in very high clouds. These ones were spotted over Ukiah, California.

Can you spot it?

I was walking in the woods on day and I happened to glance over between a couple of trees, and saw that somebody was watching me. This young bobcat was napping in a patch of sun, relying on its camouflage to keep it hidden, and it nearly worked.

Sharp-Shinned Hawk

This sharp-shinned hawk was hanging out near Lame Mendocino when it caught a small cedar waxwing and flew up into the top of a nearby pine tree to enjoy its breakfast.

Garter Snake

Garter snakes are a common and harmless reptile, identifiable by the yellowish stripes that run lengthwise from neck to tail. They can often be found in gardens, near streams, or in brushy areas. They eat insects, slugs, worms, and even fish.

Wolf Lichen

Yellow Letharia Vulpina, or Wolf Lichen, on a fence post. The name comes from the old tradition of using it for poisoning wolves due to its high toxin content. Nevertheless, many native american tribes used it medicinally.

California Bay Laurel

Bay trees form tiny clusters of yellow flowers at the ends of their branches in the spring. They may not look very impressive, but they have a wonderful perfume that permeates the woodlands when they're in bloom.

Lace Lichen

You can probably guess why this lichen is called Lace Lichen! It looks a lot like Old Man's Beard at first glance, until you look closely at it. It tends to grow on oaks in foothills and valleys.

Fern fronds

When young fern leaves are just coming up, they form these beautiful spirals that slowly uncurl into the leaf. This one I found on Shakoda Trail beside Lake Mendocino.

Opossum

Possum in a pyracantha bush

Possums, or opossums, are the only marsupial still remaining in the United States. They generally come out at night, and frequently raid pet food containers in yards. When the young are very small, they ride around in the mother's pouch. Once they're bigger, they sometimes ride on her back, clinging to her fur.

Bluebird

Bluebirds are commonly found in meadows and pasture lands, and grassy oak woodlands. They like to nest in tree cavities, and can be recognized by their bright blue color and the rusty red of their chest feathers. The females are more of a dusty blue-gray and the males are a bright electric blue [like the one above].

Ladybug on the Hunt

Lady bugs have bright vivid colors to warn away predators - it's a message of "I taste horrible!" - and it's true, they do. Sometimes they'll get crushed during the harvest of grapes for wine, and the taste can ruin huge batches of juice.

They prey on garden pests like aphids, and so are very good to have around if you're trying to grow anything!

Red-wing blackbird in cattails

Red-wing blackbird doing its mating display at the edge of the Lower Pond on Mill Creek, near Talmage. A bit later in the year they'll build round nests hidden deep in the cattails to raise their young.

Red-Shouldered Hawk

Red-shouldered hawk enjoying a break from the rain in a lichen-covered oak tree at Low Gap park, Ukiah California.

Great Blue Heron, Mill Creek Park

Great Blue Heron photographed at Mill Creek Park near Talmage California. Easily recognizable due to their enormous size and spectacular plumage, but they are quite shy, and will often either hide in the reeds or quietly fly away when you approach, so you have to be on the lookout to actually spot them.

Shooting Stars

This pretty purple wildflower is frequently found at the edges of meadows and sprinkled through chaparral areas.