Northern California, Part 4

This is the end of my January trip to California…heading south on Highway 1 from the Mendocino area in the late afternoon.

I think the above photo was around Bodega Bay and then we headed inland. It was a perfect trip! Sad to think how the world has changed so much since then…

Northern California, Part 3

Point Cabrillo Light Station was maybe my favorite part of my short 3 days in Northern California. It’s a special and beautiful place. It began operation in 1909.

The view from the light station:

Squirrels enjoying the ocean view:

We saw many Colombian Black-tailed Deer, common to the coast; guess how they got that name?

We did not see any mountain lions although there were warning signs. I never see them in Arizona either. Maybe I’m just not lucky or maybe I am. I did see a Northern Harrier but I have yet to get a decent photo of one; they’re fast, surveying fields for tasty rodents. Once again, I should have had my birding lens:

What would be really fun would be to rent the Lighthouse Keeper’s House, the Assistant Lighthouse Keeper’s House, or one of the 2 little cottages. You can find information about doing this and see more photos on their website.

It would be so exciting/eerie to have the light washing over you at night while hearing the roar of the ocean so close.

All of that seems so long ago and far away with the “new normal” we are all experiencing. Stay safe.

Northern California, Part 2

My friend and I had a great time at MacKerricher State Park, north of Fort Bragg in Mendocino County. Although it had rained the day before, it was beautiful on this day.

Brewer’s Blackbirds

Black Oysercatchers (exciting lifers)

There was Cypress everywhere:

And Harbor Seals sunning themselves all over:

I did not have my birding lens with me so could not get good closeups of the seals but you can see a couple cute faces and whiskers by enlarging these photos, awwww:

More spectacular beauty…lovely memories…before we were all self-quarantining…

Northern California, Part 1

*You can see this panorama larger here.*

In January, I was in California for 4 days, meeting up with an old friend. I had never been that far north in California and was stunned by the extreme beauty, so different than what I have seen in other parts of California. Here are just a few photos from Fort Bragg with more posts to come.