As always, I love getting to write about my local haunts. Spancky's is one such spot, & I cannot speak highly enough about it. It's a quaint little dive bar, but it's warm, friendly, & welcoming. It's also got some of the best bartenders in town!
#cotati #spanckys #foodsky #norcal #bayarea #sonoma
Clean up time with a little help from my friend #Squirrel #Birds #Nature #Sonoma #California
Whasup #sonoma ? Mob's in town and gettin' good & ready for Saturday April 18th @ Sonoma Speakeasy in downtown (on the square) Sonoma CA 8pm-11pm sonomaspeakeasy.com
If you love Bessie Smith and Billie Holiday and everything in between, this one's for you!
#jazz #blues #vocals #vintage #speakeasy
Blimp flew over Sonoma County. #Sonoma #Blimp #California. #GiftArticle. www.petalumanews.com/2026/04/08/huge-airship-...
📣 New Podcast! "EP. 13 | Sonoma County, CA: Wine Tasting, Redwoods, Wellness" on @Spreaker #californiawinetasting #sonoma #sonomavalley #winecountry #winetasting
A close-up, front-facing photo of a Dark-eyed Junco perched on a blue metal bar of a bird feeder. The bird features a striking charcoal-black head and chest "bib," a small pink beak, and a pale, buff-colored belly. In the foreground, a vibrant magenta feeder tray is piled with a mix of sunflower seeds, nuts, and dried fruit. The background is a soft-focus garden scene with lush green trees and a large shrub covered in bright magenta flowers.
Sharp little Dark-eyed Junco at the feeder this evening. Male probably. #Birds #Nature #Sonoma #California I feel like I put the wrong kind of food in this feeder last time. Big pieces.
Dark-eyed Junco from the Audubon Bird Guide www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/dark-ey...
Beautiful little guy this morning during a break in the rain. The color you see in the video isn't actually a pigment in the feathers. The feathers have microscopic structures that act like tiny prisms. #Birds Anna’s #Hummingbird #Nature #Sonoma #California
bit.ly/3Qfe7UT
Women's Sonoma Goods For Life® Everyday Short-Sleeve Crew Tee
#shortsleeve #woman #sonoma #life
Duck spa break just now 🧖🧖♀️. #Birds #Nature #Sonoma #California.
Undaunted little Anna’s #hummingbird out in the rain just now #Birds #Rain #Sonoma #Nature 
Raining like crazy in #Sonoma right now. ☔️ #California
Beautiful Red Fox video from Dannyboy Wildlife👇🏻 😍 #Nature
I see one around my house occasionally. This pic one is from a few years ago a young one just laid down in my driveway. #Sonoma
A wide-angle, slightly elevated photo taken on a grey, overcast day, captures a large flock of shorn sheep being herded down a wet, cracked asphalt street in a small town. The bottom and middle ground are filled by a dense, moving mass of dozens of sheep, predominantly beige and off-white. They flow in a compact group from the left towards the right, filling the entire width of the road. Multiple individual sheep are clearly marked with large splashes of bright, identification dyes—primarily blue, green, and red—on their shaggy fleeces. One sheep in the center-right foreground is prominent, looking towards the right with other sheep close around it. Beyond the herd, a diverse group of about 20 spectators stands behind a temporary wire mesh fence erected along the far sidewalk. The people are dressed in jackets and coats (including red, blue, brown, and grey), observing the spectacle. Several are holding up their smartphones to take pictures or video. Behind the spectators are typical town elements: on the left, commercial buildings with green awnings; in the center and right, residential houses with varying rooflines and several parked cars, including a white pickup truck and a white SUV. A large, leafy green tree dominates the background on the right, next to utility poles with overhead wires that crisscross the cloudy sky. A green street sign is visible near the tree. The overall feeling is that of a local community event.
An eye-level, wide-angle photograph captures a large flock of sheep moving across a dark, cracked asphalt street in a small town. The sheep, thick with beige wool and marked with small patches of colored spray paint (purple, blue, and green), fill the center and left side of the midground. They are densely packed, moving en masse from the right towards the left. A prominent, well-fleece sheep leads the way in the foreground, showing purple and blue markings on its back. Behind a low wire fence on the right side of the street, a diverse crowd of people in varied outdoor clothing stands and watches the flock. From left to right along the fence line, individuals wear jackets in yellow, orange, green, red, and blue. Several people are holding up smartphones to take photos of the unusual street crossing. Behind the spectators are parked cars and buildings, including a green-and-red structure under a large, leafy tree. Across the street on the left, more spectators stand behind a different fence, and commercial buildings with green awnings are visible. The foreground street pavement is wet-looking and cracked. The background features a mix of commercial and residential architecture, power lines, and trees under an overcast, grey-clouded sky. The overall scene conveys a community-focused, seasonal herding event.
Today in #Petaluma #Sonoma #California Transhumance Festival includes a live sheep drive down D Street. #Sheep #Nature #FireSafety The city uses them for grazing and fire safety.
Rainy day in #Sonoma, #California today but this hungry little squirrel provided some entertainment. He was on the deck for about 15 minutes, trying to figure out how to get to the bird feeder. This is his second attempt to jump to this one. #Fail #Nature
A natural daylight photograph captures two wild turkeys grazing in a dense field of tall, light green grass. In the foreground, positioned in the lower-left, is a striking turkey with a white body and head, adorned with sharp black barring and markings across its wings and tail feathers. It is angled downward, pecking at the ground. To its right and slightly further back, a second turkey with darker, typical wild grey-brown and black mottled plumage stands amongst the tall grass, facing right. The ground is covered in tall weeds and dried grasses.
Leucistic wild turkey yesterday. Glad to see this guy is still around. #Birds #Nature #Wildlife #Sonoma
#Sonoma #California #Weather this summer.
Another little visitor. Those teeny tiny little feet always amuse me #Birds #Nature #Sonoma #California #Hummingbird
Vineyards turning color in autumn, somewhere in No. California. #travel #photogrpahy #winecountry #sonoma
A detailed, full-body photograph of a male California Quail standing on a ground covered in dry wood chip mulch and patchy grass. The quail is in a profile view, facing left. It has a plump, blue-grey body with a distinctive white, teardrop-like speckled pattern on its flanks and chest. Its head features a striking black face and throat patch, bordered by a clear white line. A large, prominent, black comma-shaped plume (topknot) curves forward from its crown. Its tail is short and grey, pointing downwards, and its dark, small feet are planted on the textured mulch. The background consists of more mulch, with taller, sparse green and dry grasses. The scene is well-lit by soft, natural daylight.
A male California quail with a distinctive black face and curved head plume stands with a female and a small chick. They are foraging together on a ground of brown mulch and scattered green grass. The female and chick have mottled brown feathers that help them blend into the earthy background.
A close-up portrait of a single female California quail, facing forward while nestled in dense green grass. The image highlights her small head plume and the complex, beautiful patterns on her feathers, including bold white streaks on her wing and a detailed scalloped pattern on her neck and belly.
Saw a beautiful California Quail family this morning. A male, female, and a chick. #Birds #Nature #Sonoma #California From the Audubon Bird Guide - www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/califor...
📣 New Podcast! "EP. 13 | Sonoma County, CA: Wine Tasting, Redwoods, Wellness" on @Spreaker #bayarea #michelinrestaurant #northerncalifornia #russianriver #somomacounty #sonoma #sonomawinetasting #winetasting
A male Acorn Woodpecker with a black and white streaked breast, black back, white face with black around the eyes and beak, and a red cap. This male was looking over at another bird as he sat on a light brown trunk of a tree with patches of green lichen, and a round brown area where a branch had been cut off. There are green leaves and brown branches in the background. Seen at Ragle Ranch Regional Park in Sebastopol, California.
Today's #BirdOfTheDay theme is #Black&Red, birds with both black and red colors. Here's a male #AcornWoodpecker from my archives. Love these clown-faced birds! (Sebastopol, California - 2022) 🖤❤️🤡
#birds #woodpeckers #ECK #nature #birdphotography #Olympus #Sonoma #NorCal @robcrank68.bsky.social
A detailed close-up photograph of a White-crowned Sparrow, a small, grey-bodied bird, perched on a textured, dark woody branch with peeling bark. The sparrow is holding itself upright and looking slightly to the right with its small, dark eye, facing towards the viewer. The most distinctive feature is its head, which has striking, sharp black and white longitudinal stripes forming its crown and brow: a central white stripe, bordered by black, with a broader white stripe above the eye, all meeting at the back of the head. The rest of its face, neck, and breast are a clean, uniform light grey. It has a small, yellowish-orange conical bill. Its back and wings show a detailed pattern of brown, white, and grey feathers, with two prominent white wing bars on the folded wing. The bird's body is plump and grey, leading to a moderately long, brownish-grey tail. Its small, pinkish-brown legs are visible, gripping the branch with fine claws. The background is a soft, out-of-focus (bokeh) collection of natural garden elements, including various green leaves of different shades, a large dark tree trunk on the right, and other blurred branches, creating a natural and tranquil setting. In the lower-left foreground, there are some blurry green leaves and a small cluster of indistinct yellowish-green buds. The lighting is natural, diffused daylight, evenly illuminating the bird's feathers. The focus is sharp on the bird, particularly its head and body, making it stand out from the background.
A pair of mallard ducks stands side-by-side on a light-grey stone paver path. The female duck on the left is entirely covered in mottled brown and beige plumage, with an orange bill and feet, and faces left. The male duck on the right has an iridescent green head, a white neck ring, a chestnut chest, grey wings, and a pale yellow bill. Both have bright orange webbed feet. Behind them is a weathered light-wood picket fence with green bushes and darker rocks blurred in the distance under natural daylight.
Got a nice pic of a White-crowned Sparrow today, and tried to make friends with these Mallard ducks. They let me get close without flying away so it seems like they trust me a little more now. Maybe I’ll try wading into the pool like Tony Soprano someday. Nope. 🥶 #Birds #Nature #Sonoma #CanonR7
A detailed, head-on photograph captures a small hummingbird perched on the bright red plastic surface of a nectar feeder. The bird is centered and viewed directly from the front. Its most striking feature is its entire head, cap, and gorget (throat) which are covered in dense, velvety, brilliant magenta-pink feathers, forming a vibrant hood. Below this, its body is a mix of muted, scaly-textured olive-green and grey-brown feathers. Its long, slender, black beak extends to the left of the frame. One dark, round eye with a small light catch is visible on the right side of its head, looking towards the viewer. The bird's tiny black feet are gripping the textured edge of the feeder. The feeder itself is made of bright, glossy red plastic with embossed patterns and lines. In the out-of-focus background, the exterior of a stucco and dark-wood-trimmed house is visible, along with a wall lantern, a canvas-covered object, a white structure, a large evergreen tree, and foliage. The lighting is diffused, casting soft details.
A little bird told me tomorrow will be a better day. Just finished cleaning my hummingbird feeder and immediately got a visitor. #Birds #Nature Anna’s #Hummingbird #Sonoma.
https://merlinbirds.org/species/annhum
A detailed photograph of a natural marshland pond scene, viewed from a slightly elevated angle. The lower half of the image features calm, olive-green water. In the bottom-left, a small, grey and black gadwall-like dabbling duck is swimming across the water, its motion creating several concentric ripple rings that spread outwards. On the right, standing on the water's edge along the muddy and gravelly bank, is a single, large white Mute Swan. The swan is mostly facing right but its long neck is curved back to look over its own body and slightly down. Its bright orange and red beak is visible, and its sharp reflection is clearly rendered in the water directly to its left. The background is a dense, wild marsh bank with a variety of grasses, scrub, and herbaceous plants in mixed shades of green, gold, and dry brown under natural daylight. The image is evenly lit.
Mute Swan and a female American Widgeon (i think) at Shollenberger Park in Petaluma today. #Birds #Nature #Sonoma #iPhone
Occidental Wines SWK Vineyard Pinot Noir 2014, Sonoma Coast, California Dark ruby in color with a wide reddish rim. Beautiful nose of red and black fruits with light wood, black tea, spices, light licorice, chocolates, herbs and tobacco leaf. Medium plus in body with medium acidity. Dry on the palate with black currants, plums, cooked cherries, chocolates, tobacco, light cedar, herbs, licorice, light earth and black pepper. Long finish with soft tannins and tangy cherries. This is a delicious Pinot Noir from Sonoma Coast. Rich and fruit forward. Elegant and complex. Nicely balanced and easy drinking, with a nice mouthfeel. This 12-year-old Pinot Noir is drinking beautifully now, and drinking at its peak. Will continue to drink nicely in the next few years. Wine Advocate 95 points. Drinking beautifully by itself with a light chill. 100% Pinot Noir grapes were aged in (30% new) French Oak barrels for 12 months. Unfiltered and unfined. 14.1% alcohol by volume. 92 points. $120.
Occidental Wines SWK Vineyard Pinot Noir 2014, Sonoma Coast, California
www.instagram.com/p/DWuBgLxlXU...
#pinot #pinotnoir #vinRouge #topwine #sonoma #winesky #winewriter #odedi #winereview #redwine #goodwine #ilovewine #wine
A vibrant photograph of a brilliant orange-and-black bird, likely an adult male Hooded Oriole or similar species, perched on a branch against a solid, clear, light blue sky. The bird is in the center-left of the frame, facing slightly left with its entire body and long tail visible. Its brilliant, fiery orange plumage covers its breast, neck, and head, while its back, tail, and wings are black. A small patch of black feathers surrounds its eye and bill, creating a 'masked' look. The folded wing shows a striking white wing bar and feather edgings. The bird is perched firmly on a branch of a juniper or similar coniferous tree with dense, intricate, scale-like green foliage, which fills the right side of the frame. Bright sunlight from the right side of the frame illuminates the scene, making the bird’s colors pop against the blue sky and textured green tree.
A sharp, close-up photograph of an adult Acorn Woodpecker (Melanerpes formicivorus), perched on a weathered, light-grey, diagonal branch against a clear, solid light blue sky. The bird is angled diagonally, with its head sharply tilted down. Its gaze is fixed intently on a specific spot on the branch. The most striking features are the brilliant, scarlet-red cap (crown) and the distinct black-and-white facial markings. It has a white patch on its cheek and neck, a black line through the eye, and a black "bib" below its chin. Its long, pointed, dark beak is positioned directly above a small crevice or indentation in the textured wood, and it appears to be actively probing it, likely foraging for an acorn or an insect larva. The woodpecker's back, wings, and much of its neck are deep black. Its chest and belly have a complex, streaked, and mottled pattern of white and black feathers, with a prominent white patch visible on its rump and flank. The bird's dark, clawed feet are gripping the peeling bark of the branch, which angles from the lower-right towards the upper-left. The focus is exceptionally sharp on the bird's head and feathers and the texture of the branch. The entire background is a uniform, clear, light blue sky, making the vivid red and the contrast of the black and white plumage stand out sharply. A few other, out-of-focus dry twigs are visible in the lower-left and right foreground, but they do not obstruct the main subject. The lighting is bright and direct.
This is a vibrant, detailed wildlife photograph of an adult Acorn Woodpecker (Melanerpes formicivorus) in profile, silhouetted against a clear, vast light-blue sky. The woodpecker is perched lengthwise along a weathered, pale grey-brown dead tree branch that runs diagonally across the frame. The most striking aspect is the bird's posture; it is not facing forward, but rather its head is sharply tilted up and slightly backward, with its long, dark, pointed beak pointing directly vertically towards the top-right corner of the frame, as if it is gazing intently at something high above. This pose showcases the underside of its beak and throat. The bird's dark, almost glossy black body, particularly its back, is set against the blue sky. Its most distinct and identifying facial markings are highly visible: a creamy-white patch on its throat and neck, a stark white patch on its cheek, and a black face with a clear, dark eye ring surrounding a bright, dark eye. A dark black patch is on its crown (forehead). The dark plumage on its back and wings is not a solid color, but displays a complex, intricate pattern of white feather edges and small spots, which is especially visible on the wing feathers. Its white undertail is also partially visible where the bird’s body meets the branch. The branch it perches on has a rough, weathered, and peeled texture, with other thinner, out-of-focus dry twigs around it. The entire scene is bathed in bright daylight, casting defined, sharp shadows that highlight the textures of the feathers, wood, and the clear distinction between the bird and the sky. The woodpecker’s dark feet are visible, gripping the wood securely. The focus is very sharp on the bird.
A detailed, close-up wildlife photograph shows a Cedar Waxwing perched in the center-right of a dense network of thin, golden-brown deciduous tree branches, all set against a clear, pale blue sky. The bird has a distinct, smooth, silky brown (fawn) plumage covering its head and body. Its head features a prominent, pointed crest and a striking, narrow black mask that runs through the eye, complemented by a black throat patch. The light of the low, directional sun casts a warm glow over its soft-textured feathers. It has pale underparts transitioning from brown to cream-colored on the belly. The key identifier, a neat band of bright yellow, is clearly visible at the very tip of its dark tail feathers. The bird is angled slightly towards the left and upwards, with its beak slightly agape. Numerous smooth-barked branches, covered in small, newly formed green buds and catkins, crisscross the entire frame, creating a depth-of-field effect with foreground and background twigs and branches surrounding the sharply focused bird. The overall atmosphere is warm and natural.
Took a walk today and got a few good photos. Enjoy 😊 #Birds #Nature #Sonoma #California #BirdPhotography. Bullock’s Oriole, Two pics of an Acorn Woodpecker, and a Cedar Waxwing #Canon R5ii RF 200–800mm lens. Alt text generated by AI
A storm passes across the vineyard. As I traveled into Sonoma, the weather was cold and the mountains were covered with snow. In anticipation of spring and the "bud break" when they green up, vineyards were barren!
Storm blows in over vineyard. There was snow on the mountains and a chill in the air as I drove around Sonoma. Vineyards were bare awaiting spring and the "bud break" when they green up! #sonoma #vineyards #photography
A close-up photograph of a small hummingbird perched attentively on the tip of a thin, textured dry yucca or agave stalk, against a clear, light-blue sky. The bird is positioned centrally and looking directly forward and slightly upward. The most striking feature is the brilliant, iridescent plumage on the top of its head and throat (gorget), which glows with a vivid, scaled magenta-purple hue, catching the warm light. The bird is upright, with its long, dark, slender bill pointing sharply upwards towards the sky. The feathers on its breast are soft and mottled with grey-green and grey-white tones, and the rest of its body is a darker brownish-green. The hummingbird’s tail feathers, visible below its body and pointing down along the line of the stalk, have a distinct warm, copper-orange cast. Its small claws are visible, gripping the rugged tip of the dry stalk. The composition is clean, with the detailed bird and its perch sharply defined against the seamless sky. The warm sunlight suggests late afternoon.
A close-up photograph captures a Red Admiral butterfly (Vanessa atalanta) with its wings fully spread, resting flat against the textured grey-brown bark of a tree trunk. The butterfly is oriented horizontally, with its dark, fuzzy body and two long, thin, club-tipped antennae extending towards the right side of the frame. The upper surface of its scalloped wings is a rich, dark velvety brown, featuring a striking, curved band of bright orange that sweeps across the center of each forewing, almost forming a complete circle across both sides. The apex (outer tip) of the forewings is black, marked with several distinct white spots and a checkered pattern of black and white along the extreme edge. The hindwings, the lower pair, are also dark brown with orange on the outer edges and a similar checkered patterned border. Natural daylight illuminates the butterfly and the tree trunk, casting a soft, defined shadow of the butterfly's wings onto the bark beneath it. The background is a soft, deeply blurred tapestry of dark green leaves and out-of-focus branches, creating a natural bokeh that emphasizes the detailed patterns of the butterfly. Small patches of green and yellow lichen can be seen on the bark around the insect.
A detailed, eye-level photograph taken in bright, natural daylight of two mourning doves perched tightly together on a modern, teal-colored smart camera bird feeder. The feeder is mounted on the wall of a building right next to a white-trimmed window, showing reflections of green foliage in the glass. Details 1. The Birds: Two mourning doves are the central focus, positioned on the feeder’s perch. • Dove on the left: This bird has its back to the viewer, with its prominent, long, pointed tail extending far out over the left edge of the perch tray. Its buff and grayish-tan plumage is visible. Its head is tucked slightly downward and toward the other dove. • Dove on the right: Facing slightly right but with its head turned back, this bird is actively interacting with the other dove or feeding near a small, bright red feeding strip. Its profile shows characteristic soft facial features and distinctive black spots on its upper wing feathers. The doves are touching, crowded together closely on the small wire mesh perch. 2. The Bird Feeder: The feeder is a modern, high-tech device, predominantly teal-blue plastic with cream-colored accents. • Main Body: It has a substantial central rectangular column where a small, visible black camera lens is centered, pointing directly at the area where the birds are perched. • Roof: A prominent, deep teal angled roof with a texture that suggests an integrated solar panel overhangs the central unit, providing shade. • Perch: The birds rest on a dark wire grid perch tray attached to the bottom of the main unit. This tray also holds a rectangular red plastic feeding strip. • Bottom Elements: Metal hooks hang below the tray. Three black cords with plastic toggle clasps are seen hanging from these hooks at the bottom edge of the frame. 3. The Setting: The feeder is securely mounted by a white metal bracket to the edge of a house. • Window: A vertical white-framed window with two glass panes is directly behind and to the right of the feeder. The glass is somewhat dusty and shows reflections of green trees outside. • Wall: To the far left, a textured vertical wall surface with some reddish-brown wood trim is visible. • Lighting: The scene is lit by harsh, direct sunlight from the left, casting a sharp shadow of the feeder's roof onto the top of the main central unit and highlighting the feather details on the doves. The background reflection of foliage is slightly blurry.
A close-up, upward-angled photograph capturing a small, streaky brown bird perched securely on a looping, weathered branch against an expansive, clear blue sky. The Bird: The main subject is a small bird, likely a female or immature male House Finch, with a heavily streaked plumage pattern. Its body is primarily a mottled mix of light buff, warm brown, and white, with prominent, dark brown longitudinal streaks across its breast, sides, and back. The streaking is densest on the breast, giving it a textured appearance. The bird is positioned near the center of the frame, perched with both feet gripping the branch. It is looking upwards and slightly to the right, its small, dark eye and a slender, brownish beak pointed towards the upper sky. We view its profile from a slightly low angle, showing the full extension of its neck and head. The Perch: The bird is gripping a gnarled, grey-brown twig that has a unique, almost complete loop shape, similar to a capital 'C' facing upwards. The bird is perched directly on the apex of this loop. The twig is bare, textured, and weathered, standing in sharp contrast to the sky. Its claws are visible, wrapped tightly around the twig. The Background and Surroundings: The background is a vast, solid expanse of uniform, clear blue sky, filling the entire upper portion of the frame. This provides a clean backdrop that highlights the bird and the branch. Below the main looping perch, the branch complex continues with more fine twigs and a cluster of green, pointed leaves. Just beneath the perch are several small, round, clustered green fruit-like pods or developing buds. In the far lower-left corner of the frame, there is a prominent, softly-focused blur of deep red, suggesting a large, distant blossom or fruit. The overall lighting is direct and bright sunlight, casting sharp details on the bird's feathers and the twig texture.
Had a chance to do a little birding and go through some photos from the past few weeks today. A little chilly still but great to be outside #Birds #Nature #Sonoma #California
