Nature and wildlife

Bill (Birdman) Gengler checks in with a photo: "The white pelicans have arrived again and are sharing the lake next to the Equestrian Center on Jackson Road with a few geese.  This is a once-a-year visit to Rancho Murieta during their travels to the ocean.  As you can see, they love to hang together even when they are fishing for food.  And of course you can see that their beaks can hold more than their belly can!  Have a wonderful Rancho Murieta Day." Read more » about What it feels like to be odd bird out

Spraying to combat West Nile virus will take place Wednesday evening in Rancho Murieta South, in the area of the drainage basin known as Lost Lake, bordered by Reynosa Drive and the South Course's 5th green.

The Sacramento-Yolo Mosquito & Vector Control District notified Security about the spraying Tuesday.  A Vector Control representative said spraying, with backpack foggers and hand sprayers, will take place at sunset, around 7:45 p.m.

The Vector Control's website offers information about combatting West Nile as well as tracking the incidence of infected mosquitoes and birds found through its coverage area. Read more » about RM will be sprayed Wednesday for West Nile

Kent Fowler offers his presentation on deer and Lyme disease at Tuesday's RMA meeting.

[News brief published Aug. 20] The Rancho Murieta Association addressed concerns about the deer population here by hosting a panel with representatives from state departments of Food and Agriculture, Public Health, and Fish and Wildlife at its meeting Tuesday. Read more » about Story: Proposal to kill four deer for testing

Here's one of the two bobcats spotted near the fourth green on the North Course.

Andy Feldman shares this photo of a young bobcat, taken near the fourth green of the North Course Monday evening.  Here's his story, as offered in an email Tuesday afternoon: Read more » about A close encounter with young bobcats

Neighbor Bill (Birdman) Gengler takes a pass on the birds today and offers squirrels. "No birds around -- but a cute bunch of squirrels who crawled out of their holes to pose for this picture on Murieta Parkway," he writes. "Better this picture than one of the many who are squashed on the road. Have a RM day." Read more » about Neighbors meeting on the street

Neighbor Bill Hawkins went out Sunday night and brought back a couple of shots of the "supermoon," as it's being called -- when the full moon coincides with the moon's closest approach to Earth. Sunday night's moon appeared 14 percent bigger and 30 percent brighter than when it's at its greatest distance from Earth. If you missed this one, don't fret. Another "supermoon," almost as good, will be seen on Sept. 8. Read more » about A 'supermoon' rises over Rancho Murieta

A mountain lion sighting was reported in the Lake Clementia area earlier this week, according to Security Chief Greg Remson. Patrol officers checked the area after a witness described seeing a mountain lion cub on the east side of Lake Clementia Monday evening about 7:30 p.m., but did not see the animal, Remson reported in an email.

Earlier this week, a cyclist emailed RanchoMurieta.com about seeing a cub while on a trail at Clementia near the water treatment plant. It’s not clear if it is the same incident. “I did not see mom, thankfully,” he wrote. “Not to cause alarm, but mother mountain lions are very protective of their cubs and people should be aware.”

The sighting report from Remson came with a reminder that Rancho Murieta is in mountain lion country. Read more » about Mountain lion spotted near Lake Clementia

A new photo contributor, Oscar Vasquez, shares this shot of the moonrise over Lake Calero the other night.  Oscar offers several more photos of Rancho Murieta's beauties, which you can click to see.  Thanks, Oscar, for sharing.  We all might give thanks for the beauty of the place we're lucky enough to call home. Read more » about The beauties of Rancho Murieta

Neighbor Dennis Berg captured this shot of a quail.

Look around. You'll see a lot of springtime in our gardens, as the sprouting grass and blooming flowers will attest.  And there's a lot of liveliness among Rancho Murieta's wildlife too, not to mention our talented photographers, who share a handful of springtime photos here.  (Thanks to Dennis Berg, Steve DeMello, Kirk Ericksen and Bill Gengler.) Read more » about Yes, it's spring -- just look at these photos