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top 25 items viewed per day
Week reset Sunday, Month reset the 1st, Year reset 1/1 |
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(276 views)
These two pelicans were one pair of dozens loitering around the marina, all waiting for a fishy opportunity. The one on the left was an immature bird which had not grown into its adult plumage.
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(275 views)
It was beautiful day in Santa Cruz and I had been photographing the sea lions when this pelican landed a few feet away on the pier railing.
If there was ever a compelling visual argument for birds being the modern descendants of dinosaurs, it's the pelican. I could easily imagine them flying just out of reach above the snapping jaws of some aquatic sea monster.
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(270 views)
Two Macaws preening one another. A very intimate, gentle moment in a birds' life.
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(267 views)
This is a close-up of the same Pelican I posted yesterday,
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(266 views)
The fisherman hadn't noticed that a pelican had just landed next to him on the pier.
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(266 views)
Here is a view of a pelican you don't usually see. A head on view of its enormous bill.
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(266 views)
A great egret at the edge of the bay looking for food. It is a very graceful bird whether walking or flying.
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(266 views)
For an unforgettable wildlife experience, I highly recommend the Elkhorn Slough Safari in Moss Landing. We saw over one hundred sea otters, almost eighty harbor seals and dozens of sea lions very up close and personal.
This photo shows a raft of about eighty sea otters. Raft is the official label for a bunch of otters hanging out together, looking like a raft.
In addition to sea mammals, I also photographed sixteen species of birds. The trip was two hours of wildlife bliss. There were a few . . . |
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(265 views)
This photo shows a sea lion swimming in the late afternoon sunlight beneath the wharf in Santa Cruz. Lovely light on a lovely animal.
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(265 views)
A flock of pelicans flying in typical formation with Anacapa island in the background.
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(265 views)
Prehistoric looking pelicans sun and preen in the winter sun.
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(265 views)
A large group of pelicans were perched on the fish processing equipment.
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(265 views)
The larger Great Egret was stalked by the smaller Snowy Egret.
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(265 views)
It surprises me that a big bird like a Pelican can fly so effortlessly.
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(265 views)
Pelican posed aboard an old fishing boat.
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(265 views)
The pelican glides effortlessly over the surface of the sea.
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(262 views)
I was able to get nice close-ups of the harbor seals because I used a telephoto lens. If the boat had come this close they would have been disturbed and swum away.
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(261 views)
Close up of a male sea lion. According to Wiki, "Zalophus californianus" means "Californian big-head" because a male grows a crest of bone on top of his head that causes a bulging forehead.
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(261 views)
Two Harbor Seal were of quite different fur colors but all the whiskers were blonde.
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(261 views)
The otter balanced his "plate" on his stomach while enjoying that last little morsel.
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(261 views)
The Harbor Seal was very curious about us as we motored past, but not curious enough to actually move.
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(261 views)
Bette Davis eyes? Bedroom eyes? Puppy dog eyes? They've got nothing on harbor seal eyes!
The little slit behind the eye is the ear which is an easy way to distinguish it from a sea lion with its little external ear.
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(261 views)
This group shot of harbor seals illustrates their cuteness and wide variations in colors.
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(261 views)
This is one otter trying to persuade another otter to share its meal. It wasn't very successful.
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(261 views)
This photo shows just part of a very large raft of otters we saw in the Elkhorn Slough. The older individuals had light faces, and such cute faces they were.
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