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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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(510 views)
Prehistoric looking pelicans sun and preen in the winter sun.
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(509 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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(509 views)
A flock of pelicans flying in typical formation with Anacapa island in the background.
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(508 views)
This is a close-up of the same Pelican I posted yesterday,
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(508 views)
The pelican glides effortlessly over the surface of the sea.
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(507 views)
A large group of pelicans were perched on the fish processing equipment.
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(507 views)
It surprises me that a big bird like a Pelican can fly so effortlessly.
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(507 views)
Two Macaws preening one another. A very intimate, gentle moment in a birds' life.
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(506 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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(505 views)
Pelican posed aboard an old fishing boat.
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(505 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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(498 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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(498 views)
The larger Great Egret was stalked by the smaller Snowy Egret.
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(495 views)
The fisherman hadn't noticed that a pelican had just landed next to him on the pier.
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(495 views)
A female avocet sits on her eggs. When the tide comes in this nest will barely be above the water.
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(493 views)
The Spectacled Bear is the only bear that comes from South America. I hope this unique and beautiful endangered bear survives.
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(491 views)
A lone individual popped up out of the water after a dive for food. We suspected he has a clam grasped in his paws. Otters love shellfish.
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(491 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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(490 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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(490 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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(490 views)
Here is another otter grooming or maybe he is thinking "oh, not another boatload of paparazzi!"
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(490 views)
Sea Otters appeared to spend a great deal of their time grooming themselves. They use their bodies as tables, so have to keep food scraps washed off. While they clean, they also push and sometimes blow air bubbles into their fur. The extra air trapped in their fur contributes to their buoyancy and increases insulation.
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(490 views)
This is one otter trying to persuade another otter to share its meal. It wasn't very successful.
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(489 views)
Catching the afternoon sun, the master of the grasses rests in its domain.
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(489 views)
An adult night heron in full breeding plumage showing off its pink legs which are yellow the rest of the year.
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