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top 25 items viewed per day
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(271 views)
The larger Great Egret was stalked by the smaller Snowy Egret.
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(271 views)
Two Macaws preening one another. A very intimate, gentle moment in a birds' life.
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(270 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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(270 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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(270 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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(270 views)
I love the pattern of this seal's fur, but I would never entertain the idea of taking it away from her to use for myself.
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(270 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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(270 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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(269 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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(269 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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(269 views)
To our left as we exited the harbor and entered the slough, we saw an old pier covered with sea lions. We slowly motored past them. It was quite satisfying to be at their level and so close to them. I feel like I ended up with a family portrait instead of a wildlife photo.
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(269 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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(269 views)
This is a close-up of the same Pelican I posted yesterday,
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(269 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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(269 views)
A female sea lion tried to appear very demure.
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(269 views)
Harbor seals are close to the top of the cute list, right up there next to sea otters.
We saw close to eighty harbor seals that day, most of them lying on shore watching us watching them.
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(269 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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(269 views)
Prehistoric looking pelicans sun and preen in the winter sun.
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(268 views)
The Green-winged Macaw goes by many names: Greenwing Macaw, Red and Green Macaw and Green Wing Macaw. They are one of the largest and gentlest of all the Macaws.
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(268 views)
The pelican glides effortlessly over the surface of the sea.
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(268 views)
A very young sea lion was sleepily curious about his observers.
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(268 views)
This group shot of harbor seals illustrates their cuteness and wide variations in colors.
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(268 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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(268 views)
Here is a Western Grebe ready to dive for fish.
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(268 views)
A very large male sea lion with a much smaller female.
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