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(175 views)
The larger Great Egret was stalked by the smaller Snowy Egret.
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(171 views)
This Capybara needs a good brushing.
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(170 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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(170 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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(170 views)
Catching the afternoon sun, the master of the grasses rests in its domain.
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(169 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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(169 views)
A capybara peeking coyly from behind its giant palm frond.
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(169 views)
The otter balanced his "plate" on his stomach while enjoying that last little morsel.
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(169 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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(169 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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(168 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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(168 views)
Sea Lions swam in and out of sunlight and shade beneath the wharf in Santa Cruz.
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(168 views)
The fisherman hadn't noticed that a pelican had just landed next to him on the pier.
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(168 views)
The pelican glides effortlessly over the surface of the sea.
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(168 views)
A large group of pelicans were perched on the fish processing equipment.
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(168 views)
King of the mountain and he knows it.
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(168 views)
The King of the Jungle appeared regal that day.
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(168 views)
A shell was almost the size of the otter's head, but was no match for its appetite.
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(168 views)
This is one otter trying to persuade another otter to share its meal. It wasn't very successful.
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(168 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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(168 views)
This was the second killdeer nest I'd found. The first one was on gravel and this one on flowerbed mulch. Both times the nests were easily overlooked and the eggs hard to spot.
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(168 views)
This killdeer tried to lure me away from her nest and eggs fluttering her wings as if injured. Ironically, the only reason I knew her nest was nearby was because of the mother killdeer's behavior. She faked being hurt and then looked back to see if I was buying it.
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(168 views)
Prehistoric looking pelicans sun and preen in the winter sun.
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(168 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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(168 views)
Two Macaws preening one another. A very intimate, gentle moment in a birds' life.
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