|
|
|
|
|
top 25 items viewed per day
Week reset Sunday, Month reset the 1st, Year reset 1/1 |
|
(279 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.
|
|
(278 views)
I know they are wild animals with big teeth and claws but jeez, don't they look cuddly?!
|
|
(278 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.
|
|
(277 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.
|
|
(273 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.
|
|
(271 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.
|
|
(270 views)
King of the mountain and he knows it.
|
|
(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 . . . |
|
(269 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.
|
|
(269 views)
More of the endless variation of facial expressions you can always find in sea lions.
|
|
(268 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.
|
|
(268 views)
A shell was almost the size of the otter's head, but was no match for its appetite.
|
|
(268 views)
Two Macaws preening one another. A very intimate, gentle moment in a birds' life.
|
|
(268 views)
A very young sea lion was sleepily curious about his observers.
|
|
(268 views)
Sea Lions swam in and out of sunlight and shade beneath the wharf in Santa Cruz.
|
|
(268 views)
A very large male sea lion with a much smaller female.
|
|
(268 views)
Here is an older otter, recognized by the light colored fur on its face. It is grooming itself after eating. Otters must have one of the cutest faces in the animal kingdom
|
|
(268 views)
A female sea lion tried to appear very demure.
|
|
(268 views)
Portrait of a large male sea lion sleepily surveying his domain.
|
|
(267 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.
|
|
(267 views)
The otter balanced his "plate" on his stomach while enjoying that last little morsel.
|
|
(267 views)
This photo of a Brandt's Cormorant preening shows the decorative white plumes they acquire during the breeding season.
|
|
(267 views)
This is one otter trying to persuade another otter to share its meal. It wasn't very successful.
|
|
(267 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.
|
|
(267 views)
Here is another otter grooming or maybe he is thinking "oh, not another boatload of paparazzi!"
|
 |
| home • contact • topic guide • top 25 • photos • video • writing • blogs • upload • terms • privacy |