Back to Birds

These photos are all from Moss Landing at Jetty Road. It is one of my favorite places to visit because there are always so many different animals there. There are otters, harbor seals, sea lions, surfers, kites and harriers, shore birds and the list goes on! There is always a lot of action with the shore birds feeding at low tide. The following photos all have feeding birds in them, even if the prey isn't in their beak like the first photo.

First is a horned grebe (Podiceps auritus) with a small flat fish in its mouth.  

 

The second photo is a gull with a worm. 

 

The third photo has a lot going on. Before this photo the snowy egret and red breasted merganzer (in the background of this photo) were racing one another. They were going back and forth over about a 20 foot length. It was fun to watch, kinda like bird Nascar. Then this mean gull had to come and ruin all of the fun. He started chasing the egret and the merganzer wanted no part of it. Eventually the gull left and the egret and merganzer went back to racing. 

The last bird photo of the day is a tern (I am up in the air about species, either Forster's or common) searching for its next fish. They hover over the water then dive, very fun to watch.

 

Last I leave you with some of the male otters that rest in Moss Landing.