A pinniped, a hummingbird and a sunset.

Today there is a bit of a mish mash of photos. The first is from the Monterey Coast Guard Jetty (also known as the Breakwater). This is an adult male California sea lion playing in the water right next to the jetty. 

 

The second photo is from Big Sur of a male Anna's hummingbird. I know I post a lot of these guys, but they are my favorite animal and I just can't resist taking photos of them when I see them! This little guy landed on a branch only 3 feet from my head. I actually had to back up to take the photo because I couldn't focus.

The third photo for today was a nice sunset we had on Saturday (2-5). I was doing an activity budget (where we watch one otter for 6 hours) so I couldn't really move around a lot. Luckily I was in a good enough spot to get some of the cliff in the foreground of the photo. 

The Illusive California Condor

To me, I don't think these birds are anything to croon over but in Big Sur the bird nuts go crazy for them! The California condor is a very endangered bird, found only in central California and near the Grand Canyon in Arizona. I have been seeing condors almost every day for the past week here along the coast. Monday (2-7) there were three circling Sea Lion Cove (aptly named for the sea lions that hang out there) probably looking for a fresh carcass to feast on. These guys are not afraid of humans and will fly right up next to you and let me tell you, even though I am not particularly excited when I see them, having a 20 lb bird with a 9 foot wingspan come within 2 feet of you is both frightening and cool at the same time.

Condors are tracked here in Big Sur just like I track otters. All of the condors have a transmitter and tag on their wing (either right or left side) which is visible in these photos. Last I have heard there are less than 200 condors in the wild. 

This condor was preening mid flight!

What? It isn't a bird....

There is just one photo for today and it is from the Santa Ynez mountains (just north of Santa Barbara). The lake is called Lake Cachuma.

Still playing catch-up!

Here are some more photos that are a little older than they should be... The first is an Anna's hummingbird at Big Creek in Big Sur.

 

Next are 2 white tailed kites in Moss Landing on Jetty Road. There is a tree (that is just a bit farther away than I would like!) where a kite is sitting almost every day. This day there were two!  

 

The same day in Moss Landing I also watched some shore birds. This willet was flying away from a mean gull that stole its crab. (those photos have not been edited yet, soon to come!) 

 

And stretching back farther into my non-edited photos folder were some photos, also from Moss Landing, of a snowy egret fishing.  

 

Last, I leave you with a photogenic male otter hanging out in Moss Landing. The 'cute' factor of the day. 

 

I am still working to catch up on my photo editing, but I am getting caught up slowly. Hopefully there will be some more photos up here later this week.

Faster Than a Cheetah

The once endangered peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus) is an amazing bird. It can reach speeds of up to 175 mph while diving making it the fastest bird on record. They mostly eat other birds and have been able to adapt to city life, unlike many other birds of prey. The peregrine falcon is a common bird of prey in Big Sur, but I never get a chance to get close to them while I have a camera in my hand. Yesterday morning I got that chance. As I was driving along Hwy 1 I saw a peregrine sitting on a telephone wire and immediately stopped my car. I half expected the bird to fly away because I had to walk past the bird to get the 'good light' but it decided to hang out for a while so that I could get some photos.

Big Sur is a great place for birds

Here are a few more bird photos from here in Big Sur.
This first photo is a male Anna's hummingbird at Big Creek.

 The second photo is a California quail also at Big Creek.

 Third is a small red-tailed hawk along Highway 1 in Big Sur.

ok... I know I am really behind....

I have a few folders of photos still waiting to be edited but I figured I would share a few today. I guess the holidays and the rainy days got me a little behind in the photo department. For today, here are two photos from the Big Creek property (where I live). The first is a Northern flicker and the second is a male Anna's hummingbird.