Category Archives: Photographs: Wildlife

Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Ocean & Coast, Photographs: Wildlife

Gull in Flight, Blue Sky

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Gull in Flight, Blue Sky

Gull in Flight, Blue Sky. Point Lobos State Reserve, California. January 25, 2009. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Gull in flight against blue sky, Point Lobos State Reserve, California.

A short trip to Point Lobos today turned into mostly a bird photography expedition. Landscape prospects were challenging, to say the least – the tide was very high, the surf was only moderate, but strong winds were whipping up a lot of choppy water. When I arrived I still planned to shoot landscapes, but I got the hint when a huge flock of pelicans flew by just a few feet from the parking lot as I was unloading – so I put the long lens on the camera and went “hunting” for birds in flight.

I’ve noticed a funny thing about photographing birds, at least at Point Lobos. I can drag the tripod out on a nice promontory and wait… and wait… and wait. But as soon as I decide to give up and try something else the world’s biggest and most spectacular flock of pelicans will cruise 20 feet over my head! Today I had put my gear in the car three times, only to have to drag it out again as the birds flew by mere feet away from the coastal bluff.

This photograph is not in the public domain. It may not be used on websites, blogs, or in any other media without explicit advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

keywords: bird, in, flight, wing, gull, sea, shore, shoreline, sky, blue, cloud, azure, backlit, edge, beak, fly, avian, tail, point lobos, state, reserve, california, monterey, peninsula, carmel, highway one, coast, pacific, ocean, winter, stock, wildlife, nature

Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Ocean & Coast, Photographs: Wildlife

Black and White Seals

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Black and White Seals

Black and White Seals. Point Lobos State Reserve, California. December 20, 2008. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Black and white seals resting on rocks near the shoreline at Point Lobos State Reserve.

These “guys” were resting on a rock very close to the shoreline near the Bird Rock trailhead. I had never seen a white seal before so I spent some considerable time photographing them – the combination of the lighter and darker seals was especially interesting, and the white one apparently was almost as interested in me as I was in them. It frequently gazed up to my position on the cliff.

This photograph is not in the public domain. It may not be used on websites, blogs, or in any other media without explicit advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

keywords: big sur, california, carmel, Fall, monterey, nature, ocean, pacific ocean, point lobos, seashore, seal, black, white, flipper, fin, face, marine, mammal, rest, rock, ocean, sea, pacific, coast, kelp, point lobos, state, reserve, park, california, usa, carmel, monterey, peninsula, big sur, nature, wildlife, stock, whiskers, pair

Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Ocean & Coast, Photographs: Wildlife

Egret Feeding in Kelp Bed, Whalers Cove

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Egret Feeding in Kelp Bed, Whalers Cove

Egret Feeding in Kelp Bed, Whalers Cove. Point Lobos State Reserve, California. November 30, 2008. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.An egret feeds in the kelp bed at Whalers Cove, Point Lobos State Reserved, California.

I’m pretty certain that this will be the final photograph in my recent series of photographs of this egret at Whalers Cove, Point Lobos State Reserve, California.

keywords: egret, bird, white, wildlife, nature, animal, nature, kelp, bed, ocean, water, bay, pacific, point lobos, state, reserve, park, plant, feather, foam, surface, outdoor, shore, beak, bill, neck, eye, leg, g dan mitchell, gdanmitchell, stock, stock photography, california, usa, carmel, monterey, peninsula, big sur
Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Ocean & Coast, Photographs: Wildlife

Egret with Wings Unfolding, Whalers Cove

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Egret with Wings Unfolding, Whalers Cove

Egret with Wings Unfolding, Whalers Cove. Point Lobos, California. November 30, 2008. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

An egret hunting for fish in the kelp beda at Whalers Cover unfolds its wins, Point Lobos State Reserve, California.

OK, I think I’m coming almost to the end of this series – there is one more egret photograph after this one if I’m correct. :-)

keywords: egret, bird, wildlife, animal, wings, feathers, beak, beak, bill, water, cove, bay, pacific, ocean, kelp, bed, point lobos, state, reserve, park, california, usa, flight, carmel, big sur, monterey, peninsula, stock, nature, g dan mitchell, gdanmitchell