Category Archives: Photographs: Wildlife

Elephant Seal

Elephant Seal
Elephant Seal. Piedras Blancas, California. July 21, 2008. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Elephant seal on the beach at Piedras Blancas, California.

(For those concerned that I may have been inappropriately close to these wild animals… this location provides a very close overlook and I used a 100-400mm telephoto to get these close views. Don’t worry, I would definitely not get too close to these fellas! If you’ve been around them, you and can probably think of about a half a dozen good reasons to keep your distance!)

keywords: wildlife; mammal; acquatic; elephant seal; marine; sand; beach; california; usa; piedras blancas; highway; one; coast; shoreline; ocean; nature; stock; animal

Elephant Seal

Elephant Seal
Elephant Seal. Piedras Blancas, California. July 21, 2008. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Elephant seal on the beach at Piedras Blancas, California.

keywords: wildlife; mammal; acquatic; elephant seal; marine; sand; beach; california; usa; piedras blancas; highway; one; coast; shoreline; ocean; nature; stock; animal

Two Gulls In a Row

Two Gulls in a Row
Two Gulls in a Row. Pacific Coast, California. March 1, 2008. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Two gulls follow one another along the edge of a bluff along the California Pacific coast, flying past my position at eye-level.

I made a series of photographs of birds from this spot – the images that have been appearing recently included. To get these I followed a strategy that can work well in some places along the California coast: spend a few minutes figuring out the “line” that the birds follow along the end of the coastal cliffs, apparently looking for updrafts. Then set up close to or under one of these invisible paths, sit quietly, and photograph like mad as the birds fly by.

keywords: two, gulls, sea, seagulls, birds, in, row, follow, fly, flying, flight, pacific, ocean, coast, california, usa, bif, wings, sea, shore, shoreline, sky, nature, animals, wildlife, stock

Two Gulls in Formation, Blue Sky

Two Gulls in Formation, Blue Sky
Two Gulls in Formation, Blue Sky. Pacific Ocean Coastline, California. March 1, 2008. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Photographed along the California coast north of Santa Cruz on the first of March. I found a spot at the top of a coastal cliff where the birds flying along the coast came almost directly overhead.

keywords: two, gulls, sea, seagulls, blue, sky, ocean, sea, birds, shore, coast, coastline, california, usa, pacific, ocean, wildlife, animals, nature, stock, shoreline