Tag Archives: coast

Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Ocean & Coast

Coastal Rocks, Surf, and Rain

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Coastal Rocks, Surf, and Rain

Coastal Rocks, Surf, and Rain. Near Davenport, California. December 15, 2008. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Coastal rock formations glisten in the rain as an evening squall approaches the Pacific Coast north of Davenport, California. (Black and white version)

Late on a rainy afternoon earlier this week it seemed like the sky might clear enough to make for some spectacular evening shooting along the California coast near Davenport. I headed over the hill to Santa Cruz and started north up the Coast Highway in post-storm clear air with a few puffy clouds offshore. However, as I passed through Davenport I could see a squall line to the northwest, just beginning to move between me and the bright sky to the west. Being either brave or foolish I kept heading north until near Greyhound Rock where the cold rain started. I headed back south, almost to Davenport, before pulling over along a beach where the road descends to near sea level. Although it wasn’t raining here yet, the clouds were clearly heading this way. I grabbed my camera pack and tripod and put on some extra clothes and headed across the beach to the waters edge before turning north toward some low rocks at the end of the beach. Soon it started raining, but at this point I wasn’t about to go home empty-handed so I continued up onto the rocks and managed to make a few exposures in the rain as the squall line approached, the wind picked up, and the rain increased.

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: black and white, rock, formation, pool, evening, squall, storm, cell, rain, cloud, downpour, shower, pool, tide, wave, surf, shore, coast, beach, strata, reflection, sun, light, pattern, moss, pacific, ocean, coast, sea, wet, santa cruz, davenport, highway, one, scenic, weather, landscape, seascape, travel, stock

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

Egret with Fish, Whalers Cove

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Egret with Fish, Whalers Cove

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

An egret raises its wings after catching a fish in the kelp beds at Whalers Cove, Point Lobos State Reserve, California.

Another in the egret series from Whalers Cover at Point Lobos. This bird had just caught the fish you see in its beak and was making a quick move across the kelp in which it had been fishing before swallowing the fish.

keywords: egret, wings, beak, bill, fish, catch, food, wildlife, kelp, bed, feathers, tail, water, bay, pacific, ocean, cove, whalers, point lobos, state, reserve, park, california, usa, monterey, peninsula, carmel, big sur, coast, shore, nature, stock

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

Egret with Fish, Whalers Cove

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Egret with Fish, Whalers Cove

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

An egret with wings extended catches a fish in the kelp at Whalers’ Cove, Point Lobos State Reserve, California.

Another photograph of the egret that cooperated so nicely with my attempts to make photographs during my late November visit to Point Lobos. This photograph was made seconds after the bird had caught a fish in the kelp bed and was about to consume it.

keywords: egret, bird, wildlife, fish, wing, feather, extended, flight, catch, sun, kelp, bed, whalers, cove, point lobos, state, reserve, park, california, usa, nature, travel, pacific, ocean, sea, coast, shore, bay, monterey, bay, peninsula, carmel, big sur, stock

Photographs: Central California, Photographs: Wildlife

Egret Alights, Whaler’s Cove

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Egret Alights

Egret Alights, Whaler’s Cove. Point Lobos State Reserve, California. November 30, 2008. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

An egret flies close to the kelp covered surface of Whaler’s Cove at Point Lobos State Reserve, California.

As I arrived at Whaler’s Cove I was hoping to perhaps be able to photograph sea otters up close. Although this was a high surf day along the coast, Whalers Cove is sheltered and I had heard that it is a good place to look for wildlife. After parking my car I did not see any otters, but I immediately saw this egret hunting in the kelp right next to the road. I grabbed the long lens and found a comfortable spot close by and began observing and photographing. The bird was apparently hunting for small fish in the kelp bed. It stood on top of the kelp and would occasionally make a lunge into the water, on one occasion coming up with a fish in its bill.

 One of the things I like most about this photograph is the shadow of the bird’s curving neck cast on the translucent feathers of its wing.

keywords: egret, bird, in, flight, wildlife, wing, nature, flap, shadow, neck, beak, bill, kelp, bed, whalers, cove, point lobos, state, reserve, park, california, usa, monterey, peninsula, carmel, coast, shore, bay, pacific, ocean, stock, feathers