Tag Archives: cove

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

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

Star Trails and Surf, Pacific Ocean

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Star Trails and Surf, Pacific Ocean

Star Trails and Surf, Pacific Ocean. Pigeon Point, California. November 15, 2008 © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Night photograph of glowing surf and star trails above the Pacific Ocean coastline of California at Pigeon Point.

Every autumn the old beacon at the Pigeon Point Lighthouse south of Half Moon Bay, California is re-lighted for one evening. I first heard of this event last year, and I drove over only to arrive late and find that the lighthouse was fogged in. This year the event occurred on an unusually clear and warm evening so I headed over once again to photograph the lighthouse. We arrived early enough to join the throngs of photographers set up to shoot the amazing beacon from the original fresnel lens… but my heart just wasn’t in it when it came to photographing this scene. It happens. So instead of photographing the lighthouse we decided to wander around and just take in the scene.

A bit later I thought it might be interesting to walk up the coastline a bit and try a shot pointed back at the lighthouse from a greater distance. We found a nice flat spot along the top of the low bluffs north of the lighthouse and set up. But I still just couldn’t see the shot I was looking for, so I decided to instead turn my attention to the ocean itself. I thought that a long exposure capturing the star trails heading for the horizon and the foreground cove might be interesting. I set up and made one 15 minute (!) exposure in landscape orientation, but a couple of offshore boats with lights slowly moved across the scene – not what I had in mind. Having time for one more shot I decided to try one in portrait orientation with the same foreground cove. This time I had better luck. First, no boats! But even better, about 4 or 5 minutes from the end of the exposure the nearly-full moon topped the low ridge behind us and began to add its glow to the atmosphere and the surf! I wish I could say I planned this – but the best I can claim is that when I realized what was happening I modified my plans a little and took advantage of the situation.

keywords: night, photography, surf, star, trails, pacific, ocean, coast, coastline, shore, rocks, sky, glow, pigeon, point, mist, rocks, cove, sea, seascape, landscape, travel, scenic, stock, california, usa, highway, one, 1