Tag Archives: drakes

Photographs: Nature, Photographs: Northern California, Photographs: Wildlife

Bull Tule Elk, Point Reyes

2 Comments
Bull Tule Elk, Point Reyes
Bull Tule Elk, Point Reyes

Bull Tule Elk, Point Reyes. Point Reyes National Seashore, California. May 30, 2011. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

A bull tule elk grazes among the grassy hills near Drakes Bay, Point Reyes National Seashore.

The group of bull tule elk that I encountered at Point Reyes National Seashore on Memorial Day was large and tended to stick together very closely. Most of the photographs that I shot include multiple animals. However, this fellow paused for a moment as the others moved to the right and I had a chance to make a few photographs containing only a single elk. He was even thoughtful enough to pose in front of the rolling green hills rising above Tomales Bay in the distance!

The elk were apparently native to Point Reyes – and much of the rest of California – but were decimated in the 1800s as a result of hunting and displacement by cattle. As I understand it, a small group was reintroduced to Point Reyes in the 1970s or thereabouts. Eventually they were so successful that the herd began to expand to other areas of the park, and the area has now reached it normal carrying capacity for these animals. This specimen and the group it was part of were along the top of the rolling hills above Drakes Bay.

G Dan Mitchell Photography | Flickr | Twitter (follow me) | Facebook (“Like” my page) | LinkedIn | Email
Text, photographs, and other media are © Copyright G Dan Mitchell (or others when indicated) and are not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

Photographs: Ocean & Coast

Log and Blowing Sand, Drakes Beach

Leave a comment

Log and Blowing Sand, Drakes Beach
Log and Blowing Sand, Drakes Beach. Point Reyes National Seashore. June 1, 2008. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

A log embedded in blowing sand at Drakes Beach, Point Reyes National Seashore.

It was tremendously windy on this visit to Point Reyes, and here the sand was streaming across the surface of the beach and straight out into the Bay.

keywords: california, national park, pacific ocean, spring, log, wood, stump, sand, blowing, drakes, bay, point reyes, national seashore, park, usa, blue, sky, wave, surf, wind, stock, landscape, scenic, travel

Photographs: Ocean & Coast

Point Reyes Headlands

Leave a comment
Point Reyes Headlands
“Point Reyes” — oint Reyes with coastal haze, foreground cove with elephant seals, and Drakes Bay in the distance.

I made this photograph in incredibly windy conditions. (I can hear other Point Reyes regulars saying, “duh!” at this point…) It was the kind of afternoon when no tripod is sturdy enough to really hold the camera still – so I waited and shot during relative lulls in the gale. If you look closely at the lower right corner you can see sea lions hauled out on the beach.

To expand a bit, the weather at this spectacular location is often quite different from that in other nearby California locations. The “point” extends a good distance out into the ocean here, with the result being cold temperatures, lots of wind, and frequent heavy fog. The fog was not present on this day, but the wind surely was!

G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” is available from Heyday Books, Amazon, and directly from G Dan Mitchell.

Blog | About | Instagram | Flickr | Facebook | Threads | BlueSky | Email

Links: Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Info.

Scroll down to share comments or questions. (Click post title first if viewing on the home page.)

All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others as indicated. Any use requires advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.