Tag Archives: photography

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

Flock of Gulls

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Flock of Gulls

Flock of Gulls. Piedras Blancas Elephant Seal Rookery, California. July 2, 2009. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

A huge flock of gulls takes to the air at the Piedras Blancas Elephant Seal Rookery, California.

While photographing the elephant seals last weekend at the Piedras Blancas Elephant Seal Rookery just south of the Big Sur coastline of central California, an absolutely flock of shore birds took flight above the beach. I quickly lifted the camera up from the elephant seals and photographed into the cloud of birds as it rose and turned above the beach. While other photographs in the series show an even greater density of birds, this one shows some of the individuals – at least in the larger versions on my computer screen.

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: gull, sea, seagull, shore, bird, marine, fly, flight, flock, mass, beach, ocean, sea, pacific, coast, wave, foam, wing, dense, wildlife, animal, nature, california, usa, piedras blancas, elephant seal, rookery, highway, one, 1, wild, beak, feather, central, stock

Photographs: Northern California, Photographs: San Francisco

South Beach Harbor, Morning Fog

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South Beach Harbor, Morning Fog

South Beach Harbor, Morning Fog. San Francisco, California. July 1, 2009. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Morning fog begins to clear over sailboats moored at South Beach Harbor, San Francisco, California.

On the first day of July – near the start of my summer break – I took the Caltrain to San Francisco very early in the morning and did one of my “photography walks” starting at the train station. I followed my most common route, walking past AT&T Park and then up The Embarcadero towards the Ferry Building. South Beach Harbor is just past AT&T, and at this early hour it is a very still and quiet place. On this morning it was still very foggy, but the fog was beginning to thin out over the bay, creating some interesting diffused light.

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: san francisco, california, usa, summer, city, urban, travel, morning, fog, clear, light, south beach, harbor, dock, boat, yacht, sail, water, reflection, cove, sky, deck, mast, cats paw, ohana, embarcadero, barbary coast, shore, bay, cityscape, urban, sport, landscape, stock

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

Two Elephant Seals Sparring

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Two Elephant Seals Sparring

Two Elephant Seals Sparring. Piedras Blancas Elephant Seal Rookery, California. July 2, 2009. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Two young elephant seals sparring at the elephant seal rookery at Piedras Blancas, California.

From what I read, these are young “sub-adult” males who “spar” during the early summer period. The real battles are apparently waged by the adult males during the birthing and breeding period. I’m no expert on elephant seal behavior, but while these “sub-adult” sparring matches seem fairly benign, I’ve seen what appeared to be rather vicious battles between older, scarred males. These two fellows had at it for a few moments, belly bumping, intertwining their heads, and generally play fighting – while the other seals nearby seemed to not pay any attention at all.

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: elephant, seal, rookery, beach, shore, piedras, blancas, california, usa, wildlife, sea, mammals, young, male, marine, mammal, spar, sparring, fight, behavior, summer, sand, water, ocean, pacific, highway, one, nature, travel, stock, animal, wild

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

Elephant Seal

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Elephant Seal

Elephant Seal. Piedras Blancas Elephant Seal Rookery, California. July 2, 2009. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

An elephant seal on a sunny afternoon on the beach at the Piedras Blanca Elephant Seal rookery along the Central California coast.

Early in the extended Fourth of July weekend we travelled down the Big Sur coastline (sorry, only a few photos of that) and stopped at the Piedras Blancas Elephant Seal rookery on the shoreline in the general vicinity of Hearst Castle. The rookery is quite amazing. Literally within yards of the highway a large group of elephant seals come ashore to do their “elephant seal thing,” and you can view them from a short distance away. (They come ashore in many other places in California but few are this accessible and many are almost completely inaccessible.) During our brief stop I had a great opportunity to put the long lens to use. This seal was, like many of the others, seemingly enjoying a nap on the warm sand in the afternoon sun.

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: elephant, seal, rookery, beach, shore, piedras, blancas, california, usa, wildlife, sea, mammals, sand, sunny, warm, rest, eyes, whiskers, snout, brown, nose, beach, pacific, coast, shore, ocean, southern, nature, stock