California Coastal

See My Yellow Bill?

A view of the Yellow-billed Magpie in a park in Los Alamos, CA. They were in large oak trees that are the favored tree of this bird, which is endemic to Central California.

Tree at Los Alamos

This great old tree was photographed from the park at Los Alamos, CA. I loved all the gnarled branches, bending every which way.

Playing in Water

These cute raccoons were in the shallow water at Oso Flaco Lake out of Santa Maria, CA. They were pawing at the bottom of the lake, presumably looking for something to nibble. I saw at least 6 raccoons in the lake.

The Rock

This monolithic geologic formation, Morro Rock, is popularly referred to as The Rock. Many species of birds nest on the rock, including Western Gulls, Pelagic Cormorants, Pigeon Guillemots, as well as a pair of Peregrine Falcons. This is a painterly version of The Rock.

Gaviota State Beach

Coming home from up the coast last week, we made a stop at Gaviota State Beach. It was a beautiful cool day, and was a good pit stop.

Sunset at the Pier

This the pier at San Clemente, California. I waited quite awhile for the sun to set, hoping for nice color. I liked the way the sunset reflected on the water and the sand.