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Least Sandpipers from far away and camera was struggling with the multitude of tiny birds with good beach camo but I liked the line of flyers almost like one bird over time instead of 5 birds at the same time
on Limatour Beach in Point Reyes National Seashore, I reported this sighting since it was banded but didn't get any info back from the researcher. These guys were hard to photograph as you need to be well clear of their protected area and they blend in well with the background. My camera was struggling to focus on the birds and not the other items on the beach.
This image belongs to a flickr set Please visit by clicking the link belowflickr.com/photos/coastranger/sets/72157604229813172/
Believe it or not there is a path through the forest on the other side of the bridge. Very much planning to get lost in there.
Limantour Beach
California sea lion
Kalifornisches Seelöwe
Limantour Beach stretches for over four miles from the west end of Limantour Spit to Santa Maria Beach to the southeast. It is a popular beach among families. The waves of Drakes Bay are usually much smaller than those on the west-facing beaches of Point Reyes, so it's relatively safer for people to play along the water's edge.
Limantour Spit is a long, narrow strand of sand, bound by Drakes Bay to the south and Estero de Limantour to the north. The estuary is a bountiful wildlife area. Scores of shorebirds feed in the wetlands and along the beaches during the fall. Ducks abound in winter. Harbor seals are often seen bobbing offshore in the gentle waves or basking in the sun's warmth at the western end of the spit. Mother gray whales guide their calves along the shoreline during the spring.
(nps.gov)
The California sea lion (Zalophus californianus) is a coastal eared seal native to western North America. It is one of six species of sea lion. Its natural habitat ranges from southeast Alaska to central Mexico, including the Gulf of California. Sea lions are sexually dimorphic; males are larger than females, and have a thicker neck, and protruding sagittal crest. They mainly haul-out on sandy or rocky beaches, but they also frequent manmade environments such as marinas and wharves. Sea lions feed on a number of species of fish and squid, and are preyed on by killer whales and great white sharks.
California sea lions have a polygynous breeding pattern. From May to August, males establish territories and try to attract females with which to mate. Females are free to move in between territories, and are not coerced by males. Mothers nurse their pups in between foraging trips. Sea lions communicate with numerous vocalizations, notably with barks and mother-pup contact calls. Outside their breeding season, sea lions spend much of their time at sea, but they come to shore to molt.
Sea lions are particularly intelligent, can be trained to perform various tasks and display limited fear of humans if accustomed to them. Because of this, California sea lions are a popular choice for public display in zoos, circuses and oceanariums, and are trained by the United States Navy for certain military operations. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists the species as Least Concern due to its abundance. To protect fish, the US states of Oregon and Washington engage in annual kill quotas of sea lions.
Being sexually dimorphic, California sea lions differ in size, shape, and coloration between the sexes. Males are typically around 2.4 m (7.9 ft) long and weigh up to 350 kg (770 lb), while females are typically around 1.8 m (5.9 ft) and weigh up to 100 kg (220 lb). Females and juveniles have a tawny brown pelage, although they may be temporarily light gray or silver after molting. The pelage of adult males can be anywhere from light brown to black, but is typically dark brown. The face of adult males may also be light tan in some areas. Pups have a black or dark brown pelage at birth. Although the species has a slender build, adult males have robust necks, chests, and shoulders. Adult males also have a protruding crest which gives them a "high, domed forehead"; it is tufted with white hairs. They also have manes, which are less developed than those of adult male South American and Steller sea lions. Both sexes have long, narrow muzzles.
As an otariid, the California sea lion relies on its foreflippers to propel itself when swimming. This form of aquatic locomotion, along with its streamlined body, effectively reduces drag underwater. Its foreflipper movement is not continuous; the animal glides in between each stroke. The flexibility of its spine allows the sea lion to bend its neck backwards far enough to reach its hindflippers. This allows the animal to make dorsal turns and maintain a streamlined posture.[ When moving on land, the sea lion is able to turn its hindflippers forward and walk on all fours. It moves the foreflippers in a transverse, rather than a sagittal, fashion. In addition, it relies on movements of its head and neck more than its hindflippers for terrestrial locomotion. Sea lions may travel at speeds of around 10.8 km/h (6.7 mph), and can dive at depths of 274 m (899 ft) and for up to 9.9 minutes, though most dives are typically 80 m (260 ft) and last less than 3 minutes.
Sea lions have color vision, though it is limited to the blue-green area of the color spectrum. This is likely an adaptation for living in marine coastal habitats. Sea lions have fairly acute underwater hearing, with a hearing range of 0.4–32 kHz.[15] Sea lions rely on their whiskers or vibrissae for touch and detection of vibrations underwater. Compared to the harbor seal, the California sea lion's vibrissae are smoother and less specialized and thus perform less when following hydrodynamic trails, although they still perform well.
The California sea lion ranges along the western coast and islands of North America, from southeast Alaska to central Mexico. Mitochondrial DNA sequences in 2009 have identified five distinct California sea lion populations: the U.S. or Pacific Temperate stock, the Western Baja California or Pacific Tropical stock, and the Southern, Central, and Northern Gulf of California stocks. The U.S. stock breeds mainly in the Channel Islands, although some breeding sites may be established in northern California, and females are now commonly found there. The Western Baja California stock mainly breeds near Punta Eugenia and at Isla Santa Margarita. The above-mentioned stocks are separated by the Ensenada Front. The stocks of the Gulf of California live in the shallow waters of the north (Northern stock), the tidal islands near the center (Central stock), and the mouth of the bay (Southern stock). The stock status of the sea lions at the deep waters of the central bay has not been analyzed.
Vagrants can reach western north pacific such as on Commander Islands. Although several otariinae have been recorded around the Japanese archipelago in recent years, their exact origins are unclear.
During the breeding season, sea lions gather on both sandy and rocky shores. On warm days, they lie closer to the water. At night or in cool weather, they travel farther inland or to higher elevations. Non-breeding individuals may gather at marinas, wharves, or even navigational buoys. California sea lions can also live in fresh water for periods of time, such as near Bonneville Dam, nearly 150 miles (240 km) up the Columbia River. In 2004 a healthy sea lion was found sitting on a road in Merced County, California, almost a hundred miles upstream from the San Francisco Bay and half a mile from the San Joaquin River.
(Wikipedia)
Der Kalifornische Seelöwe (Zalophus californianus) ist eine Ohrenrobbe, die an den nordamerikanischen Küsten des Pazifiks verbreitet ist.
Der Kalifornische Seelöwe ist als eigene Art anerkannt. Früher wurde er neben dem Galápagos-Seelöwen (Zalophus wollebaeki) und dem ausgestorbenen Japanischen Seelöwen (Zalophus japonicus) als Unterart einer gemeinsamen Art geführt.
Obwohl er mit anderen Seelöwen (Stellerscher Seelöwe, Neuseeländischer Seelöwe) verwandt ist, unterscheidet sich der Kalifornische Seelöwe in seiner Gestalt von ihnen. Er ist schlanker, sein Kopf ist zugespitzt und die für andere Seelöwen typische Mähne der Bullen fehlt. Männchen werden bis zu 220 Zentimeter lang und 400 Kilogramm schwer, Weibchen kommen auf 180 Zentimeter und 90 Kilogramm. Bullen sind dunkelbraun gefärbt, Kühe sind deutlich heller.
Der (Eigentliche) Kalifornische Seelöwe hat seine Kolonien an den Küsten Kaliforniens und Nordmexikos; besonders prominent ist er auf Inseln vertreten, zum Beispiel auf den Channel Islands. Außerhalb der Fortpflanzungszeit wandern die Tiere weit umher und gelangen bis an kanadische Küsten.
Kalifornische Seelöwen bevorzugen Sandstrände und entfernen sich selten weit von der Küste. Beim Beutefang tauchen sie etwa 40 m tief und suchen nach Fischen und Tintenfischen. Oft tauchen die Seelöwen in Gruppen und kreisen gemeinsam Fischschwärme ein. Kalifornische Seelöwen gelten als die elegantesten und schnellsten Robben. Bei einem Exemplar wurde schon mal 40 km/h gemessen.
Das Fortpflanzungsverhalten ähnelt dem der anderen Ohrenrobben: Die Männchen treffen einige Tage vor den Weibchen an den Küsten ein. Sobald die Weibchen eintreffen, beginnen die Männchen, um ihre Reviere zu kämpfen. Im Verlauf dieser Kämpfe werden jüngere und schwächere Männchen an ungünstige Plätze an den Rand der Kolonie gedrängt. Die Weibchen, die sich in der Umgebung des siegreichen Bullens befinden, bilden seinen Harem.
In den Kolonien leben die Seelöwen dicht gedrängt; einem Individuum steht selten mehr als 1 m² zur Verfügung. Im Schnitt umfasst ein Harem 16 Weibchen; abhängig von der Lage des Territoriums können es auch erheblich mehr oder sehr viel weniger sein. Durch die vorausgegangenen Kämpfe ist gesichert, dass die stärksten Männchen die größten Harems unterhalten.
Die Weibchen bringen kurz nach dem Landgang ihre Jungen zur Welt (wie bei allen Robben nur ein Junges je Weibchen), kümmern sich schätzungsweise sieben Tage intensiv um den Nachwuchs und paaren sich dann mit dem Bullen. Die Jungen sind nach zwei Wochen sehr selbständig und bilden kleine Verbände, in denen sie gemeinsam umherlaufen und spielen.
(Wikipedia)
Forget not that danger lurks in the prettiest places!
A spider waiting on some Forget-me-nots. Didn't have my macro lens with me. The title is shamelessly stolen from The Cure's Lullaby.
Lima has been known as the City of Kings since the Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro named the port city his capital. It's a sprawling, bustling metropolis of over 9 million, and it has plenty of sights to explore and secrets to share.
You may use this image for non-commercial purposes, but please include this link and byline: Peru Tours Photos © Kaitlin R. McMichael, SouthAmerica.travel
Looking north, downstream along the Urubamba River. According to all of our guides, the Sacred Valley was considered so valuable because the steady flow of water in the river allowed for irrigation of agricultural fields, which allows for three crops a year.
The Urubamba flows north out of the Andes and becomes part of the Amazon. Blows my mind.
I also took Sheilagh to Inverness to stay in Bart's cabin. Peggy and Stacy came to meet us for lunch and a walk to the beach. Sheilagh impressed us all by taking a swim.
The Gran Corso is an elaborate parade that the whole city comes to watch. In celebration of Peruvian Independence, it happens every July in the Miraflores district of Lima.
You may use this image for non-commercial purposes, but please include this link and byline: Peru Tours Photos © Kaitlin R. McMichael, SouthAmerica.travel
Lima has been known as the City of Kings since the Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro named the port city his capital. It's a sprawling, bustling metropolis of over 9 million, and it has plenty of sights to explore and secrets to share.
You may use this image for non-commercial purposes, but please include this link and byline: Peru Tours Photos © Kaitlin R. McMichael, SouthAmerica.travel
On the way to the Coast Trail and on to Sculptured Beach to catch the morning low tide. Point Reyes National Seashore, NPS.
Lima has been known as the City of Kings since the Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro named the port city his capital. It's a sprawling, bustling metropolis of over 9 million, and it has plenty of sights to explore and secrets to share.
You may use this image for non-commercial purposes, but please include this link and byline: Peru Tours Photos © Kaitlin R. McMichael, SouthAmerica.travel