Santa Ynez Valley

Santa Ynez Valley
Our Backyard

Saturday, December 29, 2018

Morro Bay - Shore Birds 2

More shore birds from Morro Bay


Black-bellied Plover



Sanderling



The Sanderling kept following this Willet
(probably hoping it would drop its sand crab)



The Willet, finally alone with its sand crab



Long-billed Curlew




Great Egret



Snowy Egret




Marbled Godwits





Morro Bay - Shore Birds 1

We saw fairly large numbers of several varieties of shore birds.


Sleeping Western Grebes




Brown Pelican approaching



Osprey hunting



Flying Elegant Terns




The terns mostly stand facing into the breeze.




"Feed Me!"



Feather grooming




Morro Bay - Elephant Seals

Up the coast a few miles near the Piedras Blancas Lighthouse is a major Elephant Seal rookery.  In December, pregnant female seals arrive in preparation for giving birth.  Bull Elephant Seals also start arriving prior to trying to establish mating harems on the beach, after the females have given birth.


Looking north towards Piedras Blancas Lighthouse



Mostly females and youngsters



They seem to like to gather together.



But some keep to themselves.



A couple of immature males practice fighting



The first newborn seal pup of this season



A bull in the surf



Another bull resting up for mating time







Morro Bay - Sea Otters

We often see many Sea Otters hanging out in the calmer waters of the Morro Bay Harbor.





There were several female otters with large pups.





Otter life











"Hear no evil, see no evil"





Morro Bay - December 2018

We spent a week in early December camped at Morro Strand State Park in Morro Bay, California.


Morro Rock from Morro Strand



Morro Bay seen from Baywood



Images from the beach





Sea cucumber


We found lots of Sand Dollars.





A couple of tall ships were spending some time based in Morro Bay harbor.




The Hawaiian Chieftain



The Lady Washington



Crew members working at the prow of the Lady Washington



Cactus vandalism at Morro Rock



Eucalyptus blossom



This fellow was playing a bodhrun drum on the beach near sunset.



Sunset from next to Morro Rock