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