A Spotted Sandpiper lords it over the Least Sandpipers from the top of some riprap.
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Red-Shouldered Hawk in the Rain
In my last post, I extolled the virtues of sunset photography. Rainy days are right up there for me as well. Dramatic scenes, feathers and fur sculpted by the water, and no crowds. I’m not sure this red-shouldered hawk was loving it quite as much as I was.
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Tule Elk Sunset
This Tule Elk bachelor silhouetted against the twilight was the perfect finish for an amazing weekend of photography at Point Reyes. Sunny days mean I can’t stay out all day getting useable photographs, but there’s no substitute for the feeling of finding and capturing a subject as the sunset crescendoes and then fades away to nothing. In Point Reyes, a sunny day is far from a guarantee of a sunset, maybe them that much more special.
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California Quail Celebration
The coyote brush is in full bloom at Point Reyes. California Quail roost under the twisty woody branches of the coyote brush and then perch up top to scan for threats.
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Blue-Eyed Coyote Face-Off
Face-to-face with a blue-eyed Coyote.
This was taken at 250 mm. I watched this coyote circling a pond. As he came back around, he headed right towards me. I got all the way prone, zoomed out, and photographed him as he passed within 6 ft of me. It’s like I was part of the scenery—such an amazing experience.
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Red-Tailed Hawk Surveying its Territory
A Red-Tailed Hawk surveys the expansive Point Reyes landscape on a foggy day.
Most Red-Tailed Hawks are so skittish that just slowing your car down the wrong way can risk scaring them off. This one didn’t mind when I pulled off on the other side of the road and was pretty relaxed as I photographed it from the car. I was even able to ease my way out of the car and photograph it from behind the car, which helped me to line up this shot showing off the landscape.
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Oystercatcher Dreams
It’s been a while since I’ve photographed shorebirds, and I was lamenting the dogs chasing birds at all of my usual spots near San Francisco. I decided it was time to find new, slightly more secluded spots. My first attempt worked out well: a reclaimed salt marsh tucked behind an industrial site.
The light was still somewhat harsh when I first arrived, so I got right down to water level and played with the bokeh made by the sun glinting off of breaking waves.
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Close Encounter for a Coyote
I was parked on the side of the road, photographing a Coyote family walking in a field on the opposite side. The Coyotes passed me and then the alpha bolted across the road, right as a car sped past me. I leaned on my horn, and the car hit the brakes as the Coyote made it to the other side of the road. I pulled even with the Coyote, who gave me this look. I’d like to think it was a grateful look, but he probably would prefer if all of us humans left him to hunt in peace.
Just a friendly reminder to go slow in parks, especially at dusk when so many animals are on the move.
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Great Horned Owl At Sunset
This Great Horned Owl was kind enough to perch out in the open in front of an interesting sunset. At first I was annoyed by the branches in the foreground, but I used them to frame the owl and was pretty happy with how it turned out.
