Quail at sunset, Point Reyes National Seashore

A male California quail is kissed by the golden light of sunset as he sits on the old gnarled branches of a coyote bush near Abbott's Lagoon in Point Reyes National Seashore.

View more images of one of my favorite birds in my Quail Gallery.

Big bull, bigger news

This has been a busy summer for me, as my regular readers may have guessed due to my infrequent posts, so it may come as no surprise that there is big news in my future. I will be submitting my Ph.D. dissertation in the next week or two (in environmental engineering, if you were curious), which will be the culmination of a wonderful six-year journey filled with hard work, great challenges and successes, fantastic friendships, and some very fond memories.

In the beginning of September, my wife and I will be uprooting from California and embarking on a cross-country road trip to the Boston area, which will be our new home. While I do not yet have a position lined up, I am excited at the prospect of beginning my professional career in conservation there. I hope that I’ll be able to continue to find time to photograph wildlife in the Northeast, and I will definitely be keeping the blog as active as I can. I have plenty of images from California waiting to be posted, but I suppose I’ll need to come up with a new tag-line for the blog, since I’ll no longer be "seeking inspiration from the natural beauty of just northern California." Also, if you have any favorite bird or wildlife locations in Massachusetts (or the surrounding area) please let me know in the comments or by email. I’m definitely looking forward to finding some new wetlands, forests, and beaches to explore!

On our travels to the east, we’ll be spending around a week in Yellowstone & Grand Teton National Parks – two places that I have never visited, but that have been on my wish list for a long time. I’m looking forward to the wildlife photography opportunities there, and my wonderful bride has already agreed to wake up well before sunrise each morning so we can seek out wildlife during the golden hours. I probably won’t have too much of a chance to blog while we’re on the road, but hopefully I’ll come back with plenty of images to post throughout the fall!

For the next few weeks, I’ll continue to post new images whenever I get the chance while I wrap up many loose ends here before the move, including squeezing in as many trips to Point Reyes National Seashore as I can! As always, thank you for taking the time to read my blog and for your comments and support over the past few years!

Cheers,
Pat

Bugling bull tule elk, Point Reyes National Seashore

The tule elk rut is in full swing in Point Reyes National Seashore. I started my day with an early morning hike along Limantour Spit, but I again saw very few shorebirds. So since it was still early by the time I was back in my car, I decided to take a trip up to Tomales Point to check on the tule elk. Unfortunately, the fog was so thick that I could barely see the bushes just a few feet outside my window. So instead of taking a hike through pea soup (I've done that enough times in the elk reserve to know that it's just not photographically worth it), I decided to take a drive out to the outer peninsula. I saw some elegant terns on Drake's Beach last week, so I thought perhaps I could find them (or maybe some shorebirds) there as a consolation prize. Instead, I was treated to a fantastic display from the free-ranging tule elk herd. There are often elk near the turn off to Drake's Beach, but they are not often so close to the road. It was a real treat to park the car and spend some time watching three separate harems on the hillside.

The largest harem belonged to this very large bull, and although he was moving with a substantial limp from one of his back legs, he was still bugling loudly, chasing off rivals (no antler-locking fights while I was there though), and mating with his females. He was a truly impressive specimen, and it's always fun to see that slightly crazed look in his eye that you see this time of year. In this shot, he is bugling loudly across the valley, and it was fun to hear the other bulls answer him back. Since I was hearing multiple responses to his calls, it was also nice to know that there were more elk just down the road.

View more images of these majestic animals in my Tule Elk Gallery.

Ruffled willet at Pillar Point Harbor

My past three posts have included shorebirds looking quite relaxed while tucked into their classic resting pose. To change things up a bit, here's a willet shaking out its feathers, and looking a bit more unkempt.

View more willet images in my Willets Gallery.

American avocets at Radio Road Ponds

On my way back from Pillar Point Harbor last month, I decided to take a slight detour to Radio Road Ponds in Redwood City. I was delighted to see a large flock of American avocets resting in the shallows near a convenient place to set up a tripod. While they were far enough away that making a compelling image of a single bird was difficult, it was a fun challenge to find some pleasing compositions within the flock.



Many of the birds were busy preening, but occasionally they would all tuck their bills into their feathers to rest. I really love the shape of a shorebird in this pose, and it's always nice to photograph such a relaxed subject. The rippled reflections were a nice bonus too.



More photographs of these elegant shorebirds in my Stilts & Avocets gallery.

Submitted to World Bird Wednesday -- follow the link to check out this week's posts!