2021 Begins with Birds
I didn’t realize the above photo of the gnatcatcher at Morro Bay would be so popular on the Birding California Facebook page. Last count it had 1200 reactions and 83 comments. It’s reminiscent of the Angry Bluebird that was popular several years ago. This little fluffball was uncharacteristically cooperative, as they are generally in constant motion catching, well, gnats.
The gnatcatcher on the right is one that was banded at Morro Bay in January 2019 by the California State Parks crew. Yay! I love finding banded birds, and even more when I get enough readable numbers to trace when and where it was banded.
I wanted to find the zone-tailed hawk that had been seen at Morro Bay (and has been sighted elsewhere, hanging out with turkey vultures) but no luck. However, it was a perfectly productive morning to photograph other avian denizens.
Oddly, the bay was still and calm, while just the other side of the Rock were raging waves (my previous post.)
Eared grebe 
Ruby-crowned kinglet 
Savannah sparrow 
Savannah sparrow 
California thrasher 
Eared grebe
Spotted towhee 
Fox sparrow
Photos and text copyrighted by Cindy McIntyre
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Website: CindyMcIntyre.com
Online gallery: Smugmug and Fine Art America
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Even the surfers wouldn’t ride the waves
A huge storm far offshore generated HUGE waves that we don’t often see here in Central Coast California. I went out to Morro Rock on Sunday and then to Estero Bluffs just to the north and marveled at the beauty and power of the ocean. Enjoy these images!
Photos and text copyrighted by Cindy McIntyre
Feel free to reblog or share
Website: CindyMcIntyre.com
Online gallery: Smugmug and Fine Art America
Join my Facebook Page
Autumn Coastal Birds & Scenery
I’ve stayed close to home since my big trip north (which I have still yet to post, my bad!). Here are some autumn birds and scenery in Central Coast California.
Acorn Woodpeckers and Their Granary Tree
Acorn woodpeckers abound in this part of California, which is known for its oak savannahs. Blue and valley oak are the most common, with valley oak tending to be larger and the blue oaks more likely to grow on hillsides.
Read the rest of this entry »Montana de Oro Oct. 2020
After a month of smoky skies from numerous wildfires, it was nice to encounter just plain old fog on a trip to the ocean last week.
Read the rest of this entry »Montana de Oro
When I first came to California in 2015, I fell in love with Montana de Oro State Park. I was living in Apple Valley at the time and had a job that gave me a 3-day weekend twice a month, which I took full advantage of.
Now that I live much closer, I feel fortunate to live so near to the most beautiful part of the California coast.
Read the rest of this entry »Lagniappe
Lagniappe often means “a little of this, a little of that.” Since I have many hangers-on images that didn’t quite fit into a themed blog, I’m tossing them all in here like a stew.
This sapsucker-drilled tree has a cavity just perfect for this pair of western bluebirds.
Read the rest of this entry »Morro Rock-Otters & Birds
Photographers like me like to go out early in the morning when the birds are active and the people aren’t. Marilyn and I headed out to Morro Rock, part of Morro Bay State Park on Saturday, with a stop at my favorite California viewpoint off Hwy 46.
As is typical of summer, the coast is often shrouded in fog on mornings when it is sunny and headed for hot weather in Paso Robles.
Read the rest of this entry »Estero Bluffs
Estero Bluffs is one of my favorite places along the California coast. The best trail for me is this one, by the windmill. On this morning, it was the second trail of the day for my friend and me.
The fogbow was a bit of magic that added to the beauty of the oaks and windmill.
Read the rest of this entry »Carrizo’s Mini-SuperBloom
I’ve been to my beloved Carrizo Plain National Monument twice this Spring hoping the late rains offered up another Superbloom such as last year’s.
For the most part, nope. In early April, though, my friend and I were treated to a small herd of pronghorn does and a Bell’s sparrow lifer for her.
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