Just north of Big Sur and south of Monterey is Point Lobos, a magical nature preserve and phenomenally picturesque part of the California coast. We go to the Monterey coast every January, and have never been disappointed by what Mother Nature provides the senses. Sea otters, once near extinction, now have large populations which we could see from a point to the left of this vista. Harbor and other seals fish and breed in these waters. Cormorants, Black Oystercatchers, Surfbirds, herons and egrets, pelicans, and Black Turnstones are often present. The only thing missing are people, one more reason to go in January.
You might think that winter would be the foggiest time of year on the coast, but actually that would be summer. As Mark Twain said, "The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco." Check the forecast (BY the hour) before you head off, but although I can guarantee a scene such as this one, we've had 15 years of Januarys with remarkable weather.
Nature Conservancy's Daily Nature Photo for Oct 28, 2014
Tags: Point Lobos Big Sur Monterey northern California coast northern California Ethan Winning E. A. Winning DailyNature-TNC14 North America North America outdoor rock formation People photo Add Additional info Viewing this Public Commenting Any Flickr member tags you follow Safety level Safe Provide feedback new page F Favorite C Comment S Search navigation Thumbnail Z
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If you see my photos, you should get to know "my" mountain. This is Mt. Diablo, 3,864 feet high and 90,000 acres of protected space not including the Walnut Creek Open Space surrounding a good part of the northern base. What's special about this shot is that Diablo gets measurable snow about once a year, and this foot of snow maybe once every 10 years. And I know a spot where I can capture this: snow on the peaks, my hiking trails in the middle, range land that is almost a springtime green, and just a touch left over from the fall. By July, this will be almost all golden brown. Mt. Diablo is the highest elevation in about 400 miles: when the wind is blowing and there's no haze, you can see 200 miles north to Mt. Shasta, east to Yosemite and the Sierra Nevadas, and west to the Farallon Islands. (Until a redwood grew to 80 feet outside my upstairs window, I could see half of this view.) Hundreds of species of birds, mammals, insects, and trees can be found in the open space, and there are at least two flowers endemic only to Mt. Diablo. Is it any wonder why it should be protected?
Tags: Canon SX40 or SX50 DailyNature-TNC13 DailyNature-TNC14 North America NA Ethan Winning E. A. Winning
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Probably the most photographed scene at Yellowstone is the Grand Prismatic Geyser. The colors were phenomenal as usual, and perhaps because of the clouds and bright sun, perhaps even more brilliant than the last three visits. The trees had just turned green with new foliage, but the snow was too deep to climb that hill for an even more spectacular viewpoint.
In the week that we were at Yellowstone, we visited this geyser at least ten times. Couldn't get a good shot because although the weather was great, the winds were blowing at 50 mph right in our faces as we tried to get this shot. This was one time when the wind shifted to the west and my glasses didn't fog up.
Tags: Grand Prismatic Geyser Yellowstone National Park Wyoming Ethan Winning
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This is a third of Heather Farm, a nature reserve about a mile from my home. On the right is a lagoon and a waterway that ultimately leads to the Sacramento Delta. In the background is Mt. Diablo and a whole lot of Walnut Creek Open Space, and all of that includes Castle Rock Park, Lime Ridge, Old Borges Ranch... in other words where I get at least another quarter of my photos. You'll see that fall doesn't come until November, but what you are seeing is, in normal years, part of the Pacific (some say "Diablo") Flyway. So, welcome to the home of my fresh water otters, green herons, egrets, red-shouldered, red-tailed, and Cooper's hawks, and a myriad of other birds that continue to please me and try my patience at the same time.
Tags: Heather Farm Park Heather Farm Reserve Walnut Creek Open Space Mt. Diablo Pacific Flyway Heather Farms DailyNature-TNC13 DailyNature-TNC14 North America NA Ethan Winning E. A. Winning
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Nothing like a little (or a lot) of rain will do for bone dry trails and landscapes. The mustard is back in profusion, and the birds are nesting in it once again.
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