leopard shark and anchovy ~ 05/13/10 ~ Elkhorn Slough

While hiking at Elkhorn Slough with a friend this afternoon, we came across this unusual sight of people in the water with a huge net. What are they doing?!? So, we stuck around to watch.

Oooh, there's something moving in that net! There are two somethings! Leopard sharks! The sharks were not happy campers at being caught, but they didn't flail about as much as I thought they would. They looked incredibly strong, though.

After checking the sex and recording some basic data, these folks then proceeded to collect all those little silvery fish in the net and count them. I overheard that some were anchovies and identified mainly by their large jaws.

leopard shark
Triakis semifasciata

Within 10 minutes the researcher fellow let the sharks loose back in the water. I would have jumped in to ask questions, but these folks appeared to be extra busy collecting those little silvery fish. Link forward to learn more about monitoring sharks at Elkhorn Slough. Cool!

stuffed in the nest

barn swallow
Hirundo rustica
Patrick Hughes House, Cape Blanco State Park, Oregon
July 17, 2009

The historical house was closed by the time we finished our hike, so we peeked in the windows to see if we missed anything fabulous. I noticed a huge pile of bird poop on the porch railing and thought to look up. These fellows seemed too big for their nest and had incredibly large mouths. The parents were busy swooping in and out to feed the chicks. They're very cute, with highlighted yellow lips; it reminded me of an old, 1942 scratchy cartoon of baby birds.

swallows ~ 05/10/10 ~ El Estero

barn swallow
Hirundo rustica

cliff swallow
Petrochelidon pyrrhonota

tree swallow
Tachycineta bicolor

where a violet-green swallow was
Tachycineta thalassina

Seeing four species of swallows at Lake El Estero was an unexpected delight. They were everywhere! Why do they fly so close to you as you're walking? I was hoping to take a picture of a night heron in a tree when I found these swallows seemingly soaking up the late afternoon sun. Truth be told, I have never looked up the different kinds of swallows before these pictures. Dunno, it was easy to simply call them swallows and leave it at that, especially when they fly so freakin' fast. For a fun pic of a barn swallow nest from last year while we were on a camping trip north, check out this travel post from Oregon.

I once banded cliff swallows, if you can believe considering I am definitely not an avid birder. I did not like the experience at all. An ornithologist fellow (can't remember his name now, but he was very pleasant) and I set up a mist net across the underside of a road bridge. I cringed at how the swallows were caught and struggled for their lives to free themselves from the net while babies chirped from the nests nearby. The trapped swallows eventually sorta hung there, tangled in the net, looking pitiful. Then I had to grab them, extricate them from the netting, and crimp a ridiculous metal ring to their leg. I hoped I wasn't using too small a hole on the pliers-like device for clamping. Their legs felt so fragile. I was bitten several times while whispering to the little, warm, rapid-heart beating bodies, "I'm so sorry to do this to you." Nope, I won't go banding again anytime soon. It's not for me.

Actually, we headed to El Estero this evening for 3 reasons: 1) french fries nearby 2) look for juvenile American coots (after seeing what they looked like online, I'm really excited to see one in person 3) and get off our stinkin' computers and go outside.

pics from my hometown

Pacific Grove, California

May 9, 2010

With all the wind we had last week in the late-afternoon, it sure is nice to enjoy a calm evening stroll by the water. You can see the squid boats heading out in the second pic. I really do think they take the weekend off since we didn't see them Friday or Saturday nights. You can see a photographer with his tripod and assistant on the beach in the first pic; this is a very common sight around here. I told my husband to slug me if I ever start talking about acquiring a large tripod and massive lens. He just grinned at me. These pictures were taken from Lover's Point.