SOoC

A Say’s Phoebe at Black Butte Reservoir, California

#SaysPhoebe #Birds #BirdPhotography #BlackButteReservoir #Fujifilm #CropToZoom #SOoCA flat headed Say's Phoebe bird, looking to the right, is colored brown all over with an orange belly, is perched on an oak branch, looking over a bough of oak leaves. The bird has a slight glint in its eyes and its front is sunlit. The background is bokeh of dried grass.

This basking serpent committed the most natural of acts just before #GopherSnake #ReptilePhotography #BlackButteReservoir #Fujifilm #SOoC

Upon a gravelly surface, a tan and black gopher snake rests its head on a horizontal reed, next to a clump of dead weed stems.

We went out to Black Butte Reservoir (west of Chico, CA) today and I finally photographed a Rock Wren! #RockWren #Birds #BirdPhotography #BlackButteReservoir #Fujifilm #SOoC

A long-beaked Rock Wren is posing, chest toward the camera, on some old dead wood, surrounded by twigs. It has a black spotted face and neck with some linear traces of black on its chest. It has a black stripe going from its eye to the back of its head. Its beak is long and narrow.

I don’t know what kind of spider this is, but it was pretty daring to be out in the open at Point Reyes National Seashore (late September). Most of these were in their day-time hideouts, tucked up in a shrub branch. #Arachtober #Spiders  #PointReyesNationalSeashore #Fujifilm #SOoC

Here is a contented White Crown Sparrow gorging on seeds from a plant I haven’t identified. #WhiteCrownSparrow #Birds #PointReyesNationalSeashore #Fujifilm #SOoC

A close up of a White Crown sparrow that is facing left, getting ready to tuck into some seeds with tufted tops like a dandelion but much denser, almost like cotton. Its head is prominently stripped white above its eye with a black top of the head,

Bull Elk at Point Reyes National Seashore. I had some trouble focusing, but I like the meal hanging out of his mouth #BullElk #WildlifePhotography #PointReyesNationalSeashore #Fujifilm #SOoCA Bull Elk is walking to the left in a field of dried grass and forbs. It has a bunch grass or some other vegetation hanging out of his mouth. He has very long antlers with five points. The sky is clear but hazy.

BLEP. #Blep #Deer #WildlifePhotography #PointReyesNationalSeashore #Fujifilm #SOoCA partial body shot of a young deer, looking to the right, with its tongue sticking out: BLEP. The background is all blur of brown vegetation, with a bit of green. The young deer has debris on its back, probably grass seeds. Its neck and head seem a bit small for its body. Poor thing.

There are two Ravens at the Point Reyes Lighthouse. And apparently they’re celebrities among the park staff (who are very nice & full of knowledge!). I hope all furloughed National Park staff are okay. These photos are from just before the US Government shutdown. #Ravens #Birds #BirdPhotography #PointReyesNationalSeashore #Fujifilm #SOoC

Two Ravens on a linear concrete structure that runs along Point Reyes Conglomerate. The Raven on the left has their feathers puffed out. Both are looking to the left. The blue sky peaks out a bit above the outcropping.A Raven walks along an inclined roof, with some shiny black feathers being lifted by wind. Its beak is just open and it is looking to the left. The background and the roof are completely blurred out.

Here’s a proud scrub jay with a tasty treat in its beak #WesternScrubJay #Birds #PointReyesNationalSeashore #Fujifilm #SOoC

A Western Scrubjay, with a white underbelly, and a blue upper body with a gray cape, is perched on the top of a weathered wooden post. It has some sort of insect in its beak, maybe a wasp or a hornet. It is in full profile view, though its face is shaded out.

Here are a few more photos of the Point Reyes Lighthouse from a few days ago #PointReyesNationalSeashore #Fujifilm #SOoC

The lighthouse frames the right side of the photo, where the sky is slowly being revealed by passing low clouds or fog. The sea is calm.

A view of the iconic red fog horn house on the right and the lighthouse on the left. The fog is clearing with a view port of blue sky on the right. The sun illuminates the scene.

The iconic red fog horn house with a hazy calm ocean behind it. The house is rustic and is in need of a fresh coat of paint. It has a modern electric foghorn and LED beacon setup on the peak of its roof. The building cast a stark shadow to its right (north).

#GreatBlueHeron #Birds #PointReyesNationalSeashore #Fujifilm #SOoC

A Great Blue Heron, wings spread out, appears to be aggressively stumbling through water, making a small splash with its right foot. It looks very awkward.

At Redwood National and State Parks, last July, this bat was probably sick. It’s sad to see a disoriented bat out in the open daylight and not at its roost or hibernaculum. My telephoto lens let me get a good look without disturbing it. #Myotis #Bat #Skypuppy #NorCalCoast2025 #Fujifilm #SOoCThe backside of a bat, climbing down lap siding. It is nice and fuzzy. You can see its skin lined tail connected to its feet.A brown mouse-eared bat is climbing down the lap siding of a building. Its mouth is open, as it looks down.

Adult California Gull and their chicks at the Arcata Marsh & Wildlife Sanctuary last July #CaliforniaGull #BirdPhotography #Birds #NorCalCoast2025 #Fujifilm #SOoCOn a manmade island, covered in short grass, an adult white and gray California Gull looks away from their three chicks. The chicks have fluffy brown plumage.

Brown Pelicans occupying an island at the Arcata Marsh & Wildlife Sanctuary back in July #BrownPelicans #BirdPhotography #Birds #NorCalCoast2025 #Fujifilm #SOoCA Brown Pelican comes in for a landing on a very small island in a large pond. The island is full of other brown pelicans, mostly grooming themselves. They're a dirty brown with awkwardly long necks and long, thick beaks.

Last time I was in Mendocino County, for the first time I finally saw the Stellar’s Jay. The fancy looking birds were a riot to watch flitting between trees. They were not easy to photograph being high up in the canopy. #StellarsJay #BirdPhotography #Birds #NorCalCoast2025 #Fujifilm #SOoC

The back of a Stellar's Jay, with its signature mohawk head crest, sitting on a dead branch. It is looking to the right, so its face with a very large and dark eye can be seen. There's green foliage in the background, slightly blurred.

Monday. Here’s a Song Sparrow #NorCalCoast2025 #Fujifilm #SOoC

A close-up very round brown-red Song Sparrow is hanging out at the stem of a fennel plant, looking just off axis of the camera lens.  Its chest is white with speckles.

Sorry to those that are squeamish about spiders, but this Western Spotted Orbweaver was just asking for a photoshoot. This spider took the night-shift last night in our front yard #WesternSpottedOrbWeaver #Spider #InsectPhotography #Yarden #Fujifilm #SoOC

Plan-view of a Western Orbweaver spider with a fat, round abdomen and a tiny brown cephalothorax (head). The abdomen has patterns of brown within a matrix of coffee with cream. Its spider web can be descerned from the background, which is all blurred out. Its legs alternate between brown and coffee with cream. It has hairs on its head. It has spikes on its legs.The underside of the Western Spotted Orbweaver, which appears reddish probably because of light conditions. It has four clear white spots on its abdomen and an elongated white spot just below its head. Its chelicerae are visible. The background is completely blurred out.

#RedSidedGarterSnake #Snakes #SnakePhotography #NorCalCoast2025 #Fujifilm #SoOCA Red-sided garter snake is amidst grass and forbs, with its head facing the camera and its body resting  in a U-shape such that part of the snake wraps around to comes towards the camera. The snake has red and dark grey patterned sides with beige stripes along the bottom and top. The snake's upper head is red with large eyes. Its mouth is beige.

Trail on the Trillium Falls Trail at Redwood National and State Parks #FootPathFriday #RedwoodsNP #Redwoods #NorCalCoast2025 #Fujifilm #SOoC

A dirt footpath that is set with diamond cement stones has shadows cast on it in a wooded area full of ferns and conifer trees. A person with dark clothes, a back pack, and a shade hat is down the path. A tree casts a shadow directly on the path.

#WhiteTailedKite #Birds #BirdPhotography #NorCalCoast2025 #Fujifilm #SoOC

A White-tailed kite, soaring above under overcast skies, is gliding away from the camera, showing its belly and an eye. It has a mostly white body with its wings fading to grey. Its neck has a rust-red collar.

#Wrensday #MarshWren #Birds #BirdPhotography #NorCalCoast2025 #Fujifilm #SoOC

A tiny Marsh Wren, kind of far from the photographer, is perched on a reed, just below a fluffy cat-tail head. The Marsh Wren is looking to the right, with its near vertical short tail just visible behind the reed. It is within a sea of other cat tails, all with fluffy stuff hanging off them.

#Rabbit #RabbitPhotography #NorCalCoast2025 #Fujifilm #SoOC

A relaxed brown little rabbit, in profile view, sits on a path in front of some thorny berry bushes.

Redwoods, likely grown together, on the Trillium Falls Trail at Redwood National and State Parks #ThickTrunkTuesday #RedwoodsNP #Redwoods #NorCalCoast2025 #Fujifilm #SOoC

A very thick trunk red wood is straight down a foot path through a wooded area. The tree top of the giant redwood can be viewed at the top of the photo, as it has broken through the canopy and is shining brightly in sunlight. Below its canopy, everything is shaded with some dappled sunlight.

#GreaterYellowLegs #Birds #BirdPhotography #NorCalCoast2025 #Fujifilm #SoOC

A Greater Yellowlegs shorebird has a small fish or minnow hanging from its beak. The bird is mostly grey with black vertical markings here and there, especially on its wings. Its eyes are very dark and its legs are orange yellow. It is standing alone in a very shallow pond on an overcast day.

#SilentSunday #GreatEgret #NorCalCoast2025 #Fujifilm #SoOC

Far in the foggy distance, a hoard of bright white Great Egrets commune atop very tall trees. This is likely a rookery. They can be seen near each other and sometimes there are further away introverted egrets. The trunks of the trees are just visible below the egrets resting in the canopy.

#GreatEgret #Birds #BirdPhotography #NorCalCoast2025 #Fujifilm #SoOC

A very close Great Egreg stands tall in a pond, both black legs visible, looking to the right. Its yellow eyes and closed orange beak stand out. The Egret has traces of brown sludge on its neck and tail. Its reflection is in the pond, though it is slightly obscured by some extremely blurry vegetation.

That’s a beak-full. Took some time for them to swallow the whole fish. #GreatEgret #Birds #BirdPhotography #NorCalCoast2025 #Fujifilm #SoOC

A Great Egret. all white except its black legs, stands on the shore of a pond, with a fish horizontal in its beak. The fish head and tail can be seen. An uncaring brown duck paddles past. Behind the egret is a grassy area that has been cut back to bare soil by past pond high water.

Who wants grubs? #AmericanRobin #Birds #BirdPhotography #NorCalCoast2025 #Fujifilm #SoOC

An American Robin has a beak full of grubs! It is very close to the camera, perhaps standing on a gravel path. It is looking away from the camera, standing tall and proud. The robin has a gray back and red chest and belly.

“Bruh!” (as captioned by a friend) #BlackCappedChickadee #Birds #BirdPhotography #NorCalCoast2025 #Fujifilm #SoOC

A Black-capped Chickadee is perched on a oblique reed, with its beak open, singing. It has a black cap. a while stripe under its eyes, a black chin, gray wings, and a white belly and chest. The background is blurred vegetation.

Since you all love Swallows, here’s one that’s comfy on the outside of their nest box #TreeSwallow #Birds #BirdPhotography #NorCalCoast2025 #Fujifilm #SoOC

A Tree Swallow is perched on the top of a wooden bird box. The tree swallow has a blue head and shoulders, gray wings, and a white belly and chest. The bird box is on a metal T post. There are visible scratches below the bird box hole. In the background is bokeh vegetation, probably tree foliage.