Recent nature sightings

Monday morning while I was waiting for the vet's office to open so I could call them, I was outside taking pictures of the clematis volunteer in our yard and I heard a different kind of chirping than usual. I looked up and saw a fattish bird with a red breast. My guess is it was a robin but within a second or two a hummingbird came along and chased it off. LOL, feisty creatures! Then as it flew off, this bird showed up. Unfortunately I only had my 60mm macro lens on, so this is the best picture I could get.

I can't tell what kind of woodpecker it is, but I know it's a woodpecker. It looks more like a Downy Woodpecker, but I swear it was larger than that, so it would likely be a Hairy Woodpecker, but who knows, maybe it's something else altogether.

Then on Tuesday afternoon, I drove down to Monterey to meet an online girlfriend. I had a great time and it was like we were old IRL friends. She and her family were headed my way on vacation so it was a chance we just couldn't pass up.

We took a walk down the Coast Guard Pier - AKA: The Breakwater - and were treated to a wonderful show of Sea Lions and Brandt's Cormorants. Check these out!

Awwww, wasn't that sweet?

Synchronized Swimming :)

More cute babies!

Stop! You thief! This cormorant was flying AWAY from the nesting area with a bit of nesting in its beak. I was reading at the cornell site that they steal from other nests.

The nesting area... wow, just wow!

This one nearby adjusted herself and I spotted the eggs!

The blue on their necks is just amazing! And it's eyes are a bright blue as well!

I also spotted some jellyfish in the waters - never seen them before out there, and several starfish as well. Great place to hit for wildlife spotting! I'd say a little dangerous though. There isn't a barrier between humans and the sea lions and those adults are huge... although pretty docile basking in the sun.