wendy5's Favorites

It was amazing to watch a Pied-billed Grebe struggle with a large Procambarus clarkii (Red Swamp Crayfish), shake it and plunge underwater, then finally swallow it whole.

This is a remarkable Orthasterias koehleri (Rainbow Star), with four short arms and one quite long one. Maybe a miraculous recovery from sea star wasting syndrome?

One of nine Great Blue Herons feasting on what I think are Apodichthys flavidus (Penpoint Gunnel). This one has TWO in its beak.

This lovely juvenile hawk (Sharp-shinned or Cooper's?) puffed all its feathers to stay warm on this bitterly cold and windy day.

From the shore, it looked like the Steller Sea Lion was furiously shaking a large fish. Photos show it was a Giant Pacific Octopus!

I think this is a Phoxichilidium femoratum (Spiny-thigh Sea Spider) <1" across; placed for photos in a plastic container and released. I was helping with the PTMSC night low tide walk.

Two male Columbian black-tailed deer locked antlers repeatedly, right in someone's front yard in Uptown!

A Rhinoceros Auklet swam and dived so close to the pier I could see it clearly.

We saw eight Ruby-crowned Kinglets flitting about in shrubs, and then these two bathed in the rain puddle. The one on the left showed his red crown.

Maybe 2,000 Cackling Geese flew in large, chattering flocks and landed in the grasslands by the wetlands, many then tucking their beaks into their wings and resting.

A young partially leucistic Columbian black-tailed deer, the only one like this I've seen in our town with hundreds of deer.

A musical European Robin sang by the ancient church.

Seven Greater Yellowlegs were catching small fish and resting near each other.

This small fish, about 3/4" long, darted out from the eelgrass during the -3.1 tide. A Buffalo Sculpin?

Several Battus philenor hirsuta (CA Pipevine Swallowtail) fluttered around the California section of the Botanical Garden, and only this one landed for photos on some type of pink allium.

A North American River Otter knew he/she was not a motor vehicle while trotting down to the marina.

One of two male Rufous Hummingbirds currently buzzing about non-stop, rarely pausing on a branch for a photo. This one was just taking off when I snapped this photo.

This Bald Eagle was eating a Giant Pacific Octopus's 2' arm, then carried the remains to a branch on the bluff and kept eating.

A male Varied Thrush with toes frozen in ice on this very cold, snowy day. Yesterday there were two Varied Thrush attracted by suet and sunflower seeds falling from a feeder, today four.

A gorgeous caterpillar on Grindelia integrifolia (Entire-leaved Gumweed). iNaturalist suggests Asteroid Moth?

These flowers growing in the water on the edge of the lake in an extremely rainy part of the Andes looked like English Daisies with very long stems, about 6" tall.

I think this may be a Speyeria zerene ssp. bremnerii (Bremner's Silverspot) nectaring on Erysimum arenicola (Cascade Wallflower).

These two immature Bald Eagles flew side by side, then tumbled together a bit, not fighting, maybe playful siblings?

We were amazed by this sole Lewisia tweedyi (Tweedy's Lewisia aka Mountain Rose) growing beside a boulder close to the river. The shimmering petals are absolutely gorgeous!

The prettiest blue Tonicella lineata (Lined Chiton) I think I've ever found.

A curious and beautiful Long-tailed Weasel watched us, then slipped away.

The first Song Sparrow singing a spring song!

Usually our River Otters are in small groups on the beaches and in the sea. This one was alone in a flooded ditch by Chinese Gardens lagoon and was very interested in me.

This Peregrine Falcon flew by and terrified about 30 Double-crested Cormorants that were resting on an enormous eucalyptus tree, then landed on the same tree.

There's often a White-winged Scoter off this beach trying to eat a crab, and succeeding.

An adorable and small (3/4") Pseudacris regilla (Northern Pacific Treefrog) was resting on a blade of grass, still in the same spot two hours later.

This is one of four 1/2" Anemones I found today in the intertidal. I dug into the sand to see its column, and after 3", it had disappeared.

The first time I've ever seen an upside-down Dirona albolineata (Frosted Nudibranch) crawling along!

A very colorful Violet-green Swallow paused on a picnic table in the campground for a portrait.

A gorgeous Western Bluebird

This Pine Siskin looks ready to build a nest. One of dozens chirping in the forest by our house and taking turns at the bird feeder.

Mutisia decurrens was growing in clumps along the road to Quila Quila. It's spectacular!

Four Southern Lapwings were walking on the edge of the lake, and one sipped water from the lake. They are very common in this area.

I think this might be a Slender-billed Parakeet? A few noisy parakeets flew from tree to tree. They are larger than the Monk Parakeet.

I think this is a White-tufted Grebe. It was one of two diving for food beside the port.

We saw three of these giant 1 m lizards my friends called Salvator meridae (merianae?). This one was walking around repeatedly putting out its long tongue like antennae.

A fabulous bird with a tall crest of black feathers and a pale eye. It was scavenging among shrubs.

A Great Blue Heron hunkering down in the 32 degree weather

This Merlin was our favorite bird on the Christmas Bird Count.

Only the second Geastrum saccatum (Earthstar) I've ever seen, and in perfect condition this time

This Harbor Seal swam right below us on the pier

I think this may be a juvenile Wood Duck?

We were delighted by three Lewis's Woodpeckers who were catching insects, large ones, then returning to the same tree.

A huge male Elephant Seal on Protection Island, photographed with a zoom lens from at least 200 meters.

One (maybe two?) Tufted Puffin near Protection Island.

One of three 1/2" Haliclystus stejnegeri (Oval-anchored Stalked Jelly) photographed during the minus tide, each a different color.

The phenomenal Bothragonus swanii (Rockhead), found by my friend in a tide pool during a minus tide, a first for us. Andy Lamb wonders about the purpose of the hole in its head.

This poor Pugettia producta (Northern Kelp Crab) was covered in kelp! I wonder if the kelp attached to the carapace before or after it molted?

Such amazing variety of coloration in the local Pseudacris regilla (Northern Pacific Treefrog).

Pigeon Guillemots were calling to each other with their heads tilted back. A courting ritual?

Two huge meadows of Olsynium douglasii (Satin Flower), the first I'd ever seen!

A beautiful wild orchid near Arenal Volcano. Our naturalist guide called it the Spanish Flag orchid.

This 2" long beetle is a pale greenish color with bumps, some larger than most.

This area has abundant Brown Pelicans, many fishing close to shore, and others resting on trees on small islands.

This Yellow-headed Caracara flew down to the beach for a quick snack. What a magnificent bird!

A few Squirrel Monkeys, including one juvenile, leapt about on trees beside our hotel room. Hard to say how many-- four maybe. A White-throated Capuchin Monkey came and chased them away.

The White-throated Monkeys groomed each other intently, with very serious expressions.

This magnificent Chestnut-mandibled Toucan was one of a pair in a tree very close to our hotel.

This Collared Araçari was feeding on fruits/berries in a tree near the Arenal Volcano. My favorite bird.

Three adult Howler Monkeys and one baby rested and moved around a bit in the trees above the beach.

We were thrilled to finally find a Turquoise-browed Motmot, right above the beach.

I was thrilled to finally see three Resplendent Quetzals , a dream of mine for many years. This female was easier to photograph than the male.

Our first Yellow-crowned Euphonias, so spectacular. Poor bird has a hurt foot.

I was thrilled to see my first White-nosed Coati yesterday, and today there were about 20 roaming the grounds of our hotel, digging into the grass. The second photo shows the long claws.

I found one tide pool with about ten Dolabrifera dolabrifera, perfectly camouflaged.