Wednesday, September 17, 2008

More Of The Weekend

One of the things I like about going to my friend's place in Cambria is that we walk a lot. There are several boardwalks (literally) on either side of town that meander along the coastline and through the woods that making walking easy. Otherwise the paths are generally wide and well groomed.

On Saturday we did the short walk along Moonstone Beach to Leffingwell Landing and just a bit beyond and then returned. I didn't take my camera with me on that jaunt but the ocean on that day was very calm with a wide array of blues and greens.

On Sunday we drove up to William Randolph Hearst State Memorial Beach and walked up on the spit of land that juts out into the ocean. I got a good picture or two there.


On Monday we went to the San Simeon State Park and did a little birdwatching at the beach before we headed for the trail.

I'm not positive of the id's of these birds but I think they are:

great blue heronmallard ducks (male and female)
brown pelican
western sandpiper (even though there is a plover breeding ground right there the beak seems too long for a plover)red breasted merganser
red shouldered hawk

Like I said, we aren't 100 percent sure so if anyone knows better please tell me so I can make a correction.

After looking at the birds we headed for the trail and ended up going the wrong way. We wound up in the campground and had to back track to the beach. While we were heading back I got a little bit excited. I saw a flash of something scurrying into the dense brush and the first thing I could think of popped out of my mouth. "JAGUAR!" Okay, I knew it wasn't a jaguar or a mountain lion but I also knew it wasn't a feral housecat. Sure enough, it soon peeked back out on the other side.

It's kind of hard to see it here but it's a bobcat!

That sighting really made my day.

One of the pictures I forgot to post yesterday was this intrepid squirrel at the house. He'll do whatever it takes to get his breakfast.

I had a great time at the beach this past weekend. It was very relaxing and hopefully I won't have to wait too long before we go again!

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Bravo, Bravissimo! Beautiful!!

You are indeed blessed to be able to spend time in a Cambrian cottage with your friend.

Ah, to visit Cambria again. (I'd even share breakfast with the squirrel!) Such beautiful surrounds.

Love, M

Anonymous said...

Tina,
Your pictures are even better than yesterdays. Now you have brought back memories to me & I now remember where Cambria is. I clearly remember Moonstone beach & Leffingwell Landing. Moonstone beach is where I saw the most breathtaking sunset in my life, & I saw some nice otters at Leffingwell Landing. At William Randolph Hearst Beach I saw the first pelican I have ever seen. My entire trip along highway 1 was so beautiful I think of it often. I'm thinking of taking a trip soon to Morrow Bay, so I can do some more exploring along the coast. I really feel the need to rest & relax at Avila Beach for a while. Thanks for posting your wonderful pictures-they cheered me up. The bobcat picture is great!

Anonymous said...

Oh my goodness a bobcat!! I can't wait to hear what your teacher says about your pictures, it better be fantastic, those pictures look professional!! I think you need to do a calendar for Christmas!!
Patti

tina f. said...

Thanks, everyone. The camera really does do all the work! :)

Jenn, it's a Nikon D40x. I got it at Costco as a kit with the camera bag, camera body, two lenses, and a couple of cd's.

I love digital cameras so much better than film. You can take a gazillion pictures and keep the best ones, then start all over again without having to waste money on film or developing! (Although I'm sure film has its place too.)