Male Anna's Hummingbird bobs up and down while feeding

 

We often get hummingbirds visiting our feeder in the backyard. I had my phone out and ready to record today, so I tried following this hummingbird and saw the bobbing action when I played it back. Anna's hummingbird males have a throat that shines red when the light hits it just right. They have become year-round residents of California's Central Valley thanks to all the people putting out hummingbird feeders or planting plants that flower during the colder months. Enjoy!

Remember, it's not just a picture, it's a story.

Yellow-bellied marmot on the move, Kings Canyon

The yellow-bellied marmot is also called the rock chuck, closely related to the wood chuck. We encountered this one at our campsite in Evolution Valley in the northern region of Kings Canyon National Park. It was the morning after a rainy evening and we were setting our gear out to dry in the morning sun. This marmot came along, seemed to have something to eat while hiding in a crevice, then came out to search around the area for more food. It didn't seem to mind our presence that much, so we had a chance to take 20 - 30 images.

I used my camera that has a 50x zoom lens so we didn't have to be that close. We didn't want to disturb him and for him to show natural behaviors. I got lucky in taking this image while he had his rear right foot off the ground while he was on the move. He hung around camp for about 20 minutes or so.

Remember, it's not just a picture, it's a story!

A female elephant seal flips sand onto its back to stay cool, at Año Nuevo State Park, California

This female elephant seal was resting at Año Nuevo State Park, in California. Because elephant seals have so much blubber to stay warm in the cold water, they tend to overheat when they're not in the water. To keep cool, elephant seals will try to find cool spots to lie on and will flip sand onto their backs to create a little shade on their skin. 

We observed these elephant seals during a guide hike conducted by docents with the state park. During the breeding season for the elephant seals, hikers must go with a guide on an organized trip to protect the seals. Our guide had a lot of great stories to tell and photos of himself and the elephant seals when he used to do research on this species. He even had a picture of himself using an elephant seal as his pillow while he took a nap.

The elephant seal species was nearly wiped out by sealers, but their population has come back strong. One interesting aspect of their recovery is that historically they would only breed on islands, not on the mainland. Now they are hauling out on the mainland for breeding. So what prevented them from breeding on the mainland in the past? The California grizzly bear, which is now extinct due to human activity.

Remember, it's not just a picture, it's a story!