Sea otters are such fun to watch - playful, visible. Often they can be found in kelp beds, perhaps tethered and floating as a group - and too far for a good picture. But I came across a chanel leading into an inner harbor, and the tide was coming in. Sea otters were drifting in with the current, diving to find food at the bottom and then floating on the surface to eat. All conveniently close to the edge of the channel for a good photo!
Dolphins, seen from a whale watch, seagoddesswhalewatch.com, originating from Moss Landing, just north of Monterey, late January 2017. There was not much whale action on this particular day, but a pod of perhaps 400 dolphins provided an extended show. The image above might give an idea of the large number of dolphins.
Rabbits
This baby rabbit fits easily in a person's hand - hard to judge size in a photo. The rabbit lived under our chicken coop for a time, and was very often out in the yard just outside the coop nibbling on the grasses.
Turtles
Snapping Turtle
It is not very often that I get to tie off a story nine months later.
Last June I discovered a snapping turtle in our garden – excavating like crazy in with the tomatoes. This was a big snapping turtle – not one to mess with! The garden is just up from the river, still extended river bank, and I understand it is not unusual for turtles to walk up and take advantage of freshly turned garden. So of course I ran home for my camera and took several hundred photos of the poor turtle while she did her best to ignore me and lay her eggs.
Later I came back – she was finished with her egg laying and was caught in the fencing around the garden, trying to get back to the river. I have heard that you can hold out a stick – the snapper will clamp on, and then you can lift the turtle and walk it back to the river. Well – this turtle clamped on and snapped the stick – and it was not an insignificant twig! What to do? I grabbed very firmly hold of her shell, either side, back near the tail – bracing for her, but not even close to anticipating the violence with which she would explode!! She made noise, her head was very fast, and she struck over and over with her head, trying to reach my hands. And her feet tried very hard to reach my hands. Fortunately I had picked my spot well and held on tight, walked back to the river bank and released her.
All summer I kept her eggs protected – I looked snapping turtles up and expected them to hatch in August. I never did see them – others at the garden have seen the little guys from other turtles migrating down to the river.
But – today I was planting my garden. I mentioned the story to the guy next plot over, and he said if the turtle had hatched, the eggs would be in the garden. So we looked around – and found some!!
The egg shell
My outdoor time is with my dogs - two golden retrievers - generally very well behaved and quiet - no barking. Never-the-less, it is rare that I see turtles - they have long since hidden from the advance guard of the dogs by the time I arrive on the scene. I have had to resort to patiently parking in a comfortable spot and looking over the far shore and opportune logs and other high spots, out from the sphere of the dogs.
Deer
A deer swam out from the shore of this lake, coming into my view as just a pair of ears coming up from the water. I did not know that deer swim - turns out they are very good swimmers, and apparently can swim as many as ten miles at a time. This deer swam across the lake to a peninsula on the other side - about a quarter mile - and did not take very long to make the trip!
