Double-Crested Cormorant
I noticed an area near the commercial wharf in Monterey harbor where the cormorants were clearly fishing. I spent some time with a 300mm lens and the camera set to take pictures at speed, shooting series as birds came up from a dive. From that I got this sequence.
Looking, the dive, waiting, and back with a fish!
See the neck of the Cormorant stretched out under the water, presumably preparing to dive. Or maybe just taking a look see!
A description I like for the cormant is "head and neck are held straight in flight, with head appearing no wider than the neck." (http://identify.whatbird.com). The description is for a Palagic Cormorant, found on the west coast, though I don't this this image is of a Palagic Cormorant - no red face and throat pouch.
A Cormorant, emerging from a dive.
Eared Grebe
Red-throated Loon.
No sign of red on these images, but winter colors for the Red-throated Loon are without red. I note the white speckled back, and the fact that they winter along the entire length of the western (and eastern) coastline.
I thought this photo sort of fun, with the loon on the crest of a wave, exposing its leg.
Pacific Loon
Winter nonbreeding plumage
Duck - a Common Merganser, female I believe, Mosses Landing, Monterey, CA
Western Scrub-Jay
What characters these birds are - well adapted to the city, not threatened by people, total show-offs! And Omni-present. These birds were in the lawn around the house - AstroTurf for the second group - what an outstanding idea putting AstroTurf on a small urban yard in an arid climate - saves a lot of water.
Coot
The coots are such sociable birds - at least these are - milling about in a common area in Monterey, along with all of the tourists. And I always laugh when I look at them - especially the feet!
Just a pigeon, I think - out on the commercial pier of Monterey.