Images of San Mateo

	The Oakland Fire The smoke from the Oakland fire of 1991 was visible from Foster City.
	Elephant Seal Elephant Seals were once thought to be extinct, but thanks to preservation efforts, Ano Nuevo State Park is one of their rookeries.
	Three Surf Birds These three whimbrels were walking along the beach, looking for treasure.
	A Burrowing Owl San Mateo County has burrowing owls.
	Spanish Moss Spanish Moss covered this plant at Ano Nuevo.
	Black-necked Stilts Although Palo Alto is really in Santa Clara county, I've included these stilts in the gallery for San Mateo.
	A Curlew This curlew was outside my apartment. Just a short walk away is the San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge, a good spot to see birds.
	A Great Blue Heron This heron is in its white phase.
	A kite in flight The refuge has kites.
	A Kestrel in Foster City This kestrel was hanging about with its mate at the elementary school.
	Northern Pintail Also in Palo Alto, this Northern Pintail was a good test for my new lens.
	Coots The coots were at the Palo Alto duck pond.
	Ruddy Ducks Rounding out the visitors to the duck pond were these Ruddy Ducks.
	Black Turnstones Pigeon Point was the location for these Black Turnstones, caught in flight over the Pacific Ocean.
	Red-shouldered Hawk Coming back, near Half Moon Bay, we saw this Red-Shoulder perched on a wire.
	Whimbrel A whimbrel was walking on the rocks near Pillar's Point.
	Black-crowned Night Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax) This is one of two night herons that alit outside my bedroom window a while back. This one is clearly in breeding plumage, and was a magnificent sight.

	Elephant Seal An elephant seal asleep at Anu Nuevo.
	Elephant Seal Making noise at Ano Nuevo.

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	Black Phoebe (Sayornis nigricans) This black phoebe was at the Mountain View Baylands. Also in Santa Clara County, but close to home.
	Cinnamon Teal (Anas cyanoptera) This is a cinnamon teal, one of the most beautiful teals.
	Black Skimmers (Rynchops niger) These eleven black skimmers are the first to return to Mountain View.
	Green Heron (Butorides virescens) This green heron sat for a long time for me.
	Green Heron Here is a look from another angle

	Building Side This is what the pinholes looked like against my building.
	Building Side Another look.
	Near Maximum Here the crescents are at their thinnest.
	Man-made Pinhole I made this pinhole by forming my hand into an "O" and casting the shadow on the ground.

	Pacific Ocean There was a serious storm in December, 2002.
	Pacific Ocean While in Foster City, we were buffeted with several inches of rain, and near hurricane force winds,
	Pacific Ocean the seas at Pescadero were very rough..
	Pacific Ocean Some were thirty feet.

	An Avocet An avocet at the Palo Alto Baylands.
	An Avocet The same avocet.
	Avocet More of the same.
	Avocet Still looking at the same avocet.
	Avocets A pair of avocets.
	Baby Barn Swallows Baby barn swallows crying for food.
	Baby Barn Swallows Still hungry!
	Black-Necked Stilt A black-necked stilt.
	Black-Necked Stilt The stilt is calling.
	Black-Necked Stilts The stilt family.
	Black-Necked Stilts More of the family.
	Black-Necked Stilts And more.
	Egret This egret was visible in the distance.
	Black-Necked Stilts Back to the stilts. Note the faked injury.
	An Egret This egret was wading in the mud.
	An Egret Another look.

	First Cooper's Hawk This was the coop looking at my cat. She was outside my window.
	Second Cooper's Hawk (Back View) There was a second juvenile Coop on the same tree. Initially, I had a rear view.
	Front View I wakled to see the face of the bird, and took these pictures. She flew to attack a squirrel.
	First Coop I went back to the first to get some better pictures. These birds were very patient with me.
	Ground Squirrel This is the squirrel that the second coop tried to catch for breakfast.