September
9, 2004
Dawn at
low tide in Moss Landing Harbor – a Great Blue Heron scratches
an itch.
The terns we see most often in the slough are Forster's
and Caspian,
but here's a group of Elegant Terns – note the white foreheads
– resting on the harbor mudflats.
A White-crowned Sparrow tucks in its wings and puffs up against
the morning chill.
A juvenile Western Gull manages to snag a Lined
Shore Crab, and immediately an adult shows up to try to
steal it. The juvie keeps its head low to keep its prize safe,
and a minute later swallows the crab whole.
Out on the South Marsh Loop, a Lorquin's Admiral shows its colors
on one of its host plants, a willow.
On a lampost in the parking lot, the Loggerhead Shrike we've
already seen
shows itself again.
The next morning, a Great Egret cruises over the slough...
...and joins this mixed group in Strawberry Lagoon. To see a
larger version of this photo in a new window, click here.
