2021 Wrap-up
January: Elephant seals are on-shore to breed and give birth
A couple of years ago, I started keeping notes on the wildlife of California. More specifically, I noted behaviors, migrations, and locations that would allow me to focus on specific animals during the seasons when they were either preoccupied with particular behaviors or simply available to see.
It didn’t take long to build a calendar of events that allowed me to optimize my time and see as much as possible. Nature photography has allowed me to explore my state and build a relationship with it where I genuinely feel at home. Each seasonal touch point gives me a deeper appreciation for California and the cyclical patterns the ecosystems have depended on for thousands of years.
I still have a lot to learn, but this year, I started down a path of deeper understanding, so I thought I’d share one highlight every month.
February: Bobcats are active year round, but in February they seem easier to spot when the grass is shorter and there’s no heat rising from the ground
March: Western snowy plovers’ breeding season begins on beach expanses
April: As orca season came roun, we spent some time on the ocean looking for them. We didn’t find any, but humpback whales were plentiful in Monterey.
May: Peregrine falcons are working hard to raise their chicks everywhere from cliffs to clock towers
June: Great white sharks are basking in warm waters off the coast
July: Baby river otters learning to hunt with mothers
August: The elk rut begins
September: Many migrating seabirds, including terns are arriving along the coast.
October: Black bears are particularly active raising cubs and fattening up before going into hibernation
November: Sandhill cranes appear in the thousands along on the Pacific Flyway
December: Burrowing owls are back for the winter
