captive

March 22, 2013

Monterey Bay Aquarium – Sandy Shore Exhibit

My favorite exhibit at the Monterey Bay Aquarium is the Sandy Shore Exhibit, a constructed habitat for a variety of local shorebirds, which for one reason or another have become captive and can no longer survive in the wild.

A sanderling rests in an injured bird care facility, Monterey Bay Aquarium

Image Page

Here is a sanderling, which can be found up and down California’s coast. While they can be seen regularly roosting on the beach, it was great to be able to get up close and really appreciate each bird’s attributes.

I spoke to a docent at the exhibit, who said that many of these birds had been injured in the wild, and can not be rehabilitated to the point that they can be released. Others were born in captivity at zoos and other facilities, and made their way to the aquarium due to its excellent reputation.

A ruddy turnstone stands in sand in an injured bird care facility, Monterey Bay Aquarium

Image Page

These birds receive excellent care, being given food, shelter, and even extra attention for their young. The birds were quite comfortable with the visitors moving through their habitat, and proceeded with their natural behavior. With no glass or obstruction between the viewer and the habitat, you were able to feel as if you were amongst the birds instead of just viewing them from a different environment.

A dunlin has a relatively easy life in an injured bird care facility, Monterey Bay Aquarium

Image Page

In addition to the dunlin and ruddy turnstone above, which are regular San Francisco bay area residents, a black-bellied plover was present in its winter colors. This plover is one of those difficult species to identify that can look like a completely different bird in the summer verses the winter. As I have been learning to ID birds, I find myself needing to learn not only each species, but each plumage a species can display throughout the year.

A black-bellied plover in winter colors stands in a natural setting within an injured bird care facility, Monterey Bay Aquarium

Image Page

I was able to get excellent views of a semipalmated plover, which I’ve had bad luck with in the wild. The few times I’ve seen one have been at such a distance as to make it not possible to photograph. While photographing captive birds doesn’t really “count” per se, I still enjoyed the opportunity to see one up close.

A banded semipalmated plover stands in sand in an injured bird care facility, Monterey Bay Aquarium

Image Page

I would highly recommend a visit to the aquarium, particularly this exhibit. Captive animals can serve as a great means by which to practice photography, especially if you do not have long lenses in your arsenal. Most of the shots here were taken between 200 and 300mm, all hand held. I’ll be sure to get back there soon.

March 15, 2013

Monterey Bay Aquarium

Late last year I finally made it to the Monterey Aquarium for the first time. In addition to fish and water mammals, I was happy to see a variety of birds there, including an excellent local injured bird care facility (stay tuned for a future post specifically covering those birds). I hope to make it back soon, because there is so much to see there (I didn’t even make it all the way around in one visit). Here are a few of my personal highlights.

First up, in the seahorse exhibit, was the leafy seadragon.

A leafy seadragon swims at an exhibit at the Monterey Bay Aquarium

This master of disguise was quite amazing to watch moving about its tank. I would love to see one in its natural environment to see how well it can blend into surrounding vegetation.

The aquarium had a quite extensive jellyfish collection as well.

Jellyfish move through a water exhibit at the Monterey Bay Aquarium

And of course, no aquarium is complete without many, many fish. Here is a large bony fish (I didn’t catch the species of this one, and he looked rather grumpy so I didn’t bother asking him).

A large bony fish swims in a water tank at the Monterey Bay Aquarium

One of my favorite fish seen that day was the ocean sunfish, mostly because if its sheer size.

An enormous ocean sunfish swims in a large tank at the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

The sunfish is the heaviest known bony fish in the world, with an average weight of 2200 pounds. The largest specimens can be over 10 feet in length, 14 feet across the fins, and weigh up to 5100 pounds.

And of course some birds! Here are two species I’d have to travel to Alaska to see in the wild: the tufted puffin and the horned puffin.

Tufted puffin headshots are possible at an exhibit at the Monterey Bay Aquarium

A horned puffin stands alone in an exhibit at the Monterey Bay Aquarium

I highly recommend a visit here, particularly if you can get there on a non-field trip week day. Other days can get quite busy. There is a ton to see, and it is hard to beat the beauty of the surrounding coastline of Pacific Grove and Carmel.

November 23, 2009January 14, 2013

Peregrine Falcon Stare (Photo of the week)

A Peregrin Falcon stares down the camera

The Koret Animal Resource Center in San Francisco not only provides programs to educate children about wild animals, but also offers visitors an up close view of injured and rehabilitated birds-of-prey. This allows the photographer to shoot intimate portraits of birds almost never encountered in the wild at this distance. Because the eyes of birds-of-prey are set side by side (giving them depth perception), I wanted to get a shot of one looking directly into the lens. This peregrine falcon was was happy to oblige, as he seemed fascinated by the sound of the camera.

November 2, 2009January 14, 2013

Peacock In Full Display (Photo of the week)

A peacock displays its plumage during mating season

This week’s photo was taken this spring at the San Francisco Zoo. Many zoos across the country allow peacocks to roam free amongst the visitors and animal exhibits. On this day I was lucky enough to witness 15 separate plumage displays, as the males were trying to catch the attention of the hens.

Although people “ohh” and “ahh” over the beautiful colors of the feathers when displayed from the front side, it is actually the tail and backside of the feathers that is meant to attract potential mates. When in full display, peacocks will often slowly turn in a circle, in order to show off its backside in as many directions as possible.