Wildlife

Pelicans of La Jolla

The Best Ever La Jolla Brown Pelican Winter Season Ever, Ever

I'm shooting the La Jolla pelicans often this winter; see recent blog posts about La Jolla Pelicans as well as a gallery of my favorite brown pelican photos. In November I decided to spend a lot of time photographing the pelicans in La Jolla to see what a really dedicated…

Phil CollaJanuary 30, 2023

Pelicans of La Jolla Slideshow

Favorite California Brown Pelican Images of 2022/2023 on Youtube

Enjoy some of my favorite California brown pelican photographs from the winter season 2022/2023. Lots of flight, portrait, head throw and other image types. Select HD quality if you can. Cheers and thanks for looking!

Phil CollaJanuary 28, 2023

Pelicans of La Jolla Seabird

Images of Brown Pelicans in Soft Overcast Light and Against Big Surf, Winter 2022/2023, Part IX

I'm shooting the La Jolla pelicans often this winter; see recent blog posts about La Jolla Pelicans as well as a gallery of my favorite brown pelican photos. This winter certainly has turned out to be great for bird photography in La Jolla. We have had a large number of…

Phil CollaJanuary 16, 2023

Pelicans of La Jolla Seabird

Visualizing the Brown Pelican Bill Throw with Animated GIFs, Winter 2022/2023, Part VIII

Want to Photograph the Head Throw of the California Brown Pelican? This is what you can expect: head throws visualized via animated GIF images. The head throw is a cool maneuver and a challenge to photograph well, with a clean background and nothing intruding in from the edges of the…

Phil CollaJanuary 14, 2023

Sea Lion Slideshow

Favorite California Sea Lion Photos of 2022 on Youtube

Enjoy some of my favorite California sea lion photographs from 2022. Select HD quality if you can. Cheers and thanks for looking!

Phil CollaJanuary 10, 2023

Pelicans of La Jolla Seabird

Pelicans Soaring Along Cliffs After the Storm, Winter 2022/2023, Part VII

I'm shooting the La Jolla pelicans often this winter; see recent blog posts about La Jolla Pelicans as well as a gallery of my favorite brown pelican photos. Our stretch of near-perfect weather for bird photography came to an abrupt end around New Years, with the arrival of a projected…

Phil CollaJanuary 4, 2023

Pelicans of La Jolla Seabird

Pelican Portraiture in Overcast Light, Winter 2022-2023, Part VI

In overcast light there is really only one type of photograph I am looking to make: a portrait. Overcast skies can be thought of an enormous soft box, diffusing the light so it has little or no directionality. That means no shadows, which can be a good look for portraits!…

Phil CollaDecember 30, 2022

Pelicans of La Jolla Seabird

Brown Pelican Glottis Exposure: A Curious Seabird Behavior

Glottis exposure -- what is it? A "glottis exposure" is a not-so-well described pelican behavior. I have seen it thousands of times among California brown pelicans but didn't know the proper term for it until recently, when I became aware of some guy on Twitter who described what the behavior…

Phil CollaDecember 29, 2022

Seabird

Royal Terns in La Jolla, Sterna maxima

I've got a couple places in La Jolla that I go to to photograph animals or seabirds. Lately, one of those spots has had many Royal Terns (Sterna maxima). These images illustrate both non-breeding plumage (which is distinguished by the tern's black head cap only covering the back of the…

Phil CollaDecember 29, 2022

Birds Bosque del Apache New Mexico

A Bird Photography Weekend at Bosque del Apache NWR, December 2022

I had been discussing the possibility of re-visiting Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge in New Mexico for the last several months with Skip Stubbs, and we finally decided to commit a weekend and get out there. It had been 12 years since I was last there and I was…

Phil CollaDecember 28, 2022

Pelicans of La Jolla Seabird

Goldfish Point Pelicans: the Gift that Keeps on Giving, Winter 2022/2023, Part V

I'm shooting the La Jolla pelicans often this winter; see recent blog posts about La Jolla Pelicans as well as a gallery of my favorite brown pelican photos. Our wonderful weather and bird activity continues. It's the day after Christmas and the rest of the country remains freezing and in…

Phil CollaDecember 27, 2022

Pelicans of La Jolla Seabird

A Very Good, Not So Bad Pelican Photo Day, Winter 2022/2023, Part IV

If, like me, you enjoy photographing pelicans, Christmas came a day early this year. Well, sort of. I had to get some bread at Girard Gourmet for Christmas dinner, so went into La Jolla early on Dec 24. I had been photographing 3 of the previous 4 mornings but the…

Phil CollaDecember 26, 2022

Pelicans of La Jolla Seabird

Pelican Yoga, Winter 2022/2023, Part III

When photographing the birds in La Jolla, lately I have found myself trying to capture their bizarre contortions and realized these birds are the original yoga practitioners! (When brown pelicans bend their head backward to their back it is usually as a part of preening, so that the preen oil…

Phil CollaDecember 24, 2022

Islas Coronado Sea Lion Underwater Photography

A Huge Mellow California Sea Lion Bull, and a Sea Lion Pup’s Odd Coat

My efforts to photograph California sea lions (Zalophus californianus) this fall were not as productive as in the past, due to a combination of cancelled trips, poor weather, dirty water and a lack of sunshine. But on my last scheduled day diving in the Coronados this year I did have a…

Phil CollaDecember 23, 2022

Pelicans of La Jolla Seabird

California Brown Pelicans in La Jolla, Winter 2022/2023, Part II

The first few weeks in December were generally great for photographing a variety of subjects in La Jolla with the exception of La Jolla's California brown pelicans (Pelecanus occidentalis), at least on the mornings I was there. The pelicans seemed to be mostly gone, perhaps offshore foraging or just occupying cliffs that…

Phil CollaDecember 21, 2022

Pelicans of La Jolla Seabird

Interesting Variations in California Brown Pelican Plumage, Pelecanus occidentalis, Winter 2022/2023 Part I

This is the time of year that I photograph in La Jolla often, and California brown pelicans are one of my favorite subjects. Adult brown pelicans are now entering the period when they display vibrant breeding and non-breeding winter plumage. And there is a variety of juvenile plumage to be…

Phil CollaDecember 20, 2022

Islas Coronado Sea Lion Underwater Photography

California Sea Lion Pups: Instagram Models and Another Runway Image

This year has been a challenge as far as diving locally is concerned. I had multiple trips planned to Mexico's Coronado Islands but so far only one has really produced any good diving and images. Here are some photographs from a single long dive at Lobster Shack, enjoying the company…

Phil CollaDecember 2, 2022

Pelicans of La Jolla Seabird

Perfect Conditions in La Jolla for Pelican Photography

November is a bit early for the best displays of California brown pelican breeding plumage. But we recently had a week-long run of perfect weather to photograph mornings in La Jolla. By perfect I mean just the right combination of sunlight, wind, certain water conditions (hint: think how the water…

Phil CollaNovember 29, 2022

Fur Seal Guadalupe Island Mexico Underwater Photography

Guadalupe Fur Seal Photos Underwater, Isla Guadalupe, Mexico

Guadalupe fur seals (Arctocephalus townsendi) can be found in small colonies along Guadalupe Island, resting in shallow water and hauled out on rocks. In fact, their coloration is such a fine match for the dark volcanic rocks that make up the coastline of Guadalupe Island that they are often hard to…

Phil CollaNovember 10, 2022

Argentina Underwater Photography Whales

New Photos of Southern Right Whales in Argentina, Eubalaena australis

After a three year break, I made it back to Peninsula Valdes with friends in September for another visit with Southern Right Whales (Eubalaena australis). There were two sessions planned and I was looking forward to both. The first was filled with sunny weather, inquisitive whales and generally great conditions.…

Phil CollaNovember 8, 2022

Argentina Underwater Photography Whales

Courtship and Mating Groups Among Southern Right Whales

Courting groups of whales are spectacular. I have seen many humpback courting groups (aka, active groups, or heat runs, although the latter is misleading) in Hawaii and, at one time in my life, was tasked with getting in the water to determine who the focal animals were (female and male)…

Phil CollaOctober 26, 2022

Argentina Whales

Southern Right Whale White Calf, Peninsula Valdes, Argentina

About 5% of southern right whale calves are born white, although that is a rough statistic which varies from year to year, study to study and which population is studied (Argentina or South Africa). A white calf is not an albino though, since it lacks the pink eyes of true…

Phil CollaOctober 25, 2022

Argentina Sea Lion Underwater Photography

South American Sea Lions, Otaria flavescens, Peninsula Valdes, Argentina

When I was in Argentina recently to photograph southern right whales, one of our secondary goals was to also photograph South American sea lions (Otaria flavescens), aka "southern sea lions". In 2019 we had spent a little time with them near Puerto Madryn, but that rookery is heavily visited…

Phil CollaOctober 24, 2022

Argentina Elephant Seal

Southern Elephant Seal Giving Birth, Peninsula Valdes, Argentina

While in Argentina recently to photograph southern right whales, we had a stretch of unfavorable weather with winds too high to get out on the water. So we drove from Puerto Piramides to Punta Norte and Caleta Valdes to check out the Magellanic penguins (which were just starting to arrive…

Phil CollaOctober 24, 2022

La Jolla Sea Lion

La Jolla’s Amazing Body Surfing Sea Lions

One of my photographic projects the last couple years has been the California Sea Lion colony in La Jolla. I spend a lot of time making portraits of them on rocky Point La Jolla. These are beautiful animals and I try to depict them as such. But where sea lions…

Phil CollaMarch 14, 2022

Birds

Walking on Water – Rushing Grebes at Lake Hodges, San Diego

Yesterday was a wonderful morning on Lake Hodges, in north San Diego County. I went out hoping to see Western Grebes and Clark's Grebes Rushing. The day before a storm system had passed through, but surprisingly it dawned clear and still the morning I was to go out. As I…

Phil CollaMarch 8, 2022

Sea Lion

Sea Lion Entanglement and Injury by Fishing Line and Fishing Net

Too many times I have come across sea lions entangled and injured by fishing line. It sickens me. For each sea lion that survives such a mess, I believe there are many others than do not survive. In fact, I believe many that become entangled in fishing line or nets…

Phil CollaMarch 2, 2022

Pelicans of La Jolla Seabird Wisdom

Photographing California Brown Pelicans at the La Jolla Cliffs

Here are my thoughts and recommendations for photographing California brown pelicans in La Jolla. If you like these photos, you can also see lots more blog posts from past sessions photographing California brown pelicans in La Jolla. Or, I've got a gallery of some keepers on my website, but most…

Phil CollaFebruary 28, 2022

Pelicans of La Jolla Seabird

Late Season Brown Pelican Flight and Portrait Photos, 2022

While February does bring a pronounced fading in the colorful breeding plumage of the California brown pelican, it also brings a near-absence of other photographers and as a partial result, a lot of birds on the cliffs. There are usually at least a few that are still exhibiting beautiful colors.…

Phil CollaFebruary 27, 2022

Seabird

Black Oystercatcher, Haematopus bachmani, La Jolla

I don't have the discipline to be a real bird photographer, but when seabirds (which are my favorites) walk right up to me I will of course do my best to get an image. This black oystercatcher (Haematopus bachmani) was walking among the sea lions on Alligator Head one recent…

Phil CollaFebruary 4, 2022

Pelicans of La Jolla Seabird

Photos of California Brown Pelicans in Flight, 2021/2022

This winter my bird photography goal was to make about a dozen strong images of California brown pelicans in flight. I've been out many mornings photographing them. In late December I had some productive days with a run of four straight mornings during which conditions were ideal. There was nobody…

Phil CollaJanuary 30, 2022

Pelicans of La Jolla Seabird Wisdom

Photographing the Head Throw of the California Brown Pelican in La Jolla

I photograph brown California brown pelicans (Pelecanus occidentalis). A lot. I love them, they are at once both graceful and awkward. They surf. They dive. They eat fish. They live along the coast of California. All things I like to do too! Here are some of my favorite images, showing…

Phil CollaJanuary 23, 2022

Pelicans of La Jolla Seabird

California Brown Pelican Portraits and Head Throws, 2021/2022

I usually photograph California brown pelicans in La Jolla from late December through February. I spent many mornings photographing them already this season, and am mainly interested in flight images. But it is hard to resist a beautiful portrait or head throw when a pelican decides to oblige, especially when…

Phil CollaJanuary 21, 2022

Birds

Allen’s Hummingbird, Adult Male, La Jolla

I came across this gorgeous tiny male Allen's Hummingbird (Selasphorus sasin) while walking the coast trail in La Jolla. I had actually seen this specific bird on one particular shrub repeatedly over several days, and one an overcast morning decided to stop and take its portrait. Cheers, and thanks for…

Phil CollaJanuary 20, 2022

Pelicans of La Jolla Seabird

Ghost Pelicans

I photograph California brown pelicans often, and lately have been working on different ways to portray them besides being lit by the warm morning sun. Well before sunrise, I have been out trying to capture them as they glide over waves or approach the seaside cliffs of La Jolla. I…

Phil CollaJanuary 19, 2022

Seabird

Cormorant Coming in Hot

Cormorants are another of my favorite birds. I've spent a lot of time underwater with them, watching as they submerge -- up to 100' deep! -- and hunt through schools of bait, or pick around among detritus on the sea floor. Photographing them in flight is not one of strong…

Phil CollaJanuary 14, 2022

Pelicans of La Jolla San Diego Seabird

Overcast Light, Pelican Portrait, Surf Background

It looks like our run of clear mornings may be coming to an end for a while. I knew this change brought the potential for a colorful sunrise, so I made my way downtown very early and caught some great light and clouds over the San Diego City Skyline. The…

Phil CollaJanuary 11, 2022

Pelicans of La Jolla Seabird

Preening, Seabirds and the Uropygial Gland

On Preening, Seabirds and the Uropygial Gland Many birds, including most seabirds, preen their feathers. This involves spreading a substance known as "preen oil", secreted from the uropygial gland (preen gland) near the base of the bird's tail, to feathers all over the body. The preen oil protects the feathers…

Phil CollaJanuary 10, 2022

Pelicans of La Jolla Seabird Wisdom

On Instability, or, A Small Change in Perspective Goes a Long Way

Instability: the characteristic of a system in which a small change in inputs leads to relatively much larger change in output. I was first introduced to the formal idea of instability as a graduate student at UCSD in a series of lectures offered by William Nachbar, one of my favorite…

Phil CollaJanuary 5, 2022

Pelicans of La Jolla Sea Lion Wisdom

Front Lit Portraiture, or Why I Point My Shadow at My Subject

I unabashedly use front lighting on my subjects, especially those photographed with long lenses where separation between subject and background can be achieved through depth of field. Side- and back-lighting have their places, and are often effective at rendering a subject in an interesting or compelling way. But I tend…

Phil CollaJanuary 1, 2022

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