Half Dome, Yosemite National Park.

Half  Dome, Yosemite National Park.

Big Meadow Fire, Yosemite National Park. 26th August.

The Big Meadow Fire began as a prescribed (i.e. deliberate but controlled) fire on 26th August. However it soon got out of control the same day and wasn't fully contained until 14 days later (8th September) at a cost of $16 million. Instead of the intended 91 acres, a total of 7,000 acres were burnt. And if that wasn't enough, the area that was intended to be burnt (Big Meadow) somehow escaped the fire and remains intact.

Big Meadow Fire, Yosemite National Park. 26th August.

Big Meadow Fire, Yosemite National Park. 26th August.

Big Meadow Fire, Yosemite National Park. 26th August.

Water falling up. Waterfall caught in the wind, Yosemite National Park.

Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel.

California Gull and thousands of Brine Flies, Mono lake.

These non-biting flies covered the shore, attracting many feeding birds including Sage Thrashers, Brown-headed Cowbirds, Least Sandpipers, Rock Wrens, Brewers Sparrows and Yellow-headed Blackbirds. Getting an easy meal wasn't so easy though, as each time a bird approached, the flies would clear a circle of bare ground so that they were just out of reach.   

Sage Thrasher, Mono Lake.

Red Rock Canyon.

Rufous Hummingbird.

Heermann's Gull.

"Rain-blow".

A Humpback blows and creates a rainbow just before diving, Monterey Bay; one of two particularly inquisitive whales ("friendlies") that would have touched the boat if they'd been a smidgen closer.

Humpback, Monterey Bay.

   Humpback, Monterey Bay.  

Killer Whale spyhopping, Monterey Bay.

Killer Whales, Monterey Bay.

Part of a group of 9 in a feeding frenzy over a Dalls Porpoise.

Killer Whale, Monterey Bay.

Northern Right Whale Dolphin, Monterey Bay.

Capable of great speeds, a dolphin without a dorsal fin.

Sabines Gull, Monterey Bay.

Black-footed Albatross, Monterey Bay.

Big Sur.

California Condor.

In 1982 only 22 California Condors were left in the wild and extinction was almost inevitable. But in the same year the first captive bred Condor was born; a decision was made to capture all the remaining wild Condors and to extend the captive breeding programme. In 1992 the first re-introductions into the wild were made and in 2002 the first non-captive chick was born.  In 2008, 9 chicks successfully fledged in the wild and at least 6 are looking good for 2009. The total wild population by July 2009 was 189 birds. The future is looking brighter for the Condors but each year some needlessly die from lead poisoning (hunters ammunition) and micro-trash ingestion  (bottle tops etc eaten by birds looking for nutrients).

Sea Otter.

Snowy Egret.

California Sealions.

Marbled Godwit.

Red-necked Phalarope.

Northern Elephant Seal, Point Piedras Blancas.