Protecting Ones Nest Egg
Point Lobos State Park
Carmel, CA
Spring 2021

Witnessing a bird’s egg cradled in a nest is enough of a rarity to make each sighting thrilling. It can be an achievement just to find a nest much less see the secret gift it contains. Shore birds’ nests are large and often low and in the open so it makes the possibility of seeing eggs (and eventually nestlings) much greater. Still, you need to know where to go. You need to be watching when the incubating parent stands up or shift position to reveal the hidden treasure it is protecting. The glimpse may only last a second. All of these photos were taken at Point Lobos State Park in an area aptly called Bird Island.

Please do not use photographs without permission. To inquire about permission, contact Carla at: brennan.carla@gmail.com.

Santa Cruz Harbor, Santa Cruz, CA
June 2, 2021

I had heard there were great blue heron nests in the trees by the Santa Cruz Harbor. It took me a while to find them but I finally located the birds high in a large eucalyptus. Along side them were double-crested cormorant nests. I don’t know why they were all in that one tree when there were many to choose from. The young herons I saw were quite large and already fledging. You could only tell they were not quite adults by a few fuzzy feathers on their heads and their shorter tails. One fledgling was flying from branch to branch and exploring what its wings could do as well as the effects of gravity.

Please do not use photographs without permission. To inquire about permission, contact Carla at: brennan.carla@gmail.com.