Some cool wildlife animals images:
1 of 6 Pacific Loon in distress, rescued by Dani Nicholson of Pacific Wildlife Care, Morro Bay, CA 29 May 2008
Image by mikebaird
1 of 6 I witnessed this Pacific Loon (Gavia pacifica) in distress at water's edge on Morro Strand State Beach 1/4 mile north of the Morro Bay High School. I took a few photos and called Pacific Wildlife Care at 805-543-9453 same as 1-805-543-WILD and left a message on the answering machine (5:37 PM 29 May 2009). A few minutes later I received a call back from Dana, who minutes later connected me to no other than Dani Nicholson, the President of the Board of Directors of Pacific Wildlife Care (PWC), and the Director of the Pacific Wildlife Care Wildlife Center. Dani immediately came to rescue this bird, and we met at the Azure Street beach access, where she expertly placed a towel over the distressed bid and took it to the center for healing. Many thanks to Dani, and all the great volunteers and donors of PWC, a most valued organization. For more information, see www.pacificwildlifecare.org/. The mission of Pacific Wildlife Care (PWC) is to rehabilitate and return to the wild, injured or orphaned wildlife, and to educate our community to value and respect wildlife and the environment we share with them. Photos by Michael "Mike" L. Baird, mike at mikebaird d o t com, flickr.bairdphotos.com; close-ups Canon SD950; rescue Canon 5D 28-135.
2 of 6 Pacific Loon in distress, rescued by Dani Nicholson of Pacific Wildlife Care, Morro Bay, CA 29 May 2008
Image by mikebaird
2 of 6 I witnessed this Pacific Loon (Gavia pacifica) in distress at water's edge on Morro Strand State Beach 1/4 mile north of the Morro Bay High School. I took a few photos and called Pacific Wildlife Care at 805-543-9453 same as 1-805-543-WILD and left a message on the answering machine (5:37 PM 29 May 2009). A few minutes later I received a call back from Dana, who minutes later connected me to no other than Dani Nicholson, the President of the Board of Directors of Pacific Wildlife Care (PWC), and the Director of the Pacific Wildlife Care Wildlife Center. Dani immediately came to rescue this bird, and we met at the Azure Street beach access, where she expertly placed a towel over the distressed bid and took it to the center for healing. Many thanks to Dani, and all the great volunteers and donors of PWC, a most valued organization. For more information, see www.pacificwildlifecare.org/. The mission of Pacific Wildlife Care (PWC) is to rehabilitate and return to the wild, injured or orphaned wildlife, and to educate our community to value and respect wildlife and the environment we share with them. Photos by Michael "Mike" L. Baird, mike at mikebaird d o t com, flickr.bairdphotos.com; close-ups Canon SD950; rescue Canon 5D 28-135.
Gray Lodge Wildlife Area
Image by AGrinberg
The California Central Valley is one of the major stops for birds migrating along the Pacific Flyway. Millions of geese and ducks pass through, or spend the winter here. The habitat attracts all sorts of other birds, too. Maybe tomorrow we will be lucky enough to see some.
Hunting is a popular activity in this area, and Gray Lodge is considered one of the "special spots".
Some nature lovers can not understand the desire or thrill of shooting a bird dead. I believe that hunters are nature lovers too. When you see the vast numbers of birds, it is hard to imagine that shooting a few here and there will have a lasting effect on the population. Certainly, there is very tight control on what species can be taken, and when and where.
A very important thing to remember is that many of these wildlife areas are here BECAUSE of the hunters. One group, Ducks Unlimited, started in 1937, has contributed to preserving over 11 million acres of wetlands in North America. First things first: wild animals must have space to live, breed, and feed.
If you view bigger, you might be able to see that my lens is not dirty. Those are birds.
