Jim Coda Nature Photography

February 17, 2011Uncategorized

Bull Elk Near San Francisco

A bull elk ruminates on Tomales Point. — Bull Elk, Tomales Point

I photographed this bull Tule elk in the Elk Reserve at Point Reyes National Seashore a couple of weeks ago. The bulls are dropping their antlers there now. This bull may no longer have his. If elk have egos I wonder how the bulls feel when they lose their antlers?

Those of us who live in the San Francisco Bay Area and like to see wildlife are very fortunate to have Point Reyes nearby. We are certain to see Tule elk and Black-tailed deer at Point Reyes. We have a very good chance of seeing coyotes and bobcats. We can see whales off the coast and marine mammals, such as elephant seals, on the shore. We can see all sorts of bird life, including peregrine falcons. I can’t think of another large metropolitan area that has all of these wildlife species nearby.

February 15, 2011Uncategorized

Tule Elk’s New Antlers; A Work In Progress

Tule Elk shows new antlers growing. — Tule Elk, Point Reyes National Seashore

This bull has shed his antlers and has the beginnings of new ones. Recently, I posted some photos of two bull elk fighting at Tomales Point and said that some bulls were already shedding their antlers. That was based on having seen several bulls in the Limantour herd that had shed one or both antlers, including the subject elk. However, last Saturday I was at the Tomales Point Elk Reserve and noticed that none of the bulls that I saw had shed any antlers. That surprised me. For some reason the Limantour herd seems to be shedding antlers earlier than the larger Tomales Point herd.

At this time of year the Park Service has to be on the lookout for people who collect antlers to sell. That is against the law. Yet, people do it knowing it is illegal. There must be enough money in it for some people to break the law. It could be worse. I mean they aren’t killing the elk for the antlers. Countless animals are killed illegally every day for one or more body parts that are marketable. This happens to many species. The ones that come to mind for me now are sharks, bears, tigers and elephants, but there are many more.

February 9, 2011Uncategorized

Two Bull Elk Fight

Two Tule elk bulls get ready to fight. — Two Bull Tule Elk, Point Reyes National Seashore

January 28, 20011. Two bull elk face each other before a post-rut sparring session.

Two bull elk fight. — Two Bulls Fight for Dominance; Point Reyes National Seashore

They went at it for quite a while. There was a winner and I think they’ll each remember that. There won’t be much more fighting now because the bulls are dropping their antlers. However, come the next rut these two will probably go at it again.

February 2, 2011Uncategorized

Tule Elk, Point Reyes National Seashore

Just before sunset, a bull elk looks across a field and sees another one of those creatures with only two legs.

This is one of the biggest bulls I’ve seen at Point Reyes. A large Tule elk bull will weigh about 600 pounds. While that may seem fairly heavy, Roosevelt (AKA Olympic) bull elk, which inhabit coastal forests from Northern California up into British Columbia, can weigh more than 1,000 pounds. The Rocky Mountain (AKA American) elk splits the difference. A Rocky Mountain bull elk can weigh up to 800 pounds. Rocky Mountain elk are by far the most numerous.

January 22, 2011Uncategorized

Tule Elk, Point Reyes National Seashore, Marin County, California

Photo of a tule elk cow. — Cows Know Best

A cow elk gazes off into the distance. Pardon the anthropomorphism, but she looks like she is smiling. This photo was taken at the Tule Elk Refuge on Tomales Point.

January 14, 2011Uncategorized

Bobcat, Point Reyes National Seashore, Marin County, California

Photo of a bobcat running. — Bobcat on the Run

I went out to Point Reyes for a while today. I saw two bobcats and a coyote, not to mention the more common things like elk, deer, various hawks, a burrowing owl, and other birds. When I first saw this bobcat it was lying down in the grass. I wasn’t sure if it was a bobcat or a tabby cat. One of our two tabby cats has a face that looks just like a bobcat’s face and there are plenty of farm cats in the Seashore. Anyway, as you can see from the photo, it was definitely a bobcat. Point Reyes is a good place to spot bobcats, but they exist in suitable habitat throughout Marin County.

December 23, 2010Uncategorized

Tule Elk, Point Reyes National Seashore

Photo of a bull tule elk exhibiting the flehmen response. — Tule Elk near sunset, Point Reyes National Seashore; Love Is in the Air

This 7-point bull is exhibiting the Flehmen Response with its head and upper lip raised. Certain species of mammals do this to increase their ability to detect and evaluate scent. It’s a common sight during the mating season, but it can occur any time of the year. This photo was taken in mid December, well past the end of the rut.