Catalina Island Wildlife
Catalina Island is just off the coast of California. The island contains a diverse amount of wildlife, and I was so thankful to see so many of them - even multiple pods of dolphins while jetting there by the boat. Although we didn’t venture to see the bison, we saw almost everything else including mule deer, island foxes, and a wide assortment of birds. I hope you enjoy the photos and discover something new about Catalina Island wildlife!
California Brown Pelican.
Honestly, I’ve seen a lot of pelicans in my life, and I was kinda over them. Whenever I would be out searching for other birds, there were always plenty of pelicans but never the bird that I was looking for, so I was often disappointed to see them - a prime example of the law of supply and demand. But on Catalina Island, these guys were different. They owned the shore with grace and confidence, and I saw a new side to these birds that I have definitely overlooked in the past,
Morph Rock Pigeon.
Okay, pigeons can be cute.
Acorn Woodpecker
The first time I saw one of these guys, I felt excited to have seen one. Then I saw one on the next tree and just thought I was lucky, and then I saw and heard them everywhere. These guys were on almost every tree, many times multiple of them were on one tree, pecking away at the wood. As I did more research, I realized that this was an acorn woodpecker (they can live up to 17 years!), and they hide their acorns in trees. All of the sudden, I noticed so many holes in almost every tree that could have holes in it and even in some manmade poles. As a visitor, I definitely enjoyed watching them do their thing, but these guys were definitely causing a ruckus! I am curious why their population goes so easily unchecked by nature; it seems to be a known issue. They are so cute, but they also make their presence known - and they don’t care who has to hear it!
photos taken on a SONY a7riv with a 70-200 2.8 lens
on Catalina Island in September, 2023
