carmel

Western gulls.Castilleja latifoliaLooking southeast from Weston Beach in the morning.Black-tailed Mule DeerBlack-tailed Mule DeerThe smart black-and-white head makes them easy to identify. They hop across the ground and through low foliage in brushy habitats. Alaskan white-crowned sparrows migrate about 2,600 miles to winter in Southern California.The orange, velvety stuff on the tree is green algae. Its orange color comes from carotene, a pigment which also occurs in carrots. The plant does not harm the trees.A.M. Allan and his wife were the owners of Point Lobos whose foresight and decades-long work led to its protection and in 1933 it became part of the new state park system.Western gull.A smile and a wink for the tourists.Castilleja latifoliaIn fact, the gray stringy thing which hangs from the tree is not a Halloween decoration; it is called Lace Lichen and grows where the climate is cool and humid and where there is little sun. Lace Lichen does not harm the trees; it is found on the branches that have already died from lack of sunlight. A lichen is combination of a fungus and a green alga. Deer like to eat this lichen, and birds carry it off for nesting materials.They are pretty noisy. Adult males can attain a length over 8 feet and weigh up to 800 pounds.Black-tailed Mule DeerBlack-tailed Mule DeersBlack-tailed Mule DeerBlack-tailed Mule DeersIt is also the earlier Spanish name of Point Lobos, which translates to Those little spots at the top of the cliff are California Sea Lions.With the Sea Lion Point in the background.Harbor Seals are smaller than sea lions and look like swollen cigars. Unlike sea lions, their ears are not visible, and the short rear flippers, which point away from the body, are unsuited for moving about on land. They are usually silent, and love to bask on rocks just above the water.Slatebacked western gulls.As seen from Point Lobos.As seen from Cannery PointSea otters eat and sleep in this position and seldom come ashore.These cypresses, which formerly extended over a much wider range, withdrew to these fog-shrouded headlands as the climate changed with the close of the Pleistocene epoch 15,000 years ago. The trees mirror the forces of nature and time; they survive the salt spray and wind, with their roots seeking nourishment in cracks and crevices.Looking south from Weston Beach in the morning.