On the way to the Redwoods

We had to skip most of the parks in central California because they were either still closed or damaged from the intense winter. We hit the Pacific coast at Monterey and headed north for the Redwood forests. I was really excited to see the wildlife of the coast, and was not disappointed.

Whimbrel

Año Nuevo State Park

We stopped into this park late in the day, and when we found out there were migrating Elephant Seals (juveniles and females) on the beach, we stayed nearby so we could see them the next morning. There were several beaches full of them and you could get pretty close (under ranger supervision). They were a lot of fun to watch and also to listen to, because all their grunts and breathing noises sounded like farts.

Snowy Egret

We watched these two try to work their way along the rocks to the beach for a good 15 minutes. Seemed exhausting!

So I appreciate that there are people (mostly retirees) who will volunteer their time to parks and wildlife refuges and landmarks, and will spend a lot of time explaining the history of a region or the behaviors of the animals or the geology or whatever. BUT! I do not want them to talk to me, for the simple fact that I will not retain anything they tell me. I don’t want to waste their time, or mine. It’s gone within minutes. We’re seeing so much stuff on this trip! So many rocks, so many animals, we don’t even go to any historical sites because we don’t really care about history but also because I won’t remember a dang thing!

Point being, Molly and I have learned to swerve the docents, but at this beach we got snagged by one and sort of pawned him off on a nice young European couple, who listened to him for, no joke, 20 minutes while we sat 10 feet away giggling at all the farting noises.

Here is my solemn vow: while I spend a lot of time making sure that I correctly identify the various birds and animals that I photograph, I will NEVER take the time figure out what kinds of lizards I’m presenting. They will always simply be A Lizard I Saw.