An egret soars over Monastery Beach. Egrets were nearly wiped out in the U.S. in the 1800s due to demand for their plumage; a successful recovery made them the Audubon Society’s symbol.
A friendly squirrel at Lovers Point plays in the sand. (Note that feeding wildlife – squirrels included – is prohibited in P.G.)
Dolphin sculptures get a sunrise scrub at the Monterey Plaza Hotel and Spa.
A big swell makes for choppy whale-watching conditions for passengers, but the geese are unbothered.
Spring comes early for some nonnative plants, like aloe arborescens, also called krantz aloe, now blooming in Pacific Grove.
Sea Lions take a rest under Wharf II in Monterey on a cool, cloudy day.
A cloud-covered sky opens up for some late-afternoon magic on Snively’s Ridge in Garland Ranch Regional Park.
Don’t be a spore loser: It’s fungus season! We don’t know, nor do we give a shiitake, whether these are edible.
Morning light filters through dense oak trees on Fort Ord public lands.
This giant green anemone was spotted in a tidepool at Point Pinos in Pacific Grove.