January 2011

Nevada The American Southwest Valley of Fire

Sunrise, Sandstone and Shadow, Valley of Fire

The Valley of Fire sure lived up to its name on this morning! I was driving along the main road in Valley of Fire State Park at sunrise on Sunday, heading toward the White Domes area when I saw the top of a impressive sandstone wall receiving the first rays…

Phil CollaJanuary 31, 2011

Nevada The American Southwest Valley of Fire

The Fire Wave, Valley of Fire State Park

Photo of the Fire Wave in Valley of Fire State Park I recently had a chance to see a sandstone formation often called "The Fire Wave". My daughter and I hiked to this place at sunset, in Valley of Fire State Park in Nevada, an hour east of Las Vegas.…

Phil CollaJanuary 30, 2011

Environmental Problems Pelicans of La Jolla Seabird

Seabird Entanglement in Plastic

This week I licensed a photo of this unfortunate brown pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis) entangled in what appears to be a grocery bag to an environmental education initiative, to illustrate the tangible effects of trash and debris on the marine environment. I originally posted about this bird in 2009. I believe…

Phil CollaJanuary 29, 2011

California Harbor Seal Wildlife

Cute Harbor Seal

This harbor seal (Phoca vitulina) was quite animated. Most of the harbor seals lie on the sand throughout the day, resting between foraging sessions in the ocean, while younger/smaller seals seem to exhibit most of the activity. It is nearly February and just about time for newborn harbor seal pups…

Phil CollaJanuary 27, 2011

Beautiful Views of San Diego La Jolla Seascapes

Torrey Pines Sunset

Torrey Pines State Park Sunset Tracy and I were treated to a spectacular sunset cloud show at the Torrey Pines Gliderport in La Jolla recently. These two photographs were made just a few minutes apart. The first looks south along Black's Beach towards La Jolla, with the Scripps Institution of…

Phil CollaJanuary 25, 2011

Beautiful Views of San Diego La Jolla San Diego

La Jolla Photos

La Jolla Photos I have been having fun recently making new photographs of one of my favorite cities in California: La Jolla. I spent about 10 years living in La Jolla, first in undergrad and graduate school at UCSD then a while longer before moving to North County (Del Mar,…

Phil CollaJanuary 19, 2011

Fur Seal South Georgia Island Southern Ocean

Antarctic Fur Seal Photos, Arctocephalus gazella

Antarctic Fur Seal Photos, Arctocephalus gazella I love photographing fur seals. (I love diving among them even more, but that is not always possible.) Fur seals are one of the "eared seals", similar to the gregarious sea lions familiar to my friends on the West Coast. In my opinion, however,…

Phil CollaJanuary 14, 2011

Skip's Trips

Skip Stubbs at Bosque Del Apache NWR 2010

I spent a few days with my good friend Skip Stubbs at Bosque del Apache NWR in New Mexico. We photographed cranes and geese and enjoyed the surroundings at this bird refuge along the Rio Grande river an hour south of Albuquerque. Click the big image to see a selection…

Phil CollaJanuary 4, 2011