Steller Sea Lion (Eumetopias jubatus) in La Jolla Bay - La Jolla, California.
A Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) stands in a shallow area along the Guadalupe River in the Texas Hill Country. Normally though of as coasta birds, Herons are commonly seen far inland in the Texas Hill Country along lakes and rivers. The demand for the feathers of snowy egrets, white ibises, and great blue herons in the late 19th and early 20th centuries made these birds a target. By 1886, more than 5 million birds were being massacred yearly to satisfy the North American millinery trade.
A Spotted Sandpiper (Actitis macularius) stands at the edge of the Lake Woodlands spillway which flows into Panther Branch below. The genus name 'Actitis' is from Ancient Greek aktites, "coast-dweller". This bird species is common to the U.S. Gulf Coast and can be found not only along coastal shores, but several miles inland. They are commonly seen scurrying about picking up small insects and other bits of food along the shallow waters edge.
