Sightings: Whales, bobcat and more (15-pic gallery)

[SF Chronicle RSS Feed - Tom Stienstra]

Spectacular whales sightings from shore. Surprise encounters with bobcats in the Bay Area foothills. The return of the most rare bird — the falcated duck — to roam across Northern California. These episodes have made the past 10 days among the best imaginable for people who love wildlife. The 15 photos in the gallery above were submitted by readers. All of the shot are recent, except for the falcated duck, which arrived again last week at the Colusa National Wildlife Refuge; Mike Peters provided his great photo of the same bird last January. Conditions for sightings have been ideal. On the coast, clear skies, bright sunny days and gentle seas [...]

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