Original photo series: Birds of California #20, Sooty Shearwater

Every summer, huge flocks of Sooty Shearwaters forage in the Monterey Bay of California.

Getting to see these swarms of seabirds come close to shore in a feeding frenzy is one of nature's underappreciated spectacles. An event in 1961 when quantities of confused sooties crashed into buildings in the Monterey Bay inspired Alfred Hitchcock to make the movie "The Birds."

The Sooty Shearwater, Ardenna grisea, migrates throughout the Earth's oceans and individuals travel thousands of miles per year. I took these photos about a week ago, here is one shearwater that came quite close to shore.

The shearwaters and other birds and also seals chased their seafood prey closer to shore.

At one point a wave crashed near I was standing and the fish, probably mostly sardines or anchovies, were hurled onto the beach.