Friday, November 30, 2007

Cheery Little Hummingbirds


I seem to have a little case of bronchitis, probably from all the dust and pollution in the air from those fires. While I was sitting in the kitchen sipping chicken soup the hummingbirds were there keeping me company. It was windy and rainy out and the feeder was whipping to and fro and, through all of that, some seven Anna's Hummingbirds were sucking food for all they were worth. They are amazingly tenacious little guys, considering their size.

Thursday, November 29, 2007

Our Flag in the Oddest Places


Someone had placed a flag in an old pole that was sticking up under the highway. I liked the symmetry of the piers and the lighting so I snapped it. It is figuratively ironic relative to world opinion these days. We do pop up unannounced on occasion.

Tuesday, November 27, 2007

Bufflehead


Well, of all things to call something, Bufflehead is not the most attractive of names. However, Bufflehead (Bucephala albeola), is what this little duck is called. He also Summers in Alaska and has found his way down to San Diego for the Winter.

Monday, November 26, 2007

Brants


There was a huge flock of Brants, Branta hernicula, grazing on eel grass in the San Diego River the other day. The last time I saw these, I was in Alaska in June. It looks like they followed me down for the winter. They were pretty tame and let me get close enough for a decent batch of pictures.

Sunday, November 25, 2007

Black-Necked Stilts


Found these black-necked stilts, Himantopus mexicanus, feeding in the shallows yesterday. They are very similar and perhaps related to the black stilts in Hawaii (which are endangered).

Saturday, November 24, 2007

Shooting for the Moon


This gives a little meaning to shooting for the moon, or in my case, shooting the moon! Wow, if you look good you can even see the craters and their rim shadows on the edges. Amazing stuff. Imagine the asteroids that did that!

Tuesday, November 20, 2007

Passing Agave


The neighbors are landscaping their yard. They just put in this really cool Agave. Nasty sap on those things but they are certainly pretty...

Monday, November 19, 2007

Hummingbird again with Flash


For you photo buffs, I figured I'd try the hummingbird again but with a flash. Wow, what a difference it makes!

Sunday, November 18, 2007

Where's Bert?


The feeder ran out for a little bit and I suspect Bert the hummingbird has found a new home. However, Bert was quickly replaced by four new hummingbirds and a small family of finches. Without Bert chasing them all away, the population has grown a bit and the feeder now goes empty in about 3 days rather than in a week, like it used to.

Friday, November 16, 2007

Mosquito?


So, is it a mosquito or a fly? I found this little mosquito wanna be sipping nectar on a flower (which is far better than biting me anyhow).

Thursday, November 15, 2007

Red Breasted Nuthatch


Here's a picture of a Red Breasted Nuthatch that was hanging out along the path along the mudflats outside of Anchorage. The nice paved walking/jogging path seemed a little out of place but it was quiet and there were a few photogenic birds around so who was I to complain.

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

Demon Duck


Here is a picture of the Demon Duck, aka Duckergeist, himself. I will not vouch for what mischief he is up to with that beak of his.

Sunday, November 04, 2007

Iguana


An iguana basking in the sun. It was a little cool today, a much appreciated change from the hot fire-laden winds. The lizards where out in the sun to take advantage of whatever solar heating they could.

Torch Happy and the Tall Man


Torch Happy and the Tall Man are having fun with the tourists but hey, it was Halloween and all. Oh, okay, so it was actually homecoming but pretty close to Halloween (one night off). You have to love the evil grin on the guys face. What was he thinking anyhow? And the tall man? I'd stand a little further back from those torches if I were him!

Friday, November 02, 2007

Blue Orchids


This is a picture of Cattleya Blue Grotto 'Takasaki.' If this doesn't look truely blue, you're not color blind and it is not a bad color reproduction. True blue is very rare in orchids and a coerulean blue, as with this flower, is what is typically called blue. It is a rare genetic mutation that causes the general lavenders and yellows to be replaced with this blue-lavender which is called a coerulea form.