San Diego Bay Skyline

San Diego Bay skyline with a bit of Coronado showing on the left and downtown San Diego in the center.

Snowy Egret with Blenny

Snowy Egret, Egretta thula, with what appears to be a small green blenny that it snapped out of the seaweed along the tidal zone. These beautiful little birds appear to be quite smart and somewhat opportunistic. This one was roiling the sand with his feet to scare up small fish and shrimp. I've seen others going through the cast off sand that fishermann scatter when digging for worms. Still another was attempting to steal fish out of a school being driven in front of herding mergansers. Others hunt for grasshoppers in newly mown grass. I even saw one particularly aggressive bird carrying off another bird's chick.

Hot Days and No Escape at the Beach

Angler with Shovelnose Guitarfish, Rhinobatos productus, at the Ferry Landing at Coronado. It was HOT yesterday, over 100 degrees in many places. Normally, when it gets hot in San Diego, you can escape to the coast to bask in the cooling ocean breezes. However, even the coast was heatstroke hot, with only the slightest of breezes, making the airconditioned malls and larger stores really popular places to be!

On a side note, Guitarfish, while ray-like in form, are in their own family. They largely feed on crustaceans and other invertebrates as well as carrion (dead fish, etc.) that can be foraged out of the sand. The Shovelnose Guitarfish is found from central California clear down to the Sea of Cortez. They apparently have magnetic particules in receptors in their head (the vestibular receptors); it is not known if these particles assist in detecting prey or are for more general orientation purposes.

Leafhopper Assasin Bug Nymph

Leafhopper Assasin Bug Nymph, Zelus rendardii, waiting for prey in a hibiscus on Coronado Island. These bugs are generalized predators of other bugs (i.e., not just leafhoppers). Toxins in their saliva enable them to bite and paralyze their prey while bristles and other adaptataions enable them to hold their prey as they inflict their bite.

Birdman of Coronado

Man feeding pigeons in Coronado, California. Some people just have a way with animals! This man was proudly feeding some of the boldest pigeons I've ever seen. He even tried, with less than perfect success, to get them to roost on his head. Nothing a little bird food and a lot of patience cannot solve!