Two-striped Garter Snake, Thamnophis hammondii

Two-striped Garter Snake, Thamnophis hammondii, Tijuana Estuary reserve, California. These little non-venomous snakes have toxins in their saliva that will cause an unpleasant reaction in humans but are generally considered not a threat. They are found in Western North America from Salinas, California down through Baja, Mexico, generally near water. While this little snake was sunning in the middle of the path (probably due to the cold Winter air temperature), these snakes are primarily aquatic, preying on tadpoles, small fish, frogs, toads and newts.

Sanderling

Sanderling, Calidris alba, Tijuana Estuary Reserve, California. These little guys have a circumpolar distribution and Winter all the way down to the Southern Hemisphere. This one is Wintering in lovely San Diego.

Western Snowy Plover

Western Snowy Plover, Charadrius alexandrinus nivosus. It's Winter. The beach is cool, windswept and foggy and the birds have the beach all to themselves.

American Kestrel

American Kestrel, Falco sparverius, Tijuana Slough. These small hawks are about the size of a jay. They Winter in the Southern United States and Summer up North. This one is relaxing on a cholla cactus (how do they do that?).

Furry Wasp of Fury (or not)

Dasymutilla sakeni, sometimes affectionately called "velvet ants" or "cow killers," Tijuana Estuary Reserve, San Diego, California. These are really wasps, not ants, and appear to mimic spiders, possibly to prevent predation. Some of them, at least, pack quite a sting as evidenced by their name. These wasps belong to the Mutillidae family and have larvae that are parasitic on wasps, bees, ants and other members of family hymenoptera. The question of the day: did you get the corny pun? Hint: think Bruce Lee. ;-P

Cracking Mussels

Seagull with mussel, Tijuana Estuary Reserve, San Diego, California. Seagulls will drop clams and mussels repetitively until they crack open and they can get at the animal inside. This one is dropping his mussel on the sand but others will find a stretch of cement or asphalt walkway to crack open their dinner. The unknowing pedestrian will see the litter from hundreds of broken clams/bivalves and wonder where they all came from!

Peeps

Semipalmated Sandpiper, Calidris pusilla, Nickname: "Peeps," TJ Estuary Reserve, San Diego, California. Based on the dark legs and somewhat stubbier beak, this appears to be a Semipalmated Sandpiper that has wandered South on the West side of the Rockies rather than to the East coast with most of its bretheren. The more typical Western Sandpiper or Least Sandpiper are, at least according to the bird guides, more commonly found here in the West. I happen to think these are fairly frequent at TJER but I haven't stared at enough of my photos to prove the point.

Chemical Spill at IB?

The beach along the Tijuana Estuary Preserve smelled like petrochemicals last week. There were no obvious globs of oil in the sand. However, there was a strong smell, similar to what you smell when you fill gas at the pump. There was also a dead pelican and a dead seal corpse rotting in the sand. Animals die; however, you could not help but wonder if these had a little help from man.

What's for Dinner?

Sanderlings in feeding frenzy, Calidris alba, Tijuana Slough Estuary. Every now and then I'll see a whole flock of birds go crazy over a patch of sand. I even tried digging around in one of those patches once but didn't find much (different birds, different beach). Best I can tell, there appear to be patches of sea worms along the beach. Why the worms are clustered in little patches I cannot tell you but the birds love them. Now, realize that I only found what looked like the remains of one worm post birds so, of course, I could be wrong about what WAS down there. At least I didn't get bit by anything digging around down there to have a peak. The other question I had was how the heck do they know they've found a worm under all that sand? Do they have some sort of sensory organs on the end of their beak? Do beaks have nerves in them kind of like your being able to feel something with your fingers? Too many questions for this late at night! I'm going to bed and if I'm lucky, someone will have answered them when I wake back up!

Determination

Lone sunbather amid the kelp, Tijuana Estuary Reserve. Have you ever wanted to do something so bad that you were going to do it no matter what? Even if nature were to, say hypothetically, wash a huge, stinky, fly-ridden mess of kelp up on the very beach you were going to sunbathe on? Here is just one (and only one) determined individual. I wonder what he was thinking and why he still decided to stay instead of finding a nice clean beach just down the road. It was peaceful and empty I suppose, just you and the tiny flies that feed on the kelp and the little birds that eat them. Hmmmm...

Don't get me wrong, I love storms that bring up lots of kelp. They also bring up lots of little treasures for me to take pictures of like abalone shells, ,crabs, all sorts of clams and moon snails and even a lobster tail or two. There was even, sadly enough, a dead seal. She appeared to have recently given birth and must have gotten caught in the storm... It aptly demonstrates the power of nature to create bounty and to destroy it. Fascinating and sobering at the same time. Still, sunbathing in it? Nah, no way. To much stinky, fly-infested kelp.

One Little Ladybug

Ladybug, Tijuana Estuary Preserve. There was one little ladybug, there in the middle of the beach, surrounded by endless sand and drying kelp. Why was he there? Certainly, there were no aphids to eat. Perhaps some of those sand flies on the kelp would provide a meal. More likely, he was just blown off course from across the dunes. Poor Mr. Ladybug. Will he find his way home?

Black Skimmer

Black Skimmer, Rynchops niger. Every now and then you see something that just amazes you. Something that you could stare at for hours and not even notice. These Black Skimmers are like that. They are so unusual and yet beautiful in a daring and bold sort of way. They remind me of the planes that scoop water to put out fires as they run their beaks just under the surface looking for the schools of small fish just below. I've only seen these once but oh what a sight.

Western Meadowlark on Barbed Wire

Clearly, a little barbed wire was not enough to scare off this Western Meadowlark, Sturnella neglecta. Nor was it enough to keep him from singing a wonderful melodious tune. Not even my passing by with my huge telephoto was enough to phase this Meadowlark. I have heard them for years but, ironically, this is the first one that was audacious enough to pose in plain view for a snapshot. What a sight indeed.