I was clicking through my pictures and came to the amusing conclusion that these two Marbled Godwits, Limosa fedoa, bore a striking resemblance to a Klingon Bird of Prey. Well, perhaps if that long pointy beak wasn't there anyhow. There must have been a bird person on the Star Trek design staff.
I found this Little Blue Heron, Egretta caerulea, hunting in the shallows of the Mission River, It was keeping a sharp eye on the water for passing fish. They are not exceedingly common in the US Southwest but they there are several the frequent the Mission River.
Something that has puzzled me for a little bit. When you have a dozen surfers all waiting for the same wave, how do you decide who gets to catch a particular wave? Here are two surfers cruising along on the same wave. The guy on the right ducked out shortly afterwards.
Are adult California Brown Pelicans really BROWN? Judge for yourself. This one was hanging out on the Mission River hunting for fish.
The sun is back out again. There is a cool breeze but the skies are blue with scattered fluffy white clouds. That's why we live in San Diego!
The seagulls were out in force, taking advantage of the low tide to lounge around on the sandy riverbed. They scrounge up clams and squawk at each other. They socialize and just plain sit around.
I found this very beautiful cat looking back through the rocks, possibly in case one of his bretheren were about to pounce. So I've been having this conversation over whether cats or dogs are better. Here's a little something to get you started. For cats: smell better, good groomers, can be left alone, smarter (???); for dogs: faithful to a fault, always happy to see you, will go running with you. Against cats: can be aloof, can pack a nasty paw, chock full of allergens; Against dogs: more maintenance, smelly when wet, can be hyper. What do you think? Do the cats have it? Or do the dogs?
There were several pairs of American Wigeon, Anas americana, swimming along the edge of the San Diego river grazing on water plants. The male's bright colors make quite a display. Meanwhile, the six inch rain forecast seems to have turned into perhaps 2-3 inches. At least that is what was caught in the garbage cans that I emptied out this morning. Damp and gusty. In a little lull, I saw a large flock of white pelicans drift over the highway, slowly circling lazily over USD and into the distance.
A picture of a flock of sanderlings that were flying up and down the San Diego river bed in unison. They are a sight to see when in flight. They decided to camp out on the mud flat with a gull for a short rest.
This young California Brown Pelican was flapping and jumping along the water in little 10-20 ft. hops trying to catch a meal. He would land head first making a huge splash! I don't know if he succeeded in nabbing a fish but he looked a wet and a little tired. There is a bit of a pelican learning curve involved in catching dinner. At other beaches, I have seen adult pelicans diving from 50+ft. in the air for fish along the surface of the water.
This is a picture of the Makapu Blow Hole on Oahu. When the waves hit the rock, they force the air and water in a lava tube upward and into the air, at times creating plumes that rocket upwards of 30 feet.
It's raining really hard outside. It was tough to see out of the windshield with the wipers going full speed. People were actually driving BELOW the speed limit in San Diego, no less! Luckily, the house is still there and the street has not all washed into a gully as San Diego hillsides occassionally do. I'd bet the birdseed is a bit wet and the birds won't mind a bit.
This guy is clearly a water dog. He was having way too much fun chasing the birds. While he didn't catch any and it is a "dog beach," you'll not find too many birds nesting around there. It does make me miss my old dog a bit as well although she was definitely not a water dog.
There are over a dozen feral cats that live in the rocks along the mission river breakwater. There is a lady that comes by and feeds them and brings them water. They are beautiful cats that look fairly domestic. However, they don't come up to rub on people so it is hard to tell if they are cast aways from people that moved out of town or if they are actually breeding out there. This one was taking a nap in the sun among the rocks.
I found this Royal Tern, Sterna maxima, diving for fish in the Mission River Preserve in San Diego. I love watching terns for their amazing grace and speed as well as their deadly accuracy.
This is a Percula Clownfish in a carpet anemone. Now why would Nemo ever want to leave a home as spectacular as that?
Manini, or convict tang - so named for their stripes, are the cows of the sea. Large schools of them drift over the reef, cleaning the coral of algae as they browse. These were off of Waikiki beach on Oahu.
The island of Oahu in the Hawaiian island chain has two major mountain ranges, the Waianae range and the Koolau range. The erupting lava from the two volcanic chains created a plateau between, known to the Hawaiians as Wahiawa. It is known for its cool, moist climate. This picture was taken during one of the frequent showers as the sun peaked through.
This is an odd picture. Just as I snapped, the Godwit plunked his head into the water after some sort of food (PLUUNKKK). No head. Normally I'd toss a picture with a missing head but there was something about the play of the light over the water and the ripples from his head ducking into the water that was beautiful in an eerie sort of way. Basically, I liked it. Hope you like it too.
Is this a Samurai? Or is it just some wild painting I found pasted on a window? Either way, I thought it was really cool so I'm sharing it. In reality, the painting was pretty sun faded and pastel but I gave it a little color boost just for fun. Hope you enjoy it.
Another shot from a wonderful sunny day at Sunset beach on the North Shore of Hawaii. That's got to be a total adrenaline high, slicing though those waves.
I've been seeing migratory birds in Mission bay as I drove past on the way to school every day. I finally couldn't resist it any longer and stopped to take a peek and take a picture or two. Unfortunately, my trusty Nikon was at home so that left the not quite as fleet footed but much more portable pocket Cannon. I figured I'd try a video. So, tonight, I bring you the American Coot! A.k.a. cooties and mud. It looked like they were pulling up bog plants and perhaps worms and invertebrates. You decide.
If any of you viewers out in cyber-land have preferences for what you want to see out of the wayward photo libraries (more fish, more birds, more surfers, etc.), feel free to send in your requests and I will, to the extent that I have anything worthwhile stashed away, attempt to please. Please keep it G-rated. ;-P
It's random picture day! I need to get going with the homework so I quasi-randomly chose one of my folders and scanned for the first of my pictures to catch my eye. Voila, I give you "boiling carp!" [That's just a bunch of carp! Ar, Ar...grin]. Actually, these are Koi in the Koi pond at the Dole Plantation in Wahiawa, Hawaii. When you purchase and toss in Koi food, they literally boil out of the water. The kids have a blast and I dare say I had fun too. Happy Monday...
Here is a really short video of a pair of Hawaiian White Spotted Toby, Canthigastor jactator, that I shot off of Waikiki. They were being shy and trying to hide under this really large coral head. The video is short because I was skin diving and, by the time you get down there, start the video and focus on the fish, it's time to go up for another breath. Still, they're kind of cute. Hope you like them.
This gal was body surfing at Sunset Beach, Hawaii. She and her friends were doing really cool 360's at the peak of the wave. After looking at the angle of her legs requires to do that 360, I can understand why I never did one of those. Still looked like fun though!
This used to be the Hawaii State Fish, the Humu Humu Nuku Nuku Apua'a. At least before the legislature de-instated it. They couldn't agree on a new fish (politicians!) so it will have to do for now. This shy humu humu (reef triggerfish, Rhinecanthus rectangulus) is ducking into a hole in the reef off of famous Diamond Head. He would go into the hole and, if I waited, would pop out to see if I was still there trying to take his picture. He would then duck back into the hole. Cute little guy.
This is the Hawaiian Moorhen or 'Alae 'Ula, Gallinula chloropa sandvicensis. The name refers to that bright beak. It is a Hawaiian variety of the Common Moorhen. I found this one posing for pictures in the bog at Waimea Audobon Park on Oahu, Hawaii.
I snapped this picture of Sanderlings at Sunset Beach on Oahu, Hawaii. They were running up and down the beach. For the most part, the surfers and the sanderlings paid no attention to each other. They ran right by me allowing me to get some really nice pictures. Amazing that these little birds can fly all the way to the Arctic where they spend the Summer and breed and then make it all the way back to Hawaii for the Winter. Seems like a long way to fly for such a little bird. I have no idea if they land somewhere along the way.
There are some amazing surfers at Sunset Beach, Hawaii, and some really big waves. I caught this guy right in the middle of the curl! Wow.
I found this little Anole posing out in Wahiawa on an orange bromeliad (possibly a Bilbergia if I saw the right ones in bloom).
Here is a video of the Moorish Idol posted the other day. This is my very first video posted to youtube and, therefore, a test. It's not the best but it gives you an idea of what it's like trying to photograph fish while you're being shoved around by the surf.
The Moorish Idol was on the reef off of Waikiki, Hawaii. The red barred fish to the left of the Moorish Idol is a Moana, a type of goatfish that is native to Hawaii. The green fish with black stripes in a manini (a type of tang). There were also several other tangs that shot through the video.
Here's a picture of a Red-Billed Leiothrix that was eating food put out on the lawn by the owners of the Tree House Restaurant (formerly Paradise Park) in Manoa Valley on the island of Oahu. The Red-Billed Leiothrix was introduced from Asia and is moderately people friendly (i.e., you can get close enough to see it). This one had to compete with a bunch of Moa (Hawaiian Chickens), turtle doves and ring necked doves to get any food.
This Moorish Idol was photographed off of Waikiki in an area that is now a marine preserve. Moorish idols live on small crustaceans and use their long snout to poke into small crevices for food.
There was a cluster of beautiful yellow flowers on a bush arching over the Waimea river, visible from the bridge. The flowers look like they are in the pea family. Upon closer inspection, an American Anole was also lounging beneath the flowers, perhaps waiting for passing mosquitos or bees attracted to the flowers.
Here's a picture of a really pretty Red Coris Wrasse I saw in Hanauma Bay today. The water was really rough and murky so the picture doesn't quite do it justice but it was a beauty.
A mated pair of rare Hawaiian Koloa native ducks, Anas wyvilliana, splashed down while I was watching the fish in Waikiki. There were not at all afraid of the many tourists watching them and proceeded to browse off of the seaweek on the breakwater making for quite a siting!
Happy Holidays Everyone! Bert put on his very best antlers for the occasion, and as opposed to some of his antlered cousins, Bert really does fly. Merri Crisimassu. Felis Navidad. Mele Kalikimaka. Wishing you all the very best for 2008.
A picture of a pretty old dog in Font Vieille. He moved his head a little to look my way and pose but that was the extent of the effort. Just an old dog's life.
I give up. I looked through a bunch of sparrows, finches, bobolinks and Buntings, all with those little squat conical beaks. Frankly, they are all starting to look the same. If you're a bird person, let me know what this little guy is. Until then, I'm calling it a Bunting for lack of a better excuse. The little yellow patch on the forehead should be a clue but ironically, none of the birds had quite that coloration. So I give up. Hints and name donations will be graciously accepted.
I saw these gorgeous flowers at a nursery the other day. I didn't catch the name of it as I was in a hurry but I'd guess that they are in the Pea Family. Funny, we don't normally think of Peas as trees but some of them get pretty big. This one looked like a type of coral tree, possibly a yellow form.
Found this White Tailed Kite (Elanus leucurus)at Mission Trails Park the other day. This was taken with a 500mm lens so, needless to say, the Kite was being a little camera shy. Try as I might, this was as close as it would let me get. I like to call these "hover hawks" because I see them hovering close to the highway waiting for ground squirrels to pop out of their dens. Outside of hummingbirds, they are the only other bird I have seen actively hover.
Just saw a new duck (well new to me anyhow). It's a Cinnamon Teal, Anas cyanoptera. It didn't let me get close enough to get a really nice picture but this one's not too bad. They are a beautiful orange-brown color. This one was napping on a little island in the river.
Here's a picture of pondweed or Potamogeton. It was blooming at the neigborhood nursery. Notably, it is pollinated by wasps. Fascinating.
Here's a picture of a Vascostylis I snapped at a small orchid symposium. It's so seldom that most people get to see the huge variety of orchids outside of the things they carry in the grocery store, I thought this would be fun. The parents of this (Vanda x Rhychostylis x Ascocentrum) are from Southeast Asia.
Hahah! Prickly Welcome indeed! I couldn't resist the pun. Actually, I thought the little Barrel Cactus Welcome sign at the San Diego zoo was attractive, well done and rather catchy (no pun intended). I wouldn't want to have to weed around those babies though. Owwww. Happy Hump day.
Hummingbirds are amazingly acrobatic when they want to be. This is a picture of one doing a rapid move to the right to avoid my flash. It was quite a quandry between staying for food and ducking my flash, I'm sure. This is an Anna's Hummingbird, one of the 7 or 8 that have declared my feeder home.
I looked out my window and poof, no hummingbirds. I looked up and there was this huge red tailed hawk (not shown. The picture is a goshawk from Denali) looping around and even hovering. I find it hard to imagine that a big old red tailed would be eating teenie little hummingbirds. Just a mouthful of fluff. However, they must be on the menu or at least the hummingbirds think so. By the time I grabbed the camera, the hawk had moved on. Rats.
Another picture from the Bay. It's been storming out. Windy, cold & rainy so this is from November. There were ducks everywhere. Most of these are Ruddy Ducks. It took me a while to realize that the telltale blue beaks were gone because it's winter. Go figure. There was one Western Grebe, Aechmophorus occidentalis, in the middle.
Hahah. So much for the corny title, huh? The big white bird with the black legs is a Great Egret, Ardea alba. While once profuse, nesting in huge colonies, they were hunted for their beautiful plumage. Their numbers have since recovered somewhat but are now hampered by dwindling wetlands and human encroachment. They are still quite a sight to see. The smaller egret with the orange legs is a probably a Snowy Egret(note black beak vs orange beak for Cattle Egret), Egretta thula. These are a little more frequent.
Here is a Great Blue Heron that was prowling through the eel grass for a tasty meal. I was so close I had to zoom out to get the whole bird. They are magnificent!
Blue Orchids are very rare. This is C. Ariel var. coerulea 'Bodante', one of the "blue" Cattleyas. It's a good grower, blooms well and is livening up the greenhouse for me.
A little picture from Marseille. I love the color of Mediteranian! Blue, blue, blue. Makes me wish I was there!
This little hummingbird was waiting for his turn at the feeder while it was raining in torrents outside. Through all the wind and all the rain, he was there patiently looking on.
