Anna's Hummingbird

I never tire of taking pictures of the Anna's hummingbirds in the back yard. I could sit and watch them for hours. This little female was going back and forth between the Cannas and the Agapanthus.

Defending The Ziplock

The aggressor gull in the picture snatched a ziplock back full of cookies from a neighboring beach blanket while the people were in the water. Immediately, other gulls came in seeking their share of the bounty. As you can see, the thief was not in the mood for sharing.

Red Headed River Turtle

For you turtle lovers, here is a picture of a red headed river turtle, Podocnemis erythrocephala. Erythro refers to red and cephala to head. This one seemed to have a permanent smile. Happy hump day eve.

Spotted Spreadwing

I found this Spotted Spreadwing Damselfly (Lestes congener) in the backyard on Sunday. They're so tiny compared to their dragonfly cousins, you'll miss them if you don't look good. Lucky for me, their wings sheen in the sun and this one caught my attention. Even luckier still, it stayed around long enough for me to run in and grab the camera.

Bend and Snap

One of the zookeepers was feeding the monkeys. At first, I thought those were carrots she was tossing in there but on closer examination, they appear to be yet another type of manufactured biscuit (maybe fruit or meat?). One of the keepers said they have a company that manufactures biscuits of just about any composition to order. It probably makes feeding all those animals just a little bit easier. Besides, she does look rather stylish as she tosses in those biscuits, doesn't she?

Brush Ear Pigs

A Brush Ear Piglet takes a nap with Momma pig. Actually, the whole family of 4 little piglets was enjoying a lazy, nap-filled afternoon.

Ruddy Duckling

Even the Ruddy Ducks had a few ducklings following them around. They don't get the telltale blue bill until they get older (assuming it's a male) but they were sticking close to Mom and Pop. This one came up to get a closer look.

Staring at the Hippo

I love taking pictures at the hippo tank. The people sit and stare or tap on the glass thinking the hippo might do something special for them. This one shows the refections of two ardent hippo admirers.

The Ducklings Are Here

It's that duckling time of year! There where all kinds of baby ducks trying out their new freedom on the ponds. Here are some napping near the flamingo pool.

Hummingbirds

This little hummingbird was fiercely defending his territory from other hummingbirds while alternately feasting on agapanthus and canna lilly nectar. He would occasionally stop to perch on one of the banana trees and made quite a display. We have Anna's Hummingbirds in the area but this one shows no red on top of his head. IDs are, as always, welcome.

Springtime in Flamingo-land

The flamingos have been busy this Winter and springtime bought a whole new generation of chicks. This one was showing his fellow flamingos that he means business.

Eye of the Peacock

Well, heck, if you can have the eye of the tiger, why not the eye of the peacock, eh? Or maybe the Peafowl? You can never have too many pictures of peacocks with their glittery, irridescent blue plumage and magnificent displays! Have you ever noticed that the feathers on the head of a male peacock look like molten cobalt or perhaps melted glass, in a kind of bubbly, opalescent sort of way?

Dolphins Surfing

Saw these dolphins surfing on the beach today. They were slowly making their way down the La Jolla Coast. This picture was taken from the cliffs up above. Based of the lack of white coloration (in any of my pictures), I'm guessing these are bottlenose dolphins rather than common dolphins.

Willow Ptarmigan

A Willow Ptarmigan photo, compliments of our friend, Patricia. This is a male with breeding plumage.

One More for the Herpetologists

Here's one more for the Herpetologists. Yep, a snake this time. This is a Mang Mountain Pit Viper. Looks real scary (and it is likely pretty scary in fact if it were hiding in some shrubs while you were hiking through) but I love the piercing silver-emerald eyes.

Happy 4th of July

Happy 4th of July!!! Hope you all had fun.

Dragonfly fourth

Happy Fourth of July! I found this dragonfly perched on my peach tree and he wasn't budging so I snapped some pictures. It looks like a Western Meadowhawk but the markings aren't quite the same as the reference picture so, if there are any dragonfly experts out there, your assistance is welcome. Happy Fourth.

A Stunning Redhead

This Red Headed Rock Agama was basking in that hot San Diego sunshine. Their little red heads literally glow in the sunlight making quite a display. If you move too quickly, they run incredibly fast as well.

A CBR for Cleisocentron merillianum

This adorable little blue orchid just received a CBR for me. I'm not sure I didn't get the wrong end of the stick, however,as that means that I need to send it out to be officially identified which costs an even $50 (which is more than the little plant cost me). If you're curious, it is a Cleisocentron merillianum. At least that's what the tag said.

Lizard Lovers Unite

One of my few readers (hahah, with me that makes two), was gracious enough to identify my blue spotted lizard from Torrey Pines as a Sceloporous or Fence Lizard (which I had mistakenly labeled as an aligator lizard, April 25, 2007). I, of course, was pretty doggone happy to have someone interested in my pictures and figured I'd put up another lizard from my extensive photo library for our lizard loving friends. Sorry, nothing rare. Best I can tell, it is a Gecko native to Madagascar, Phelsuma madagascariensis grandis, that has successfully gone native in Hawaii. My friends in Hawaii tell me that they have seen these guys gobbling up the other geckos and anoles in the area and that they are rapidly taking over [a word of caution to those of you who would randomly introduce new species into ecosystems]. This one was photographed at the City of Refuge on the Big Island of Hawaii in one of their huts.