Team Gecko

Wednesday, 12/9/2009 New photos of the Osprey pair. The female has been adding to the nest lately and catching/consuming quite a few fish these days. -GD Male in flight Female demonstrating her multipurpose grippers Home improvement approach Touchdown OB couple (female on left, male on right)

Reddish cross-hatch on lower breast and buff on upper breast suggests Sharp-shinned but the head seems too dark. Tough lighting. Look forward to seeing an update. -GD

Nice to see some new species showing up, T. Not sure I've heard of the Travel Bug decoy before. Looks like you had mixed success with that technique. Here are some shots from the past two Fridays, still near Lil' Dragon's playtime. I got to watch some more diving and fish catching but too far away for decent photos. Two dives, two fish, and she already had one when I first arrived. I'm still hopeful to be in the right place and the right time to witness moment of capture. By way of photographer's "just missed" moment, I had to pack up and head home to take Gecko Mom to physical therapy (new knee). Moments after removing my lens and to pack up the camera, I turned around and the female Osprey returned with another fish, wings wide, approaching her roost, with shiny fish flapping. What a sight - for the memory bank. -GD Friday, 11/27/2009 Great Blue Heron stalking gophers Brown Pelican at moment of water entry Friday, 12/4/2009 Between sushi courses (she just finished eating a second fish up here) A difference of opinion on this floating island Great Blue Heron gliding in for marshland feeding

Not so bad. Cute little guy... Pretty sure he had a knife. Looks like a Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnake. Travelita encountered a pair recently in nearby Blue Sky Reserve. They prefer rocky terrain and can be found from the coast to the desert. As far as a knife ... according to Lemm in "Field Guide to Amphibians and Reptiles of the San Diego Region", Speckleds have the second most toxic venom of the rattlesnake species in our area (first is the much more common Southern Pacific). They are a stealth snake and usually prefer waiting quietly rather than kick up a fuss. On several occasions I have seen them lying in the trail to First Grove in Borrego Palm Canyon, seemingly without a care in the world. Almost impossible to see at times, too, as they wear some incredible camo. I passed right by a full grown Speckled at the start of a steep pitch on Pinto Mountain (Joshua Tree). It put on quite a show for my companion who trailed me by 40 yards or so. -GD

Friday, 11/27/2009 After months of preparing and practicing under a variety of conditions, the weather and lighting gods and good will of our favorite Osprey pair came together to help me fulfill an image I have had in mind for quite a long time. Here is the result. -GD Female Osprey on nest

Team Monkeyboy- Very nice to see a new species posted to the Critter page. Thanks for sharing your photo. Where was this Black Rat Snake discovered? Information about the closest GC your were near would be appreciated. They aren't indigenous to California. The Texas Ratsnake (Pantherophis obsoletus) looks similar to your specimen but they live on the western prairie quite a bit east of here (i.e. Kansas). There is another Eastern species, the Black Rat Snake (Elaphe obsoleta) encountered in the eastern U.S. If local, this is a real mystery. -Gecko Dad Update 12/1/2009: I see from Team Monkeyboy's profile/found caches that this critter probably hails from Ohio.

Wednesday, 11/25/2009 I spent a couple of hours back at Robb Field this afternoon. There were no Ospreys aloft when I arrived so I walked the bike path watching Brown Pelicans splashing away using their hooking dives to snag fish. It is amazing their necks don't break as they completely spin around to a stop with their heads and necks underwater. As I was walking back toward the car, an Osprey flew over me carrying a large stick and headed toward the big nest. I headed that way and discovered a second Osprey on one of the adjacent lamp poles. I positioned myself where I could see both of them and observed for the next hour or so. Here three photos of "A5" and "A6", names I coined based on the lamp posts each was first spotted on this afternoon. Notice the notch in A6's left primary, marking it as the Osprey I have been watching around sunset as it carries branches to the Robb Field nest. -GD "A5" checking things out "A6" launches to a new perch Sunset stretch

Tuesday, 11/24/2009 More images from yesterday's Osprey fashion shoot ... -GD Hover mode Scanning while cruising Another flyby Close pass curvature Typical fish finding posture Dive, dive Looking left, looking right Banking descent

Tuesday, 11/24/2009 Took a late lunch so I could swing by to visit my favorite Osprey this afternoon on the way between meetings at two different sites on Point Loma. I had watched a mixed flock of Buffleheads and Greater Scaups the day before so was also planning to see if I could capture the incredible iridescence of the male Bufflehead in breeding plumage. Male Bufflehead (Bucephela albeola) My attention was soon drawn to the host Osprey flying and scanning the water from the opposite side of the channel while being harassed by a crow. The Osprey seemed totally unphased by the feints and chase behavior. This went on for over five minutes before the crow gave up and the Osprey continued to focus on its business. During a 30 minute viewing session, the Osprey made three large circuits and passed by fairly closely each time. One of those passes provided this image. Osprey flyby -GD

Sunday, 11/22/2009 Dropped off seven new reprints of Yrium's own Pals card #13 in Yrium Celebration Cache. -Gecko Dad

Saturday, 11/21/2009 Gabi Gecko (our Lhasa Apso rescue dog) and I headed down to Dog Beach mid-day today under beautiful Fall conditions. We saw our favorite local Ospreys circling over the San Diego River channel so I grabbed my camera to take along on our walk. It was quickly apparent, though, that this would not be an ordinary outing as the bike path was awash in pink attired hominids. The first wave was just reaching our position heading eastbound toward the Sunset Cliffs-Quivera Basin bridge. Since Gabi wears a pink collar and has a pink leash, we fit right in as mobile cheerleaders for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer 3-Day Walkers. We had tons of smiles and happy reactions to our pinkness as we dog walked around the aid stations and then along to the side of the path as we returned against the flow, still in pursuit of additional Osprey sightings. We were blessed with one flyby, the same bird I photographed two days ago (see small notch in back of fifth left primary), before the skies turned Osprey-free for the rest of our two hour beach visit. The biggest challenge was adjusting camera settings, zoom, and focus in the few seconds I had between cheering and photographing the walkers in one direction and the Osprey's sudden appearance (and equally sudden departure) from another direction. Here is the entire sequence. Reference cache is still Lil' Dragon's playtime. -GD P.S. Eternally grateful to Travelita for discovery and original postings of the nesting pair. Osprey on approach Hover turn Searching Banking overflight Still scanning the estuary shallows Departure

American Coots (Fulica americana) ... Son Groovy and I have enjoyed springtime kayaking on nearby Lake Miramar when the Coot babies are bobbing around at the boundaries of the reeds. They are surprisingly colorful and improbably prehistoric looking. They always made us smile. Another pastime is witnessing adult Coot territoriality, especially during breeding season. Avian pit bulls when the wrong someone crosses an imaginary line on the water. Coots are something else again and well worth devoting some observing time. -GD

So Harmon, where is the second owl? -GD

D!- Great to see your new contributions to the Critter page. Some portrait views worthy of Zoonooz. Here are a few Meerkat shots taken on November 1 also near GC1TC9Z when Groovy was in town for a visit. -GD Wary Meerkats watching a helicopter overhead (That's a very BIG bird!) Another subgroup monitoring the situation Critter comfort Senior observer Did it land?

Thursday, 11/19/2009 Outstanding fall birding late this afternoon near Lil' Dragon's playtime. -GD Part of a huge squadron of Black Brants (Branta bernicla) Osprey surveying San Diego River estuary opportunities Ready to launch for a dive Four-headed vision (I believe this is a Pied-billed Grebe, Podilymbus podiceps) Osprey twilight overflight Over-the-shoulder view as it heads toward Mission Bay

Hopefully no cache critter ingredients are contained in this holiday treat. -GD

Tuesday, 10/6/2009 Cats and deer seemed an unusual combination but apparently not in the area around Columbia State Historic Park. These critters were sighted on my walk to Tree Treasure Cache (GC11EQ1). -GD Columbia kitty Two Mule Deer does

Saturday, 10/3/2009 Something out of the ordinary and a first sighting for me - a Leucistic Brewer's Blackbird. Based on it size in comparison to the adults with which it was browsing, this one appears to be a juvenile. Although very uncommon, this kind of pigment variation is known as Leucistic, meaning a condition characterized by reduced pigmentation in animals. This youngster was spotted in Upper Pines Campground, Yosemite Valley, as I was about to ride my bicycle over to GC1QN2P. -GD Leucistic Brewer's Blackbird (Euphagus cyanocephalus) Theme and variation

Thursday, 10/1/2009 Another Blue Grouse, one of a flock of four that circled and pecked the ground all around me near The Best Hike in Yosemite Valley on the way back from GC9614 and GCKP2E. -GD Blue Grouse vocalizing to her group Sighted near this spot

Saturday, 17 October 2009 9:00 pm Headed down to Max's Favorite Park with Gabi Gecko, our Lahsa Apso rescue dog. GG was hoping for a Ginger card - as well as a walk - and I thought there might be a good chance to get a LLoT card. There were still plenty of LLoT primary and misprint cards and I took one of each. There were no other cards in the cache, though, so the Skillets went quickly indeed. BTW, the overhead lights seem to be out, or at least they were all turned off tonight, so it is VERY dark here. Recommend bringing a headlamp or flashlight if making an after hours trek. -Gecko Dad

Saturday, 9/26/2009 This California Ground Squirrel was enjoying its breakfast at Washburn Point while I was recording virtual cache find confirmation information for Yosemite's Wonders. -GD Spermophilus beecheyi

Saturday, 9/26/2009 Took advantage of outstanding weather and 10 nights camping in Yosemite Valley to take in the Pohono Trail, Panorama Trail, and the trek to the summit of Half Dome. This female Blue Grouse (Dendragapus obscurus) was one of three I passed just below Yosemite Sentinel Dome Virtual Cache. Later in our visit I was to encounter a number of other flocks of females and even had a chance to pause in the midst of a foursome and enjoy their quiet, peaceful evening chittering. -GD Blue Grouse

Monday, 24 August 2009 I enjoyed an afternoon viewing the critters adjacent to Stanley Park Aquarium Cache, which I tracked down at the end of a week's vacation in Vancouver. The were a number of lighting challenges and unpredictable behaviors inside and out so a photographer needed to be on their game. Here are few examples. -GD Pacific White-sided Dolphins Baby Beluga Whale and mom Loggerhead Sea Turtle Surreal jelly Baby Beluga taking a look just before sundown

Saturday, August 1, 2009 A new lizard species for Team Gecko! Encountered this Barred Spiny Lizard playing peek-a-boo with me near Long Nose, near the end of the lateral moraine that forms the north side of Big Pine Creek. When I first spotted it at a distance, I thought it was a collared lizard. It was quite large and elusive, dancing around to the opposite side of a boulder before going into hiding beneath it. I had been in the White Mountains and then the Sierras for a week and my camera batteries died after only a couple of shots and I was not able to document the best viewing I had when it was in the open. I walked back to the 4Runner and grabbed the other camera in hopes it would come back out. Only a Gecko would spawl out on prickly ground in 95 degree heat waiting for a lizard to stick its head out from under a rock. Of course, it did not so I had to settle for a couple of flash shots while it went to sleep in the shadows. -GD First look - Barred Spiny Lizard (Sceloporus magister transversus) Peek-a-boo Spiny hunk Eye-to-eye

Tuesday, July 28, 2009 Yellow-bellied Marmot pups in trailside burrow sighted on return from White top. -GD