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San Diego County Cache Critters

Team Gecko

By Team Gecko
in West and Southwest

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TrailGators

+TrailGators

Posted
Posted (edited)

Hi Tom, I recently learned that your first photo would be of an Aligator Lizard! <_<

 

We got quite a bird show up on Eagle Peak yesterday!

Based on Don't assessment of my last photo, I would say that this one is of another Red-Tailed Hawk....

c1a05aa9-1cac-49b2-9bea-99f6141bfd82.jpg

But this one is of a......raven?......or a Turkey Vulture?

ec1c6ed8-301b-4029-b096-696da36f5700.jpg

Edited by TrailGators
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Dr. Boggis

+Dr. Boggis

Posted
Posted

Great thread Gecko Dad!

 

I was out in Daley Ranch yesterday (not caching :) ) and the wife and I had a nice long look at a coyote about 50 feet away. He ambled down the path, took a sniff at some horse dung, and gave us a few glances, but really wasn't bothered by our presence (not as much as Mrs B was bothered by his, anyway!). Eventually he trotted off into the bushes when we started to approach. Unfortunately my camera was in my bag so I didn't get any pics. Not that rare a sighting anyway, I suppose.

 

Anyway, here are some critters I've spotted while out caching:

 

Spanish shawl, anemones and rockfish at the Yukon cache.

42385357-d024-4993-a9b7-002756026d5e.jpg

16c42aca-9a53-4185-ab8a-25c71f2726ad.jpg

 

Snails at A TOP POWAY

19da5924-ea8f-40b4-877c-41913e7cae61.jpg

 

A funky caterpillar at

Gershwin Gifts

8d2b8360-1430-4397-a201-083857fa865c.jpg

 

Angry crawfish at Visitor's Welcome in MTRP

abf36b8f-3a80-4ab9-ad4f-e84b72a23f85.jpg

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Cornerstone4

+Cornerstone4

Posted
Posted

2006 looks to be a good year for snakes!

 

Now...if only I could remember to bring my camera!

 

I went all last year without a single snake sighting while I was caching. ;)

 

Saturday, I spotted my first of the season when I lifted a rock looking for a cache. It was only a Western Black Headed snake, which is one of the smallest in California, but it was cool just the same.

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Team Gecko

+Team Gecko

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As a result of our exceptionally warm and dry winter, it looks like we may have an early start to rattlesnake season. Here is a photo of a Southern Pacific Rattlesnake posted this past week to our Gecko Gulch - A Pack Rat's High Rise.

 

Always be careful reaching under rocks. Poking first with a walking pole or a stick is a wise precaution.

-Gecko Dad

In looking more closely at the photo I realize this is a Red Diamond Rattlesnake (Crotalus ruber), the most common species of rattlesnake residing in our local deserts. The Gecko Gulch host is not a Southern Pacific Rattlesnake (Crotalus oreganus helleri), which is a commonly seen variety of our coastal and mountain areas. I have never seen a Southern Pacific in 40+ years of desert hiking so was a bit surprised with the first identification. Sorry about that.

-Gecko Dad

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Team Gecko

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Here are some Bighorn lambs that Ruscal and I saw at 7:00 am morning on our way down Montezuma Grade for a backpack hike into Hellhole Canyon. I frequently see family groups here, sometimes as many as 15 individuals. An acquaintance of mine is working on a feature length documentary film on Peninsular Bighorns and has filmed here in the past. Location is near a turnout on S22 at N33 13.437, W116 25.472.

 

There was a radio collared matriarch among this morning's sheep assembly and at least three other younger ewes. The lambs were playing king of the hill on this rock, running up and down the ramp to the right of the photo, sometimes all at once. Due to the lighting these photos a tad fuzzy but then again, so were these adorable looking youngsters.

-Gecko Dad

 

The setting

26cad199-e23a-4105-99da-fcbfd16ca0b9.jpg

Tagged and collared matriarch

708c89d3-9b8c-4858-8ac7-48b1e16a9d3f.jpg

Four playmates

f3c239c8-d4dc-4c3c-a5f7-4c27ba6d6c4e.jpg

Ready, set, go!

88b9bb1f-13fa-4e85-91db-a52a233e9834.jpg

A mom in her prime

31368620-74c8-4c31-9cad-49378475e5b6.jpg

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Team Gecko

+Team Gecko

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Great photos Don! I think we need some photo lessons! No matter how hard I try I cannot take photos that look like that!! What is your secret?

Pat-

In this case, I was shooting in macro mode at a distance of about 4 inches. Shooting from ground level is often effective for lizards who are particularly cooperative if you move VERY slowly.

 

I especially enjoyed taking these two photos of a female Leopard Lizard in breeding color since this is a very speedy and aggressive species (they catch and eat the equally fast Zebra-tailed lizards that are essentially their same size!). She was under a desert shrub and I spent 10 minutes easing to her on my belly. I confess to acquiring a few scratches and thorns from time to time.

 

fa09bb3a-c91c-4ad3-864b-292de75887af.jpg

 

d286d678-c7ae-4b98-8efc-a8e9c4b42d31.jpg

 

An effective approach to wildlife photography is spending as much time as possible observing animals so you can learn their habits and get into favorable positions. It also helps to have a camera with you that can quickly be accessed since the opportunities can be fleeting.

-Don

Edited by Team Gecko
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TrailGators

+TrailGators

Posted
Posted

Great photos Don! I think we need some photo lessons! No matter how hard I try I cannot take photos that look like that!! What is your secret?

Pat-

In this case, I was shooting in macro mode at a distance of about 4 inches. Shooting from ground level is often effective for lizards who are particularly cooperative if you move VERY slowly.

-Don

There's the problem! I run around with my camera like I'm chasing a greased pig trying to get my subject to be 4" from my camera! :anicute: But truthfully I have not spent 10 minutes being super stealthy to get a great shot! I'm not sure why I don't do that because I could use more 10 minutes breaks on some of these hikes we've been doing lately! Thanks for the advice! :huh:

-Pat

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Team Gecko

+Team Gecko

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Great photos Don! I think we need some photo lessons! No matter how hard I try I cannot take photos that look like that!! What is your secret?

Pat-

In this case, I was shooting in macro mode at a distance of about 4 inches. Shooting from ground level is often effective for lizards who are particularly cooperative if you move VERY slowly.

-Don

There's the problem! I run around with my camera like I'm chasing a greased pig trying to get my subject to be 4" from my camera! :) But truthfully I have not spent 10 minutes being super stealthy to get a great shot! I'm not sure why I don't do that because I could use more 10 minutes breaks on some of these hikes we've been doing lately! Thanks for the advice! :D

-Pat

I think of geocaching as an excuse to get into great photography situations so the time spent with the camera out is the main thing. That's one reason I've shifted toward Terracaching lately.

-Don

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TrailGators

+TrailGators

Posted
Posted

Great photos Don! I think we need some photo lessons! No matter how hard I try I cannot take photos that look like that!! What is your secret?

Pat-

In this case, I was shooting in macro mode at a distance of about 4 inches. Shooting from ground level is often effective for lizards who are particularly cooperative if you move VERY slowly.

-Don

There's the problem! I run around with my camera like I'm chasing a greased pig trying to get my subject to be 4" from my camera! :) But truthfully I have not spent 10 minutes being super stealthy to get a great shot! I'm not sure why I don't do that because I could use more 10 minutes breaks on some of these hikes we've been doing lately! Thanks for the advice! :D

-Pat

I think of geocaching as an excuse to get into great photography situations so the time spent with the camera out is the main thing. That's one reason I've shifted toward Terracaching lately.

-Don

I assume that means that you're are running low on unfound geocaches that are in cool hiking areas.....I guess I'm lucky in that regard, I still have fairly long list left of cool hiking areas to do. The 3 Sisters hike this weekend was awesome! I can't wait to do Penny Mine when the water getting a little shallower and warms up a bit!

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RocketMan

+RocketMan

Posted
Posted (edited)
I especially enjoyed taking these two photos of a female Leopard Lizard in breeding color since this is a very speedy and aggressive species (they catch and eat the equally fast Zebra-tailed lizards that are essentially their same size!). She was under a desert shrub and I spent 10 minutes easing to her on my belly. I confess to acquiring a few scratches and thorns from time to time.

 

It also helps to have a mongo zoom lens if you are not patient enough to take 10 minutes to get a good shot. With Mrs. Rocket Man's Digital Rebel XT and her 300 mm zoom lens, you can get that lizard shot from 20 feet away with no waiting! :)

 

RM

 

Edit: Here is a drive-by example taken with her camera:

 

1e962fec-ee4a-467f-94de-ac4121b3e643.jpg

Edited by RocketMan
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TrailGators

+TrailGators

Posted
Posted
I especially enjoyed taking these two photos of a female Leopard Lizard in breeding color since this is a very speedy and aggressive species (they catch and eat the equally fast Zebra-tailed lizards that are essentially their same size!). She was under a desert shrub and I spent 10 minutes easing to her on my belly. I confess to acquiring a few scratches and thorns from time to time.

 

It also helps to have a mongo zoom lens if you are not patient enough to take 10 minutes to get a good shot. With Mrs. Rocket Man's Digital Rebel XT and her 300 mm zoom lens, you can get that lizard shot from 20 feet away with no waiting! :)

 

RM

 

Edit: Here is a drive-by example taken with her camera:

 

1e962fec-ee4a-467f-94de-ac4121b3e643.jpg

I see he made it to the top of Lizard Peak! But where is that darn cache? :D

 

Cool shot Dave! I'll have to bring our good digital camera along sometime. But I typically see critters when I don't have my camera out. As soon as I pull it out they all seem to magically disappear! :D

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Team Gecko

+Team Gecko

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Wow. What a great shot.

 

Here are two little bitty frogs we saw on our Three Sisters Hike Saturday. I think TrailGators named them . . . :smile:

 

I named them Gecko Dad and Ruscal! Princess Toadstool needs to go down there and kiss them to turn them back.....

 

When Ruscal and I hiked to Penny Mine last year, we saw hundreds if not thousands of these little guys. Sometimes there were two dozen or more on a single rock.

 

27b7cb2f-3dc4-4b2d-8255-45877941d761.jpg

 

How on earth will Princess T know which ones are our namesakes? :smile:

-GD

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Team Gecko

+Team Gecko

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I especially enjoyed taking these two photos of a female Leopard Lizard in breeding color since this is a very speedy and aggressive species (they catch and eat the equally fast Zebra-tailed lizards that are essentially their same size!). She was under a desert shrub and I spent 10 minutes easing to her on my belly. I confess to acquiring a few scratches and thorns from time to time.

 

It also helps to have a mongo zoom lens if you are not patient enough to take 10 minutes to get a good shot. With Mrs. Rocket Man's Digital Rebel XT and her 300 mm zoom lens, you can get that lizard shot from 20 feet away with no waiting! :smile:

 

RM

 

Edit: Here is a drive-by example taken with her camera:

 

 

That is an excellent photo. I don't imagine that collared lizard was inclined to let you get close enough for a macro shot.

 

I used to haul my Pentax SLR telephoto lenses with me in the field but found that I did not use them nearly as much as my wide angle lenses. Unless I knew I was going to be in a telephoto situation (such as on the Bighorn census counts for the State Park), I eventually got out of the habit. Then along came digital and I converted entirely to a format that I could wear on my fanny pack while trail running or hiking. So, sadly, the telephotos are largely gathering dust these past few years. Fortunately the later generation digitals have very decent zooms that work for most of the situations I encounter.

 

BTW, there are clearly circumstances where standing your distance is prudent. Here are two examples during cache hikes.

 

Land of the Playas

 

8ceaa711-3ed4-4557-8cb0-a48cabd3847d.jpg

 

Golden 94

 

61926454-3b2c-4a0a-b658-5f1345913eb7.jpg

 

4f07b1e5-3ba1-4358-9100-8a74a832071b.jpg

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TrailGators

+TrailGators

Posted
Posted
Wow. What a great shot.

 

Here are two little bitty frogs we saw on our Three Sisters Hike Saturday. I think TrailGators named them . . . :P

 

I named them Gecko Dad and Ruscal! Princess Toadstool needs to go down there and kiss them to turn them back.....

 

When Ruscal and I hiked to Penny Mine last year, we saw hundreds if not thousands of these little guys. Sometimes there were two dozen or more on a single rock.

 

27b7cb2f-3dc4-4b2d-8255-45877941d761.jpg

 

How on earth will Princess T know which ones are our namesakes? :P

-GD

Easy! The fast slender one is you and the one sitting with the baby cactus between his legs is Russ! :P

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Team Gecko

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I hiked out to "Latitude 32's Treasure Trove" in Horsethief Canyon today and found these tracks.

 

c642e39f-2c16-4257-9ec6-ceae6d1cde4a.jpg

 

90760ebf-c20e-4e2a-8882-d10976334152.jpg

 

They were rather large and impressive . . .

Lion prints are that shape and do not show claw marks. Adults prints are about 3 to 3 1/2 inches across and the same dimension fore/aft. I am aware of a radio collared female lion with two juveniles in tow who has been observed on the PCT south of Cuyamaca State Park. Her kittens were featured in the Winter 2005 issue of the Anza Borrego Foundation's Desert Update publication. There is also at least one male in that area.

 

Lion home ranges have been measured to average about 200 square kilometers in the desert and can be as much as 700 square KMs for some individuals. It would be hard to know with the radio data which cats have been in that area recently. The female that frequents the Ranchita/Culp Valley area has gone as far as Palm Springs at least once.

-Don

Edited by Team Gecko
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Team Gecko

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Saturday, 3/4/2006

We saw this Side-blotched Lizard (Uta stansburiana) on our backpack trip to High on Villager. This smallish species is perhaps the most commonly encountered in our local deserts. This was the lone individual that did not quickly scurry away into a hiding hole before I could get out my camera - and he did not hang around more than a few moments.

-Gecko Dad

 

b98dfe48-90ab-4d2e-9c10-e10467ea2491.jpg

Edited by Team Gecko
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Cornerstone4

+Cornerstone4

Posted
Posted

Hi Don,

 

I've got a question for you, and figured you would see it here! (Hopefully pictures to follow.)

 

Is there any other owl species besides barn owls that are white?

 

Here is why I am asking. We have a HUGE owl in our neighborhood that I either hear above me, or actually see several times a week. Last weekend, it tried to carry off our neighbors 28# Jack Russell Terrier! :anibad:

 

I thought barn owls were usually smaller owls, but this one is big, and it is white.

 

Last year, I had an up close and personal experience with a pair of nesting barn owls. Our new church building was nearing completion, and they had just hung all of the doors on the gym level. Well, we discovered that there was a pair of barn owls that had taken up residence in the gym! We called animal control, and fish and game, and nobody would help us. I saw where they were nesting, and took a 30' lift up there, and they had laid 2 eggs on the steel I-Beams. Well, the last window was about to be installed, and they would have been trapped. I called a falconer friend of mine, and we caught both birds, and released them 20 miles away. (They returned within a day!) They made a nest on the top of the church roof, and still live there today. :lol:

 

Anyway, that's a long story to say that neither one of those birds would have come close to being large enough to go after a dog that size, and they are much smaller than our local resident.

 

Dave

 

853aad1a-1723-4689-b7b8-0af824895168.jpg

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Team Gecko

+Team Gecko

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Hi Don,

 

I've got a question for you, and figured you would see it here! (Hopefully pictures to follow.)

 

Is there any other owl species besides barn owls that are white?

 

Here is why I am asking. We have a HUGE owl in our neighborhood that I either hear above me, or actually see several times a week. Last weekend, it tried to carry off our neighbors 28# Jack Russell Terrier! :(

 

I thought barn owls were usually smaller owls, but this one is big, and it is white.

 

Last year, I had an up close and personal experience with a pair of nesting barn owls. Our new church building was nearing completion, and they had just hung all of the doors on the gym level. Well, we discovered that there was a pair of barn owls that had taken up residence in the gym! We called animal control, and fish and game, and nobody would help us. I saw where they were nesting, and took a 30' lift up there, and they had laid 2 eggs on the steel I-Beams. Well, the last window was about to be installed, and they would have been trapped. I called a falconer friend of mine, and we caught both birds, and released them 20 miles away. (They returned within a day!) They made a nest on the top of the church roof, and still live there today. :(

 

Anyway, that's a long story to say that neither one of those birds would have come close to being large enough to go after a dog that size, and they are much smaller than our local resident.

 

Dave

Dave-

Yes, that's definitely a Barn Owl (Tyto alba). Sibley includes a note on one of his Barn Owl illustrations "very pale, ghostly" in portraying the underside of their wings (see The Sibley Guide to Birds, First Edition, p 272). Their face is very distinctive, too.

-Don

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drexotic

+drexotic

Posted
Posted (edited)
Hi Don,

 

I've got a question for you, and figured you would see it here! (Hopefully pictures to follow.)

 

Is there any other owl species besides barn owls that are white?

 

Here is why I am asking. We have a HUGE owl in our neighborhood that I either hear above me, or actually see several times a week. Last weekend, it tried to carry off our neighbors 28# Jack Russell Terrier! :)

 

I thought barn owls were usually smaller owls, but this one is big, and it is white.

 

Last year, I had an up close and personal experience with a pair of nesting barn owls. Our new church building was nearing completion, and they had just hung all of the doors on the gym level. Well, we discovered that there was a pair of barn owls that had taken up residence in the gym! We called animal control, and fish and game, and nobody would help us. I saw where they were nesting, and took a 30' lift up there, and they had laid 2 eggs on the steel I-Beams. Well, the last window was about to be installed, and they would have been trapped. I called a falconer friend of mine, and we caught both birds, and released them 20 miles away. (They returned within a day!) They made a nest on the top of the church roof, and still live there today. :)

 

Anyway, that's a long story to say that neither one of those birds would have come close to being large enough to go after a dog that size, and they are much smaller than our local resident.

 

Dave

 

853aad1a-1723-4689-b7b8-0af824895168.jpg

 

It would be unusual for a barn owl to take on a JRT but (especially with "passage" (young) birds) they may give it a try just to see what happens.

Flying raptors always "seem" larger than they are (this is more true when they are flying at your head) and the most common owl here in San Diego is the Barn owl. That said we do have many Great-horned owls. A female GHO is a formidable beast and would be able to take a female JRT (at least from a size and weight standpoint). I have seen them take full grown Jack Rabbits and I hear of them making attempts on clients cats from time to time. :)

Jeff / drexotic

BTW, I have a client who will place an owl box on your home or other building with or without a video camera so that you can observe the nesting owls and growing babies. Having an owl box on your home will solve your roof rat problems but may not be a good idea if you have small pets :)

Edited by drexotic
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TrailGators

+TrailGators

Posted
Posted (edited)
BTW, I have a client who will place an owl box on your home or other building with or without a video camera so that you can observe the nesting owls and growing babies. Having an owl box on your home will solve your roof rat problems but may not be a good idea if you have small pets :)

Hi Jeff, are 17 pound happy-go-lucky Cairn Terriers safe? We have had several owls hooting around our house and I have never been sure if a large one would attack our dog. I already know the answer to the coyote question.... :)

Edited by TrailGators
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drexotic

+drexotic

Posted
Posted
BTW, I have a client who will place an owl box on your home or other building with or without a video camera so that you can observe the nesting owls and growing babies. Having an owl box on your home will solve your roof rat problems but may not be a good idea if you have small pets :)

Are 17 pound happy-go-lucky Cairn Terriers safe? :) We have had some owls hooting around our house and I have never been sure if they would attack our dog.

 

I have a 18 pound Norwich and a 5 pound Chihuahua that have so far stayed out of the way of the GHO that takes pigeons off my roof every few weeks. I ran into her Face-to-face sitting on my fence finishing off one of the new squabs last spring. Again, it is odd for an adult bird to take on anything that would be dangerous (like a dog . . . but I have some concerns about the Chihuahua). It's the passage birds (first year birds making their first migration or out on their own for their first winter) that are the greatest concern. They don't have the experience (what is that big ol' fury animal down there?) and they are often challenged to find enough to eat, so they are ready to try anything. We see lots of them hit by cars trying to pick up road kill, etc.

Jeff

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Team Gecko

+Team Gecko

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These native birds were seen recently while I am on Navy business down under. More to follow when I catch up on logging my cache finds. Week 1 was in Adelaide, South Australia. Week 2 (presently) in Sydney, New South Wales. All of these were encountered "free range" in parklands just north of Adelaide. The photos reveal the Pelican and Crested Pigeon were banded.

-GD

 

Sunday, 3/19/2006

The Bridge of Death! (GCQHDQ)

Australian Pelican (Pelecanus conspicillatus)

a5ae8ed3-47c0-4dab-ac73-6bd7234d265e.jpg

 

Monday, 3/20/2006

It's a horse of course (GCQZRZ)

 

Crested Pigeon (Ocyphaps lophotes)

adf4bafc-68a8-43ff-9b01-a88d92b7d1c3.jpg

 

Little Pied Cormorant (Phalacrocorax melanoleucos)

08160203-8f70-48b2-ab7c-f5ede254d154.jpg

 

Australian Magpie (Gymnorhina tibi)

7b6f2f4f-5acf-4ac3-8d5a-7d6206de30a4.jpg

 

Murray Magpie aka Magpie-Lark or Pee-wee (Grallina cyanoleuca)

1090c238-a2d8-4511-8775-01a5b7afadbb.jpg

Edited by Team Gecko
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