+SD Rowdies Posted November 20, 2009 Posted November 20, 2009 Nov 18 Owl Tough act to follow D! Two Owls have been flying back and forth feeding their young a bone crunching meal Quote
+Team Gecko Posted November 20, 2009 Author Posted November 20, 2009 Nov 18 Owl Tough act to follow D! Two Owls have been flying back and forth feeding their young a bone crunching meal So Harmon, where is the second owl? -GD Quote
+SD Rowdies Posted November 20, 2009 Posted November 20, 2009 (edited) Nov 18 Owl Tough act to follow D! Two Owls have been flying back and forth feeding their young a bone crunching meal So Harmon, where is the second owl? -GD Momma owl baby sitting, Poppa owl picking up takeout. Edited November 21, 2009 by SD Rowdies Quote
+travelita Posted November 21, 2009 Posted November 21, 2009 Nov 19 American Coot (Fulica americana) MBP Black Box (GCHM46) Critterly Food Prickly Pear Cactus (Opuntia lasiacanta) After harvesting about 17 Prickly Pear Cactus fruit I made close to a Pint of naturally beautiful magenta colored juice. This might be a common delicacy for some, but it’s always an exotic treat for me! Many boil down the juice to create syrup customarily used over pancakes or desserts and others create a jelly, conserve or marmalade. Little seedless flesh is had off these tuna’s (fruit) as displayed in the jar on the left. Seeds can be swallowed whole and are reportedly sometimes soft enough to chew depending on the plant (I’ve experienced neither). Native Americans would dry leftover seeds and grind them into flour. During this past summer’s heat spell, the timing was off…as I was drying racks of sun-dried tomatoes and fruit-leather, the tuna’s were still yellow. One word: tongs. In haste, I’ve ruined a favorite pair of cycling gloves twisting these fruits off the plant. Burning the glochids/needles off the tuna over an open flame is the only method I’ve ever used, although there are other techniques such as rubbing with sand, boiling in water, shaking with hot coals, etc I’ve only collected from plants with lighter colored fruit in the past (see pics and check out that heart shaped one) and I’ve read darker purple fruits are less sweet. I might be disappointed with this batch, but it’s nothing fresh squeezed Lime Juice won’t cure. My processing isn’t complete until the juice goes through a final straining, is boiled and placed in a water bath (canning procedure). It then goes into the freezer or fridge for later use. Ole! FYI In CA it’s illegal to collect fruit off plants within 100 yards of a road or highway and private property and protected areas including state and national parks. Quote
+SD Rowdies Posted November 22, 2009 Posted November 22, 2009 (edited) Nov 19 American Coot (Fulica americana) MBP Black Box (GCHM46) Critterly Food Prickly Pear Cactus (Opuntia lasiacanta) After harvesting about 17 Prickly Pear Cactus fruit I made close to a Pint of naturally beautiful magenta colored juice. This might be a common delicacy for some, but it’s always an exotic treat for me! Many boil down the juice to create syrup customarily used over pancakes or desserts and others create a jelly, conserve or marmalade. Little seedless flesh is had off these tuna’s (fruit) as displayed in the jar on the left. Seeds can be swallowed whole and are reportedly sometimes soft enough to chew depending on the plant (I’ve experienced neither). Native Americans would dry leftover seeds and grind them into flour. During this past summer’s heat spell, the timing was off…as I was drying racks of sun-dried tomatoes and fruit-leather, the tuna’s were still yellow. One word: tongs. In haste, I’ve ruined a favorite pair of cycling gloves twisting these fruits off the plant. Burning the glochids/needles off the tuna over an open flame is the only method I’ve ever used, although there are other techniques such as rubbing with sand, boiling in water, shaking with hot coals, etc I’ve only collected from plants with lighter colored fruit in the past (see pics and check out that heart shaped one) and I’ve read darker purple fruits are less sweet. I might be disappointed with this batch, but it’s nothing fresh squeezed Lime Juice won’t cure. My processing isn’t complete until the juice goes through a final straining, is boiled and placed in a water bath (canning procedure). It then goes into the freezer or fridge for later use. Ole! FYI In CA it’s illegal to collect fruit off plants within 100 yards of a road or highway and private property and protected areas including state and national parks. Hmm, wonder how this would taste if poured over a batch of Barrie's cinnamon rolls or over a slab of her PUD cake? My mom, my gramma, and my great-granny picked and canned cactus fruit. My great-granny was, as we say, part indian and so knew much about olde-timey food and medicinal concoctions made from unusual weeds, bushes, and trees. Yes, they liked to test their concoctions on me ... mostly to keep me from being, let's say, bound up. Yum, Harmon Note to Self: Self, no wonder you like PUD cake so much. Edited November 22, 2009 by SD Rowdies Quote
+Team Gecko Posted November 22, 2009 Author Posted November 22, 2009 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 Quote
+Team Gecko Posted November 22, 2009 Author Posted November 22, 2009 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 Quote
+Team Gecko Posted November 25, 2009 Author Posted November 25, 2009 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 Quote
+SD Rowdies Posted November 25, 2009 Posted November 25, 2009 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 Wow! Quote
+Team Gecko Posted November 26, 2009 Author Posted November 26, 2009 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 Quote
+Team Gecko Posted November 27, 2009 Author Posted November 27, 2009 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 Quote
+Team Monkeyboy Posted November 30, 2009 Posted November 30, 2009 My 6 year old son discovered this black rat snake in a hole we *thought* might be holding the cache. Turns out we were in the wrong area entirely (it was a puzzle cache), but we snagged a great picture for the scrapbook! Quote
+Team Gecko Posted November 30, 2009 Author Posted November 30, 2009 (edited) My 6 year old son discovered this black rat snake in a hole we *thought* might be holding the cache. Turns out we were in the wrong area entirely (it was a puzzle cache), but we snagged a great picture for the scrapbook! 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. Edited December 1, 2009 by Team Gecko Quote
+Team Gecko Posted December 1, 2009 Author Posted December 1, 2009 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 Quote
+SD Rowdies Posted December 1, 2009 Posted December 1, 2009 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 Don, Y' done good, actually really good. Goes to show what determination, patience, perseverance, study, and practice can do. So it seems to me that you are the perfect person for advising me about how to stay out of trouble with the fiesty gals of our local Geocaching scene. Harmon Quote
+Stook Posted December 3, 2009 Posted December 3, 2009 Crappy picture, but this is as close as I get to snakes. Found@GC1JDKH Rattlerus Babyus. Quote
+Let's Look Over Thayer Posted December 3, 2009 Posted December 3, 2009 Crappy picture, but this is as close as I get to snakes. Found@GC1JDKH Rattlerus Babyus. Not so bad. Cute little guy... Quote
+Stook Posted December 3, 2009 Posted December 3, 2009 Crappy picture, but this is as close as I get to snakes. Found@GC1JDKH Rattlerus Babyus. Not so bad. Cute little guy... Pretty sure he had a knife. Quote
+Team Gecko Posted December 3, 2009 Author Posted December 3, 2009 Crappy picture, but this is as close as I get to snakes. Found@GC1JDKH Rattlerus Babyus. 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 Quote
+travelita Posted December 6, 2009 Posted December 6, 2009 Dec 5 Juvenile Sharp-shinned Hawk (Accipiter striatus) After 45 minutes tracking what I thought was a solo Sharp-shinned Hawk back and forth between pines and light poles near Radio Flyers II (GCAE37), I stepped off trail and flushed out two! Wasn’t as quick and agile as they were and missed a really cool shot. These birds don’t seem to mind the noise from the radio flyers overhead or RV generators in the area. Caught sight of a man extending his arm out to a perched Hawk and later held out my own, jingling the TB to hold the birds attention. Worked about once, as you’ll see from the look the bird flipped me. Quote
+travelita Posted December 6, 2009 Posted December 6, 2009 Nov/Dec Misc Near Polymer Science I (GC1NBYQ) Western Grebe (Aechmophorus occidentalis) Male Belted Kingfisher (Ceryle alcyon) displaying crest! Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) Near Lesser Known Landmark #5 Rose Creek (GC1MB9R) Male American Wigeon (Anas Penelope) Little Green Heron (Butorides virescens) Near Whah! Whah! (GCMNKB) Quote
+Team Gecko Posted December 6, 2009 Author Posted December 6, 2009 (edited) 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 Edited December 6, 2009 by Team Gecko Quote
+travelita Posted December 7, 2009 Posted December 7, 2009 July 3 Admiral Butterfly seen while on an outing gathering specimens for the herbarium at the San Diego Natural History Museum. Near Laguna Drive-By (GC1VJG2). Aug 4 Monarch Butterfly seen on visit to Butterfly Garden and Pidgeon seen in Ye (Old) Cactus Garden in Balboa Park near Balboa Park International Exchange (GCRDT7). Check out the Monarch Butterfly Website for more info. Quote
+travelita Posted December 9, 2009 Posted December 9, 2009 Name That Critter A striking bird flew past landing high up in a Norfolk Pine. I thought “time to buy a Christmas Tree” as I stopped. Too far off, although I took a few anyway. Can you id it? Do you see what I see? Quote
+travelita Posted December 12, 2009 Posted December 12, 2009 Name That Critter Can you id it? Do you see what I see? Prairie Falcon (Falcon mexicanus), a wintering visitor. Xmas Lights to the left of the bird waaaay up in the tree! Drove past this raptor perched next to the Golf Course near Polymer Science II (GC1QDT8). Parked and walked back in the rain to get a pic but a couple of muggles honked their horns in passing scaring it off. It's a beautiful bird so I'll try to catch up with it later...not sure what it is. Quote
+Team Gecko Posted December 12, 2009 Author Posted December 12, 2009 Drove past this raptor perched next to the Golf Course near Polymer Science II (GC1QDT8). Parked and walked back in the rain to get a pic but a couple of muggles honked their horns in passing scaring it off. It's a beautiful bird so I'll try to catch up with it later...not sure what it is. 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 Quote
+Team Gecko Posted December 12, 2009 Author Posted December 12, 2009 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) Quote
+travelita Posted December 14, 2009 Posted December 14, 2009 Dec 13 My best guess for Post #1275 would be Juvenile Red-shouldered Hawk. Cinnamon Teals, Northern Pintails and Falcated Ducks are a few of the notables foraging near Bird Sanctuary Bug Drop (GC18Y9P). GD: Your Posts #1264 & #1277 are absolutely breathtaking! Ethereal Sublime Quote
+Team Gecko Posted December 15, 2009 Author Posted December 15, 2009 (edited) Dec 13 My best guess for Post #1275 would be Juvenile Red-shouldered Hawk. T- Red-shouldered Hawk seems likely. That was my first guess last night but it was hard to tell how large a bird this was from the photo and I couldn't really decide. Red-shouldered (40" wingspan) is not as large at a Red-tailed (49") but quite a bit larger than either Sharp-shinned (23") or Cooper's (31") the other two common hawks with red cross-hatching. The chest coloration is that of an adult Red-shouldered but the head still looks strangely dark. Perhaps it is the dark lighting playing tricks. Have you seen it again? -GD Edited December 15, 2009 by Team Gecko Quote
+Team Gecko Posted December 17, 2009 Author Posted December 17, 2009 Tuesday, 12/15/2009 I spent late morning through sunset down at the San Diego River estuary. Unlike recent visits, I actually loaded up some GC waypoints for Lulu's Top 40 series but discovered I did not have a pen along. On top of that, the continuing great birding action keeps me focused up in the air rather than on the ground. Curiously, at one point my tripod was within inches #32 TR Violin, which I checked out. After birding, I went on an 8-mile sunset run with binoculars along and covered most of the GC series without actually logging any finds. Something to look forward to in the future. When I first arrived, I was pleasantly surprised to discovered a small group of American White Pelicans (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) had appeared on the scene since just the day before. They were clustered far out on one of the mudflats, possibly resting from their inbound trip. They stayed put for over an hour and a half until a young woman pulled up in her truck, hopped out outfitted with wading boots and suction gun and iPOD and descended the bank and walked briskly out across the flats on a direct line toward their cluster. The birds were soon scrambling and launched in their somewhat awkward manner. Once airborne, though, they looked marvelous in formation as they did one semi-circular pass and relocated to a less accessible mudflat. They spent the rest of day here without moving again. Just before sunset as I was running on the far side of the channel, one of them walked over to the water and started swimming along next to one of our native Brown Pelicans. What a contrast in coloration and size - compared to Brown Pelicans, White Pelicans weigh 2x (16 lbs vs 8 lbs) and have a 9-foot wingspan, nearly 2 1/2 feet wider than for Browns. That's a lot of bird. -GD American White Pelicans First turn after the scramble Elegant flyby Quote
+travelita Posted December 17, 2009 Posted December 17, 2009 Dec 15 Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus) Post #1275: Searched amongst Eucalyptus trees on course perimeter without any success. My latest id for it is an adult California elegans. Posting pics of a perched raptor taken alongside the freeway off-ramp near Why? (GCZD4F). Got in close, and as I was shooting, a man joined in just behind me with his own large-lens camera, flushing out the noisy Peregrine Falcon in the neighboring tree. Exciting moment! Looks to be fresh blood from a kill on the birds lower feathers. Quote
+Team Gecko Posted December 20, 2009 Author Posted December 20, 2009 Dec 15 Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus) Post #1275: Searched amongst Eucalyptus trees on course perimeter without any success. My latest id for it is an adult California elegans. Posting pics of a perched raptor taken alongside the freeway off-ramp near Why? (GCZD4F). Got in close, and as I was shooting, a man joined in just behind me with his own large-lens camera, flushing out the noisy Peregrine Falcon in the neighboring tree. Exciting moment! Looks to be fresh blood from a kill on the birds lower feathers. Very cool to see and hear a free-range Peregrine. Thanks for sharing. -GD Quote
+travelita Posted December 28, 2009 Posted December 28, 2009 Christmas Break Great Blue Herons across street from Tree of Life (GC17BZ1) Red-shouldered Hawk on 8 Green near Polymer Science II (GC1QDT8) Quote
+Team Gecko Posted January 4, 2010 Author Posted January 4, 2010 Sunday, 3 January 2010 I have been getting up for sunrise every morning for the past several weeks, starting with my pre-solstice and post-solstice hikes up Cowles Mountain for the double sunrise event. The past few days, though, I have been staying closer to home and walking down the street a few houses to an open gap for sunrise and moonset viewing. This morning, as I was returning, I noticed a Red-shouldered Hawk perched on top of a house three-doors down from our home coordinates. It seemed to be admiring the sunrise, too. Red-shouldered Hawk A real looker Late this afternoon, as I was raking leaves in the backyard, I heard an unusual chirping sound and looked above me to see this Sharp-shinned Hawk perched high in one of our ash trees - the source of the leaves I was raking. It patiently waited until I could get out my camera, telephoto, and tripod, and walk around to the side where the lighting was more favorable. At one point, it even stretched its tail feathers one way and then the other, displaying the distinctive banding associated with Cooper's and Sharp-shinned Hawks. Based on size and beak and dark on the back of its neck, I am inclined to identify this as a Sharp-shinned Hawk. However, the conspicuous and somewhat broader white banding at the tip of the tail feathers suggests a Cooper's Hawk. What do you think? Sharp-shinned Hawk (or possibly Cooper's Hawk) Stretching for effect -GD Quote
+Team Gecko Posted January 4, 2010 Author Posted January 4, 2010 Sunday, 3 January 2010 This evening's sunset from 100 yards west of home coordinates an hour after wrapping up the Sharp-shinned Hawk session. -GD Quote
+travelita Posted January 5, 2010 Posted January 5, 2010 Jan 3 Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis) Feeding frenzy by MBP Black Box (GCHM46) Quote
+Let's Look Over Thayer Posted January 5, 2010 Posted January 5, 2010 For the past several weeks, in the mornings, I've been seeing this roadrunner sitting on a fence near my house. Most mornings, its had its feathers ruffed out (as in the photos below) as if it was trying to absorb some of the morning sun. Yesterday, I finally managed to get a photo of it. Quote
+RoadRunner Posted January 5, 2010 Posted January 5, 2010 For the past several weeks, in the mornings, I've been seeing this roadrunner sitting on a fence near my house. Most mornings, its had its feathers ruffed out (as in the photos below) as if it was trying to absorb some of the morning sun. Yesterday, I finally managed to get a photo of it. I think I know that bird. Quote
+travelita Posted January 25, 2010 Posted January 25, 2010 PB Special (Seaweed & Sea Cucumber Salad) Quote
+travelita Posted January 27, 2010 Posted January 27, 2010 American kestrel (Falco sparverius) Pirates Cove (GC1FRB8) Quote
+travelita Posted January 28, 2010 Posted January 28, 2010 For the past few days I've had opportunities to walk, cycle and explore the beach scene from Diamond St North to Tourmaline Canyon Surfers Park. This gorgeous American Kestral is so habituated to humans I can easily get within 7' of it. A nice spot to catch its long hovers and quick dives is from Law St Green where it hunts for prey along the cliff. Check out Pirates Cove (GC1FRB8) and don't forget your yoga mat! GD: Cooper's Hawk Quote
+Duncan! Posted January 29, 2010 Posted January 29, 2010 Can anyone ID this beauty? Sorry, not the best picture, he/she never got very close. Seen near GC23BBP Pride Rock Quote
+Duncan! Posted January 29, 2010 Posted January 29, 2010 One more, a peregrine falcon, perhaps? Quote
+Duncan! Posted January 29, 2010 Posted January 29, 2010 This one-year old wanted to play with Willow! Quote
+Let's Look Over Thayer Posted January 30, 2010 Posted January 30, 2010 These penguins have shown up before on this thread, but they are now immortalized as artwork on Ms. LLOT's new surfboard! Quote
+travelita Posted January 31, 2010 Posted January 31, 2010 Jan 30 Royal Tern (Sterna maxima) Caspian Tern (caspia) Elegant Tern (elegans) Crown Point near The Crown Jewels Are Missing (GCJ0CD) Jan 29 Semipalmated Plover (Charadrius semipalmtus) and Brant (Branta bernicla) El Carmel Point Quote
+Team Gecko Posted January 31, 2010 Author Posted January 31, 2010 Can anyone ID this beauty? Sorry, not the best picture, he/she never got very close. Seen near GC23BBP Pride Rock Duncan- I believe this is a male Northern Harrier (Circus cyaneus). They used to be called Marsh Hawks. Fairly common locally and throughout North America. Their overhead profile is variable depending on their flight mode (see Sibley, p. 108). -Gecko Dad Quote
+travelita Posted February 1, 2010 Posted February 1, 2010 Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) Rock Trinity (GCBB32) Quote
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