It’s income tax time again, Americans: time to gather up those receipts, get out those tax forms, sharpen up that pencil, and stab yourself in the aorta.
~Dave Barry~
On the bright side, here's what's been happening since my last report...
031216...
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| Alyogyne huegelii. |
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| Coleonema pulchellum, commonly known as confetti bush, buchu, diosma or breath of heaven. |
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| Bearded iris, perhaps Orange Harvest. |
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| Grevillea 1. |
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| Grevillea 2. |
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| Phoebis sennae on Salvia. |
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| Doryanthes palmeri (Giant Spear Lily)--more to come. |
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| Salvia clevelandii or so I think. |
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| These are very small flowers shot macro. Maybe some type of grevillea? |
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| 2 |
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| Red-eared slider turtles, this reminded me of Dr. Seuss's Yertle the Turtle. |
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| Male Calypte Anna relaxing in eucalyptus populnea. |
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| Same hummingbird enjoying the spider grevillea. |
031316...
Same birds, different day.
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| Female Calypte anna. |
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| Another female Calypte anna. |
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| Male Calypte anna on bracelet honey myrtle. |
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| 2 |
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| 3 |
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| "Our ducks, Docken and Eric." |
031916...
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| Tangerine, Tangerine, Living reflection from a dream... |
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| White crowned sparrow or as Docken would say, "the one with the bicycle helmet." |
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| Good ol' Allen's hummingbird, "Rusty." |
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| 2 |
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| A black phoebe by the fountain. |
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| Bottlebrush. |
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| A seemingly brooding Cooper's hawk. |
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| Arctotis 'Pumpkin Pie.' |
032716...
This was a two walk day, late A.M and late afternoon.
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| A hare drinks from the pond overflow. |
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| Kangaroo paw, just blooming. |
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| A lesser goldfinch... |
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| ...tweets at the camera beeps. |
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| Not a great shot but this is the 1st water lily bloom of the season. |
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Yes, that's Rusty again.
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| A bee on a Encelia farinosa flower. |
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| California Towhee. |
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| Feathery cassia. |
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| Another not a great shot but a very handsome fence lizard indeed. |
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| Male Anna's hummingbird pre-pee... |
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| During pee. |
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| After pee. |
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| And what? You're embarrassed? |
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| Just as I was backing up a male Anna's goes in for nectar. |
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| Male Anna's hummingbird enjoying the spear lily. |
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| Nymphalis antiopa, known as the Mourning Cloak. |
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| I love when the palo verde trees are in bloom. |
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| 2 |
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| Penstemon. |
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| Opuntia flowers. |
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| A red-tailed hawk above a palo verde tree. |
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| Verbena. |
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| A ladybug on milkweed. |
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| A young hare asks what's up. |
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| A two seater ultralight coming... |
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| and going. |
040316...
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| Wet sparrow 1. |
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| Wet sparrow 2. |
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| Yes, opuntia flowers. |
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| A pollen "drenched" bee. |
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| Red Admiral, Vanessa atalanta. |
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| Red Admiral, Vanessa atalanta 2. |
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| Romneya coulteri. |
040916...
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| Male Calypte anna in a Baja fairy bush. |
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| Female Calypte anna. |
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| The Giant Spear Lily is really blooming now! |
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| Northern Mockingbird munching on a dragonfly. |
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| Male Anna's hummingbird in Caesalpinia gilliesii. |
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| Two turtle doves... |
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| Encelia farinosa. |
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| Female Anna's hummingbird. |
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| A house finch on a wire and a rope. |
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| A ladybug on an unknown Australian native. |
041016...
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| Male Anna's hummingbird. |
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| 2 |
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| Back to the opuntia flowers. |
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| 2 |
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| Santa Barbara daisies showing up. |
Just before the next shot I believe I witnessed a pair of Calypte anna hummingbirds mating. It was quick and somewhat inside the braided honey myrtle so I couldn't get a good shot off.
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| This is the female back to business right after mating. |
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| And here she is again. |
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| More the opuntia flowers. |
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| To and fro for this I lost my balance and almost fell into a lot of cacti. Watch your step. |
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| Desert willow flowers, another springtime fav. |
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| The same lady bug as yesterday on the same shrub. |
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| Rusty again. |
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| And once more. |
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| I believe this was the same male I spotted mating. |
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| 2 |
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| Melaleuca thymifolia. |
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| Opposite side of the lady bug was this true bug. |
Whew! And thanks for coming along!!
