Today's walk report: 123117, Happy New Year!

Photos from today the last day of 2017... Good riddance. Make 2018 much better, get out and vote!

Black Phoebe (Sayornis nigricans)

Black Phoebe (Sayornis nigricans)

I've seen these guys since 2013 (maybe 2012) except there were at least 5 planes at the beginning. I know there were 4 in 2016.

Some grevillea

Cassins Kingbird (Tyrannus vociferans)

Happy New Year!

Today's walk report: 122717

Brrk, brroock, broock, brk-ooock, braaa!

Today's walk report: 122517, Merry Christmas

It's Christmas and there's nothing wrong with saying Merry Christmas. This day has a very different meaning for many people but no matter, you can still say Merry Christmas--even us progressively minded folks can say it. Even an atheist can say it. It's a special day. There's never been a problem. 45 is an idiot.

Here are some pictures from this afternoon...

Female calypte anna hummingbird.

Male Selasphorus sasin hummingbird.

Same male Selasphorus sasin hummingbird.

A young male calypte anna hummingbird.

According to my camera data this bird was 291 meters away so... best guess is an Ardea herodias, aka, the great blue heron. It looked too dark and too large to be an egret.

The Equine Center is one of SoCal's emergency evacuation centers for horses inside of fire areas. Right now it appears as though about a dozen horses here may have been evacuated from the Thomas, Rye and or Creek fires.

Red tailed hawk, Buteo jamaicensis.

3 crows.

A crow on horseback.

More crows.

A mourning dove awaiting sunset.

A very Merry Christmas
And a happy new year
Let's hope it's a good one
Without any fear
War is over, if you want it
War is over now

~Happy Xmas (War Is Over) John Lennon, Yoko Ono~

Today's walk report: 121517

Photos from November 23 (Thanksgiving) to December 4, 2017. I'm simply trying to get a couple more posts in before the end of the year.

Turkey vulture (Cathartes aura)

Melaleuca thymifolia

A really dead and munched upon cactus.

Some type of Euphorbia.

Here's a wide shot.

Bees on some type of Banksia.

Right outside the front door.

Lycianthes rantonnetii, aka, royal robe or blue potato bush.

Good tidings to you and yours. Thanks for coming along.

Today's walk report: 111917

111917

Photos from today...

Phoebis sennae (cloudless sulphur)

Hakea minyma

Hakea minyma, "feeding the birds"

Hakea minyma

Male Allen's hummingbird, camouflaged

Today's walk report: 111817

We're about to go out for a walk and before I get too far behind I thought I'd post some images from the last two weekends.

November 5, 2017. I was still questioning weather or not this was our friend Eric The Duck (go back to spring, you'll see).

Is this the mallard drake known as Eric?

 Baccharis pilularis (Dwarf Coyote Brush)

Baccharis pilularis (Dwarf Coyote Brush), close-up

Female Calypte anna

Heteromeles arbutifolia (Toyon)

Gulf fritillary on baja fairy dustrer-

No ID

Senna bicapsularis

November 11, 2017. I'm confident now, this is Eric T. Duck. Last year he had what appeared to us to be a severely injured leg. So much so we considered finding a way to help him. He still has a distinctive limp. Meanwhile we continue to wait on Docken duck and wonder what became of her ducklings from spring.

QUACK!

Leptotes marina on Westringia

Okay, just about to head out. Hopefully we'll find something new and exciting on this beautiful afternoon. Thanks for coming along!

Today's walk report: 110417, this is cute

110417...

Take a look at the previous walk report. We didn't spot this on the way out today but coming back home, there it was... Somebody added to my "I love Doc" sidewalk graffiti. It's a little worn but I think you can make it out, it says, "Doc loves you too" with arrows pointing to my earlier message. We have no idea who wrote this but it was pretty darn special to see. (click for a larger image)

Today's walk report: 103017, finally fall?

Last couple of days of October and it looks like it might finally be fall for real in SoCal. Two days ago we were still pushing 100º f. Yesterday's high was about 78º and right now at 1:30 PM it's a pleasant 65º. Tomorrow is Halloween, so..... BOO!

Along with the higher temps come fewer walks or walks that mostly amount to getting them over and done with but there has been some picture taking. Here are some from walks taking place between October 8 and October 22.

The black phoebe (Sayornis nigricans) is a passerine bird in the tyrant-flycatcher family.

Some kids apparently left chalk on the sidewalk and some big kid decided to write this.

Phoebis sennae, the cloudless sulphur or cloudless giant sulphur.

A western fence lizard, (Sceloporus occidentalis).

There's not a lot of certainty yet but we think this might be Eric Duck. Eric Duck has a gimpy leg so we need to see him walk around a bit. Anyway, it's a first duck sighting for the fall...

 and Doc has been expecting this so she had duck food.

This is Junonia coenia aka, the common buckeye butterfly. Doc was anxiously calling me over for this beauty since she hadn't recalled seeing one before. I haven't seen one either since October 2014.

Vanessa cardui or painted lady butterflies were enjoying the lantana blooms.

With wings open it's the easiest to tell the difference between Vanessa cardui and the very similar Vanessa annabella (West Coast lady). The larger area of white spots at the top edge of the forewing are orange on Vanessa annabella, not white as seen below.

Agraulis vanillae aka the Gulf fritillary or passion butterfly shows off the silvery white underside of its wings while resting on Calliandra californica (Baja fairy duster).
 

Happy Halloween everybody!