Friday, December 28, 2018
Wednesday, December 26, 2018
Today's walk report: 122618
The day after Christmas.
What a beautiful day! We drove and walked today not wanting to push our luck with some recent aches and pains. And we did fine. Thank you.
It was more of the same today. Male Selasphorus sasin hummingbird, Rusty G. Alpha was in fine form chasing intruders from his territory. Every time we saw him chasing I could not get a good glimpse of the intruder. So I followed and found it was a female Calypte anna (Anna's hummingbird) which seemed to be pretty darn persistent about going back into Rusty's hood.
Here was Rusty, all over the place...
and then back to Rusty's base.
A female Anna's hummingbird is larger than an Allen's and I believe she was able to out maneuver the smaller bird. Time for some research. Needless to say she wasn't especially perturbed about returning to his turf.
We decided to take the stairs to the top pf the hill to see if red-tailed hawks might be hanging around again today. We got two! I don't believe either hawk were the one we photographed yesterday.
But first... we heard the sirens down below and then we saw smoke. This was a lot closer to home than I imagined too.
The hawks were about 50 meters west.
You've got to click the pictures and see the larger versions. Don't be looking at this on your phone either. Thank you.
Two trees east there was this mourning dove, who was ousted from its perch when one of the hawks decided to fly over.
What a beautiful day! We drove and walked today not wanting to push our luck with some recent aches and pains. And we did fine. Thank you.
It was more of the same today. Male Selasphorus sasin hummingbird, Rusty G. Alpha was in fine form chasing intruders from his territory. Every time we saw him chasing I could not get a good glimpse of the intruder. So I followed and found it was a female Calypte anna (Anna's hummingbird) which seemed to be pretty darn persistent about going back into Rusty's hood.
Here was Rusty, all over the place...
and here was the intruder. First, where she took off to after being chased...
A female Anna's hummingbird is larger than an Allen's and I believe she was able to out maneuver the smaller bird. Time for some research. Needless to say she wasn't especially perturbed about returning to his turf.
We decided to take the stairs to the top pf the hill to see if red-tailed hawks might be hanging around again today. We got two! I don't believe either hawk were the one we photographed yesterday.
But first... we heard the sirens down below and then we saw smoke. This was a lot closer to home than I imagined too.
The hawks were about 50 meters west.
You've got to click the pictures and see the larger versions. Don't be looking at this on your phone either. Thank you.
Two trees east there was this mourning dove, who was ousted from its perch when one of the hawks decided to fly over.
Tuesday, December 25, 2018
Today's walk report: 122518-Merry-Christmas
Merry Christmas, 2018!
This is two walk reports in one. Aren't you excited?
Last night, Christmas Eve, we went for a walk in the neighborhood just south of us wherein lies the famous Candy Cane Lane. In our youth this was a much bigger deal than it is of late but it was still very nice. The streets get packed with cars and certainly some of the people living along the 3 blocks long and 4 blocks wide area don't especially appreciate all the commotion. Approximately 60% of the homes didn't decorate and it's my recollection that at least 85% participated in some fashion back in the 60s-70s. We walked about 1/2 of the territory, a little over 2 miles. I brought along a crappy old point and shoot camera, so just a few pics to prove we were there.
Today, Christmas Day, it was back to the local botanical garden and elsewhere on the college campus where it resides.
As soon as we entered he garden we were met with a flurry of American bushtits (Psaltriparus minimus) catching insects on a cape honeysuckle bush.
In a couple of previous reports I have stated that this hummingbird was an immature, male Anna's (Calypte anna). My bad, today it was being swooned by an adult male and it is indeed a female.
Male Allen's hummingbird, Rusty G. Alpha was also hanging out.
Next we moved up topside of the campus, overlooking the San Fernando Valley and Docken spotted this red-tailed hawk (Buteo jamaicensis).
Once he departed, we did too.
This is two walk reports in one. Aren't you excited?
Last night, Christmas Eve, we went for a walk in the neighborhood just south of us wherein lies the famous Candy Cane Lane. In our youth this was a much bigger deal than it is of late but it was still very nice. The streets get packed with cars and certainly some of the people living along the 3 blocks long and 4 blocks wide area don't especially appreciate all the commotion. Approximately 60% of the homes didn't decorate and it's my recollection that at least 85% participated in some fashion back in the 60s-70s. We walked about 1/2 of the territory, a little over 2 miles. I brought along a crappy old point and shoot camera, so just a few pics to prove we were there.
Today, Christmas Day, it was back to the local botanical garden and elsewhere on the college campus where it resides.
As soon as we entered he garden we were met with a flurry of American bushtits (Psaltriparus minimus) catching insects on a cape honeysuckle bush.
In a couple of previous reports I have stated that this hummingbird was an immature, male Anna's (Calypte anna). My bad, today it was being swooned by an adult male and it is indeed a female.
Male Allen's hummingbird, Rusty G. Alpha was also hanging out.
Next we moved up topside of the campus, overlooking the San Fernando Valley and Docken spotted this red-tailed hawk (Buteo jamaicensis).
Once he departed, we did too.
Sunday, December 23, 2018
Today's walk report: 122318
It was very quiet in the garden today and unfortunately hardly a creature was stirring... but I did manage to get a couple of pictures at least enough to show we were there.
Our favorite male Allen's hummingbird, Rusty G. Alpha was around but wasn't being especially accommodating on the photo-op side. I don't want to hurt his feelings but soon we will have grevillea/Allen's hummingbird photo potential in our own backyard. We've had a male Allen's here for years and my wonderful sister gave us a beautiful grevillea 'Peaches and Cream' as a Christmas gift.
This young male Anna's hummingbird (Calypte anna) was profiled in my walk report from December 16th but he was being highly evasive today.
Here's our old friend Grumpy bird in what might be his grumpy bird home. California towhees typically build their nests in shrubs. They even like poison oak. This is a dead Calothamnus quadrifidus bush (Common Net Bush), which, for me anyway, really seems to suit Grumpy bird.
Our favorite male Allen's hummingbird, Rusty G. Alpha was around but wasn't being especially accommodating on the photo-op side. I don't want to hurt his feelings but soon we will have grevillea/Allen's hummingbird photo potential in our own backyard. We've had a male Allen's here for years and my wonderful sister gave us a beautiful grevillea 'Peaches and Cream' as a Christmas gift.
This young male Anna's hummingbird (Calypte anna) was profiled in my walk report from December 16th but he was being highly evasive today.
Here's our old friend Grumpy bird in what might be his grumpy bird home. California towhees typically build their nests in shrubs. They even like poison oak. This is a dead Calothamnus quadrifidus bush (Common Net Bush), which, for me anyway, really seems to suit Grumpy bird.
Friday, December 21, 2018
Today's walk report: 122018
I'm a day late posting this one. There really wasn't much happening yesterday and photos depended on a reliable subject or two.
First there was the big "E" in the sky. I had some trouble with auto focus on this and it had moved and faded quite a bit before I got a picture.
Then it was back to male Allen's hummingbird Rusty G. Alpha. What a delightful and accommodating little friend he is.
Then there was Grumpy bird. Grumpy was looking more pensive than grumpy today as if he had felt a great disturbance in the force or something.
First there was the big "E" in the sky. I had some trouble with auto focus on this and it had moved and faded quite a bit before I got a picture.
Then it was back to male Allen's hummingbird Rusty G. Alpha. What a delightful and accommodating little friend he is.
Then there was Grumpy bird. Grumpy was looking more pensive than grumpy today as if he had felt a great disturbance in the force or something.
Sunday, December 16, 2018
Today's walk report: 121618
Two birds...
Once again male Allen's hummingbird (Selasphorus sasin), Rusty G. Alpha.
and a young male Anna's hummingbird (Calypte anna).
Once again male Allen's hummingbird (Selasphorus sasin), Rusty G. Alpha.
and a young male Anna's hummingbird (Calypte anna).
Saturday, December 15, 2018
Today's walk report: 121518
More photos of male Selasphorus sasin hummingbird, Rusty G. Alpha.
We spotted this dude on the way home and I asked if I could get a picture or two of his electric unicycle. This thing was quite zippy.
We spotted this dude on the way home and I asked if I could get a picture or two of his electric unicycle. This thing was quite zippy.
Sunday, December 9, 2018
Today's walk report: 120918
Hummingbird headshots.
Today's photos, full frame, would have been a lot like those posted yesterday. So much so I decided to shoot images with the idea of taking headshots in mind.
Male Allen's hummingbird (Selasphorus sasin), Rusty G. Alpha.
Male Anna's hummingbird (Calypte anna), Brad.
Whee!
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