Today's walk report: 100922

 Have you ever noticed how people won't do things that need to be done, that should be done, until absolutely necessary, often until they are required to do so by some higher authority. Even then, more times than one may imagine, they continue to fuss over not doing the right thing, doing what is best for the greater or common good. Why, they might even be under a subpoena and still fight it. You know, there's always somebody who thinks that the rules, laws and regulations don't apply to them. 

Anyway, remember this? Besides that issue, for four weeks straight there were at least four sprinklers that were leaking and, in fact, running well beyond a drip, beyond a trickle even, right in front of where I typically park my car on the college campus where almost all of my Sunday walks take place. Four weeks that I knew of, 24/7, wasting water during a severe drought when everyone is supposed to be abiding by water usage restrictions. So, earlier this week I reported it. Yep, I went to Save Our Water, California and filed a report. Because the campus is so large, I took an overhead screenshot from Google Earth and drew a red oval around the area at issue. Lo and behold, no leaks today! This wasn't in some concealed area, dozens upon dozens of cars were parking along these leaks for weeks and nobody was doing squat about it. I got out of my car with a big smile on my face and a feeling of pride. I did the right thing. 

Onto the walk and some pictures taken along the way.

Docken called shortly after I was out of the car and, as always, it was nice to have her company. 

Check it out. New Nikes! It seemed like a long time since I bought a new pair of shoes and from the best I could figure this is the first purchase of new running shoes since 2015. I used to buy two pairs a year. And no, there's not much running these days but I have been known to break into a modestly brisk jog when, oh say, there's a skunk seeming to be running towards me.  I have to raise the camera well over my head to get an in focus shot of my feet with this lens so excuse the poor framing.

Male Calypte anna hummingbird, Dusty was around and looking a little scruffy. This looks like molt but it's a little late in the season. I have to be honest though, I've never really gotten a handle on this molt-time thing. I just know it can end as late as November.

What I'm referring to is a little more obvious in these shots. Sorry, lighting was horrible.

The ancient car worshipers were just rolling in as I was walking by. Last week I pointed to a rather beat up Ford Pinto, saying I thought these folks were pushing it a tad on the "vintage auto" stance. I think this 1969 VW Karmann Ghia takes that even farther. This isn't a broken down car in a parking lot. The rear engine compartment is open so people can come by and marvel at the engine. There are two people to the right sitting in lawn chairs, you can just see a partial foot of one of them in the right edge of the image, near the bumper.

The star of my walk was this very large and handsome red-tailed hawk (Buteo jamaicensis). The first image was taken at 7:49 AM, I'm not sure why these lights were on. They actually played a little bit of havoc with my camera's sensor by "ghosting" an image of four quadrants of four dots each. I removed them. I thought about removing some bird poop too but I don't have all day. Anyway, the bird was very patient with me and when it took off, I followed. 

This was about 66 yards west of the lamp post.

After a short while a whole bunch of finches started moving in near the hawk, who looked at them with an abundance of curiosity. I believe the most finches I counted in any of these images is seven. Can you find more?

Thanks for stopping by and remember about...