Today's walk report: Bonus Butterfly Edition

  The only reason for time is so that everything doesn't happen at once.
~Albert Einstein 

We messed with the clocks again last night! However, I was still on PDT and out the door at 6:25 PST. Docken ringy-dingy-ed me on the way out. Thank you for the walk and talk, Docky. One thing that was a little different. I sort of forgot to take pictures. It was about 47º when I got out of the car and headed for the garden. Our intrepid friend, male Calypte anna hummingbird Dusty, was nowhere to be seen, probably because it was cold and maybe he was just coming out of torpor. I didn't especially feel like hanging out so I got to walking. I also wanted to get a walk in and get back home because dear feral cat Stan apparently had honored the time change and slept in. Whatever the story, he hadn't shown up for breakfast before I headed out. Sure enough, he was in his house patiently waiting when I got home.

Here are the only pictures I took.

When I saw this California scrub jay (Aphelocoma californica) with two acorns in its beak, I thought of scrub jay Bowie. I still miss that girl. She was special.

Then looking down from the hilltop I glanced at my donkey friends grazing on the hillside below. This was the only one marginally within camera range. The walk was a mere 1.97 miles.

I had already decided I needed to review butterfly images taken in my backyard on November the 2nd and some others on the 4th and could fill any gap on the photo front for today. I've been really busy with household tasks and chores for the last several days and these images hadn't been looked at until this afternoon.

Thursday, November 2nd. I was delighted to see this lovely monarch hanging out on the butterfly bushes.

Saturday November 4th, yes, that would be yesterday, a slightly tattered gulf fritillary was enjoying the last few remaining Tithonia rotundifolia flowers in the yard.

Good morning, Stan!

Time.

Today's walk report: 082221

 Hot new band, Dusty and the Crows...

I showed up in the garden shortly after 7:00 AM. Overcast skies and the sun low in the east made for some pretty lousy lighting. I ended up popping my flash a couple of times on male Calypte anna hummingbird, Dusty. But first, there was the phone call. I needed to call Docken, disturb her sleep and make sure she was okay. Wake up, wake up, wake up!! Hey... are you okay? We spoke throughout the rest of the journey, even up the stairs, onto the car parked in the not too distant distance, proceeding to a gas station (only my second fill up since covid) and we wrapped it up back home. It was nice. Sorry to wake her but glad for the company. 

Again, Dusty.

 

From there it was mostly walking around and talking on the phone. There was this one talkative California towhee (AKA, grumpy bird, or, if you prefer, Melozone crissalis). I don't typically see towhees in trees. They're usually pecking around on the ground or in short shrubbery. They generally nest no more than a foot (30 cm) off the ground.

Next it was onto the ninja stairs challenge, around the hill and back to the car. The only encounters were with crows. Lovely but noisy crows. These are American crows (Corvus brachyrhynchos).

Once off the phone and after what for me was a late breakfast, I once again spotted a Gulf fritillary (Agraulis vanillae) enjoying the Mexican sunflowers (Tithonia roundafolia) though my office windows in the backyard.

 

For a brief moment he (yes, this is a male) also visited a Salvia clevelandii plant whose flowers were spent months ago.

Didn't know how far we should go
But it's my key
To survive

If we won't stop this there won't be a second chance
If we don't stop now there won't be a second chance

 

 Again, my thanks to Docken for the wonderful company and thank you for visiting.

Today's walk report: 081819

Close your eyes and look at me
I'll be standing by your side
In between the deep blue sea
And the sheltering sky
If we find no words to say
To the rhythm of the waves
Then we'll both surrender there
Walking on air *

Today's pictures...

Cabbage white butterfly (Pieris rapae) on lantana.

and move over for the Gulf fritillary or passion butterfly (Agraulis vanillae).

 A handsome male Calypte anna hummingbird chilling in the grape arbor.

The same bird perched upon an olive tree branch.

Another young male Anna's hummingbird on Salvia darcyi.

A  flame skimmer dragonfly (Libellula saturata).

This is the same  flame skimmer dragonfly under very different lighting conditions.

 Our parting shot is the young male Anna's hummingbird, once again. This time in cape honeysuckle.

* Lyrics from Walking on Air by King Crimson. I have been celebrating 50 years of King Crimson for several weeks now. Here's your chance to join me...

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!