I was at the Andrea Clark Bird Refuge and took this picture of a Mallard duck. I like how the reeds are in the background and reflect in the water.
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| Mallard |
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Monday, December 26, 2011
Immature Broad-winged Hawk
I believe this is an immature Broad-winged Hawk. It has a tail of an adult and the breast of an immature bird.
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| Broad-winged Hawk |
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| Broad-winged Hawk |
I was amazed how it could turn it's head and look back.
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| Broad-winged Hawk |
Friday, December 16, 2011
Carpinteria Salt Marsh Nature Park
Late one afternoon I took a short walk through part of the Carpinteria Salt Marsh Nature Reserve and here are some pictures.
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| Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher |
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| Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher |
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| Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher |
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| Blue-winged Teal |
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| Hutton's Vireo |
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| Carpinteria Salt Marsh Nature Park |
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| Snowy Egret |
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| Least Sandpiper |
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| Least Sandpiper |
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| Least Sandpiper |
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| Northern Mockingbird |
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| Savannah Sparrow |
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Lake Los Carneros
I went for a short hike at Lake Los Carneros and here are a few pictures of birds that I saw that day. I don't know how Lake Los Carneros got its name, but Carneros translates into rams. I didn't see a ram all day.
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| Lake Los Carneros |
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| Lake Los Carneros |
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| Canvasback duck among the Mallards |
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| Ring-billed Gull |
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| Ring-billed Gull |
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| American Kestrel |
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| Red-winged Blackbird |
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| Red-winged Blackbirds |
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| Red-winged Blackbirds |
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Black Phoebe eats a bee!
I was taking some pictures of a Monarch Butterfly when I saw this Black Phoebe fly by and land on this dead branch.
Then it flew over to this rope that is strung up between two fence posts.
I watched it jump to the ground and catch a bee.
The Black Phoebe then proceeded to beat the bee on the rope to stun it before eating.
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| Black Phoebe |
Then it flew over to this rope that is strung up between two fence posts.
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| Black Phoebe |
I watched it jump to the ground and catch a bee.
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| Black Phoebe with bee |
The Black Phoebe then proceeded to beat the bee on the rope to stun it before eating.
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| Black Phoebe with bee. |
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| Black Phoebe with bee. |
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| Black Phoebe with bee. |
Birds at Ellwood Grove
Here are some birds that I photographed when I went to Ellwood Grove to see the Monarch Butterflies.
This American Kestrel didn't like me hiking in its direction, so it quickly flew away.
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| Blue-gray Gnatcatcher |
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| Quote on bench, "This preserve is a goldmine when it comes to getting to know your neighbors." Hurston Buck. |
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| Nutmeg Mannikin |
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| American Kestrel |
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| American Kestrel |
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| American Kestrel |
Over my head was a Turkey Vulture.
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| Turkey Vulture |
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| Turkey Vultures |
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| White-crowned Sparrow |
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| White-crowned Sparrow |
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| White-crowned Sparrow |
Thursday, December 8, 2011
The Monarchs have returned!
The Monarch Butterflies have returned to Ellwood Grove and I was able to take a few pictures.
The temperature was very cool so the butterflies were clustered in the trees with very little movement.
As the sunshine warms the cluster of butterflies they start to open their wings and fly around.
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| Monarch butterfly feeding on a eucalyptus bloom |
The temperature was very cool so the butterflies were clustered in the trees with very little movement.
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| Monarch Butterflies |
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| Monarch Butterflies |
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| Monarch Butterflies |
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| Monarch Butterflies |
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| Monarch Butterflies |
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| Monarch Butterfly |
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| Monarch Butterfly |
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