Photo ABCs

San Pedro Mártir: Pacific-slope Flycatchers

These birds were photographed near the entrance of San Pedro Mártir National Park in August of this year.

Feed Me! Are you even listening?

Finally!

San Pedro Mártir: Birds

Baja California's San Pedro Mártir National Park is located 150 miles south of the US/Mexico border, about 50 miles east of Highway 1, and about 25 miles east of Meling Ranch.

Much of the park is above 8000 feet in elevation, with the highest peak reaching 10,069 feet.

As such, there is a wide variety of mountain birds found there.

These birds were found next to the entrance to the park, in August of this year:

Western Bluebird:

Western Bluebird:

White-breasted Nuthatch:

White-breasted Nuthatch:

Mountain Chickadee:

Obviously a Mexican Mountain Chickadee, about to eat a tortilla!

San Pedro Mártir: Bobcats

Driving within San Pedro Mártir in August of this year, I said "I saw a bobcat right about here when I was here before."

Just as the words came out of my mouth, a bobcat appeared!

Here is the bobcat, photographed on August 27 of this year:

Here is a bobcat (I don't think it's the same one), photographed on August 26, 2117:

More Meling Ranch Birds

More birds from Meling Ranch, photographed in August 2017 and May 2018.

Juvenile Hooded Oriole:

This bird is illuminated by the afternoon light. The background was formed by the blue sky peeking through openings in a tree which was in dark shadow:

Bell's Sparrow:

Mourning Dove:

Loggerhead Shrike:

Female Black-headed Grosbeak:

 

San Telmo Birds

These birds were photographed on the drive between San Telmo and Meling Ranch in August 2017 and May 2018.

Gray Thrasher, a bird found only in Baja California. This is close to the northern extent of its range.

Costa's Hummingbird:

Cactus Wren:

Red-tailed Hawk:

An American Kestrel, photographed in August of this year:

More Meling Ranch Birds

As I've been discussing, Meling Ranch is a relaxing retreat set in the foothills west of San Pedro Mártir National Park in northern Baja California.

I've stayed there five times over the past ten years, and hope to return again soon.

I have never seen a huge number of bird species on any single visit, but over the years, they have added up.

Here are birds from July, 2011, before I really knew much about birds!

California Quail:

Hairy Woodpecker:

Eurasian Collared-Dove:

Lark Sparrow:

White-winged Dove:

Cassin's Kingbird:

American Kestrel:

Eurasian Collared-Dove silhouette:

Cassin's Kingbirds silhouette:

Meling Ranch

More memories from a 2011 visit to Rancho Meling in Baja California:

The owner's dogs seemingly enjoy the sunset:

Meling Ranch Time Capsule

As noted in the previous post, while staying at Baja California's Rancho Meling in July 2011, the owners let us into a cottage which had not been used for many years, and had not yet been cleaned and restored for visitors. They knew we were photographers and interested in documenting what we found. It was a privilege to step inside.

What we found was a time capsule!

What lay behind these doors?

Stepping inside:

The calendar reads Wednesday, July 19,1978:

No one has called lately:

In the workshop:

A different take on the picture in the previous post:

Framed in time:

 

A Time Capsule from Rancho Meling

Now for something entirely different!

I've been reviewing photos from Baja's Meling Ranch from trips I've taken over the last ten years.

I'll be posting more photos soon of birds that I've seen there.

But here's a photo I came across from what I think was my first trip to Meling Ranch, in 2011.

The owners of the ranch gave us a tour, and opened up for us one of their cottages which was not yet being used for guests.

We came across this pile of books, which is a time-capsule of 1960's popular fiction!

Erle Stanley Gardner, of course, is the author of the Perry Mason series, popularized by the 60s TV show starring Raymond Burr (as well as many movies starring other actors in earlier decades). The yellow title to the left is "The Case of the Demure Defendant," a typical Perry Mason title. The Perry Mason books, as well as the earlier movies, are more racy than the very understated characters familiar to us played by Raymond Burr, Barbara Hale, et. al.

I'm intrigued that W. Somerset Maugham (perhaps my favorite author!) takes top billing, because he wrote the introduction to Henry Fielding's Tom Jones. (the book at the top of the picture)

And hiding below the Return to Peyton Place book (which I have not yet read or seen) is The Sandpiper (the book with the blue cover), a novelized version of the 60s movie starring Richard Burton, Elizabeth Taylor and Eva Marie Saint. I'm pretty sure I saw that on Turner Classic Movies!

More birds coming soon!

Meling Ranch Birds

A few more birds seen at Meling Ranch, Baja California, in late August of this year:

Mourning Dove, in the late afternoon light:

California Towhee, a few moments later:

Eurasian Collared-Dove, in the evening light:

Cooper's Hawk:

Cassin's Kingbird. The sun has set on the bird, but still gives a pink glow to the field behind it:

A Black Phoebe continues to hunt after sunset: