Photo ABCs

Idyllwild Nature Center: White-breasted Nuthatch, Mountain Chickadee

The White-breasted Nuthatch is found through much of the United States and Mexico.

Here is one at the Idyllwild Nature Center in July of this year:

A Mountain Chickadee:

Idyllwild Nature Center: Coyote

While at the Idyllwild Nature Center patiently waiting for birds to come to the feeders, I heard, perhaps 100 yards away, at least a dozen crows making a loud ruckus!

I thought to myself, what could they be so upset about?

About thirty seconds later, a pair of coyotes strolled through the clearing not far from the feeders.

So that was what the noise was about! The noise subsided and calm prevailed.

That immediately reminded me of another episode at the identical spot.

In October of 2016 (time flies!), it was a slow afternoon at the nature center feeders. Suddenly a chorus of alarm calls erupted from a number of squirrels in the nearby trees. I thought, that's unusual, until a few seconds later a bobcat sauntered through the nearby clearing. It paused in a ray of sunlight long enough for me to get this picture:

Idyllwild Nature Center: Lodgepole Chipmunk, Western Gray Squirrel

The Idyllwild Nature Center is one of my favorite places for birding in Southern California.

There are a number of bird feeders there, as well as a water feature, which attracts a steady stream of avian (and non-avian!) visitors.

I spent a two mornings and one afternoon there in June of this year, and was rewarded with a number of photos which I'll share over the next week or two.

I believe this is a Lodgepole Chipmunk, one of many chipmunk species in Southern California:

Where there are bird feeders, there are squirrels!

While the nature center has added extensive squirrel-proofing to their feeders over the past few years, the squirrels still manage to enjoy the spillover of seeds from the feeders.

A Western Gray Squirrel:

Caspers Wilderness Park Birding

I visited Caspers Wilderness Park, east of San Juan Capistrano, one afternoon in late February of this year.

Here are a few photos.

Yellow-rumped Warbler:

California Scrub-Jay:

A young Mule Deer:

Baja California: San Pedro Mártir: Coyote

A coyote strolls through a meadow in San Pedro Mártir National Park:

Baja California: Cataviña: Horses

This group of horses was grazing in a meadow north of Cataviña:

 

 

 

Agua Caliente County Park: Desert Cottontail

The Desert Cottontail is found through much of the Southwest United States.

Here is one at Agua Caliente County Park in April of this year:

Aransas Bay: Swimming Coyote!

Aransas Bay contains a number of barrier islands, which are full of wildlife, such as Whooping Cranes.

Well, they also contain coyotes!

How do the coyotes get there???

Apparently they swim!

Honestly, how many people have seen a coyote swimming???

Our boat captain didn't seem to think it was that big a deal... I guess swimming comes naturally to coyotes in Aransas Bay.

Terra Firma!

Time to shake off the water after a long Coyote-Paddle.

Photographed in January of this year.

White-tailed Deer

White-tailed Deer roam freely on Goose Island, near Rockport, Texas:

Here is a young buck, with an older one in the background:

Laguna Atascosa: Armadillo, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Little Blue Heron

After a very successful morning birding at South Padre Island, my birding friends and I drove to nearby Laguna Atascosa.

An armadillo greeted us in the parking lot.

We were disappointed to see very few birds. The visitor center was closed, with no food in the bird feeders, so the typical feeder birds were not present.

A Sharp-shinned Hawk flew in and took a drink from the small pond, and was probably equally disappointed not to see the feeder birds!

This Little Blue Heron hunted in the nearby bay:

Photographed in January of this year.