For a long while after arriving here in San Diego, California, I thought that all I could see while roaming around town were chatty sparrows, pecking pigeons, a few crows, and a bunch of honking sea gulls. And if you only roam around the streets here, those are likely all the birds you'll ever see! (click on the photos for bigger view)
Many who have lost their lunch to the fly-by California gulls would tell you that we have way too many of them around... But I wouldn't have in another way. These winged bandits are so onorous that they're worth getting robbed at beak point by!
Luckily I've been able to spend more time in the 'parks' around town, though... and occasionally venturing to La Jolla and Point Loma where more varieties of bird hang out at. It's eye opening realizing how many of these feathered flying species there are in the area, hiding in plain sight! I don't know what the fella above is... He was perched on the gift shop sign at William Heath Davis' house in the Gaslamp Quarter part of downtown San Diego.
The pelicans are easiest to find along the Pacific coast (Sunset Cliffs, La Jolla, etc), but some do come to visit the east side of the San Diego Bay sometimes. This flock was hanging out in the bay under a restaurant in Seaport Village.
Above is a spotted godwit, patrolling Torrey Pines State Beach where the Los Penaquitos lagoon drains into the ocean. I couldn't see what he was feasting on, but he was having a much more productive time catching his preys than the couple of fishermen casting their rods nearby!
This (above) is a black skimmer at work, flying low above the water and skimming its top with its beak. This particular one was working the rather still water between Shelter Island and the Playa area of Pt. Loma one morning.
Ah, and I did catch sight of the endangered blue heron one night while walking by the boat launch at Shelter Island. He was having a rather loud get-together with a bunch of California gulls and a least tern (he had flew off before my camera would shoot... the quick-winged beast!). I'm afraid the zoom wasn't working well in the dark and I couldn't get closer... They kept inching away from me as was!
And this is just a California gull.. He spotted me sitting down on a bench in Spanish Landing park one night and started squawking while flying around me in a circle... 5 consecutive times. Being rather slow on the uptake when it comes to deciphering gullese, though, I couldn't make out what he wanted. I guess he aborted his 6th attempt to communicate out of sheer frustration...Anyhow... Discovering these guys sort of reminds me of that Beatles turned CSN song...
5 comments:
Again a nice trip through San Diego...I´ve never been there, but I think I should someday...Have a nice day today - and a great weekend too. Sunny greetings, geisslein
Yes, the blog about the little girl Jani is really great...and heart touching.What a hard job to have a child with such an illness and how brave the parents are!
By the way: My father loved birds very much!He would like this post too ;o)
So,time to go to bed now...nighty night, geisslein
Hallo Smorgy,
You did a great job on those birdies, not easy to catch.
The one on the sign post is unknown to us, too. And it is difficult, too catching them while flying. I tried many times in the Pyrenees and failed always.
Lastly I listened to the Limey singers. Oh yes.
Georg
I love birds! (when they go with freedom everywhere!).
And I like very much this country band Crosby, Stills & Nash. I've knew them with the song "Ohio".
Greetings from North of Spain.
WF
Ciao a tutti!
@Geisslein: If you ever come to the west coast of the USA you've got to stop by to visit San Diego indeed. :o) It's a lovely big little town... A lot more relaxed than Los Angeles to the north.
Hope you're having a great summer vacation this weekend! :o)
@Georg: The birds are hard to catch in flight indeed. Especially at night! I have a strictly amateur point-and-shoot camera that really takes too long to shoot in low light that I really can't catch any bird with it at night that isn't sitting or standing still. :o( Do have some good day shots of sea gulls in flight, though... There are so many of them around the waterfront here you just have to aim the camera up and shoot and chances are good there'll be a surfing sea gull caught in it. ;o)
@WildFlower: I bet there are many wonderful birds where you are, too! To tell the truth, I'm jealous of them. They can go anywhere they want and stay overnight anywhere... and don't have to answer to anyone. If there is such a thing as reincarnation I'd love to return as a honking sea gull. ;o)
And cheers to another CSN fan, too!
Hope everyone is having a good summer. Thanks for stopping by!
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