Friday, June 26, 2009

San Diego impressions

Last week, I drove down to San Diego to meet a friend, who flew there from Canada. The detailed impressions are on my other blog, here are just some nature photos.



Cliffs at Point Loma. Not surprisingly, the place is called Sunset Cliffs Park.


A cormorant colony on a large rock by the cliffs. The white color of the rock is mainly due to their, ahem, by-products.




A view at the same rock with wide lens.


A fox squirrel in Balboa park feasting on a piece of apple I gave him.


Once my friend got busy with her conference, I took off and drove South to where the map said was a wildlife preserve called Chula Vista. Spent the whole day there, wandered around, almost got locked up inside the premises... it was fun! They have some really amazing representatives of the disappearing local wildlife. Of course, I would be much happier if these animals were actually roaming free in large numbers, but with coastal wetlands being developed, their habitat is shrinking and one by one the species end up on the endangered list.

Here is the oystercatcher doing a hokey-pokey. You put your left foot in, you put your left foot out...



Cooper's hawk eyeing me suspiciously...


This mockingbird just didn't know what to do with his huge trophy. He was running around this little roof, trying to find a place to eat his meal in peace.



Cottontails abounded on the grounds of the preserve. There were so many of them! I just hoped there were also enough hawks and foxes to keep the population in check.


These are not a mom and a baby - bugs don't have that. Just two stages of the same species, one immature and the other fully grown.


Argiope spider. These abound in Mexico, but I didn't expect to find one so far north.




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