For the Birds: Take Four

Double-Crested Cormorant. La Jolla, California.

Brandt's Cormorant showing a male's colored pouch.

 A cormorant rookery located on an extremely hard to reach cliff face next to La Jolla Cave Point.

 

Heermann's Gull

 

Western Gull

 

I got a kick out this cute little white duck when visiting Wild Animal Park. Initially, he was being photographed due to the bright red beak contrasted against the snow-white feathers. He spotted me spotting him, and a curiosity fest ensued. I had a very large lens mounted on my camera, all perched on a tripod. This seemed to capture the little duck's attention as he eyeballed the strange sight in front of him up and down for a bit, before swimming up closer to get a gander at just what the heck I had and what I was doing.

This little guy would cock his head one way, and then another, at the same time leisurely swimming in one direction and then back. I got quite a few good shots, but this one I feel captured the essence of what this duck may have been feeling and thinking.

This is a Cactus Wren that I photographed from the front porch of a motel room I was staying in while on a photography trip to Joshua Tree National Park, California. About fifteen feet from where I was sitting one afternoon after spending time taking photos in the park, a movement caught my eye in a large cholla plant growing on the motel grounds. It showed up and then would suddenly disappear. I knew it was a Cactus Wren, as no other bird in their right mind would attempt to land on such a precarious perch as a spine-infested cactus, let alone a cholla cactus.

Upon closer inspection, I was delighted and amazed to find a Cactus Wren nest snuggled within the loving (?!!!) branches of the cholla. This little wren finds a suitable place within a cholla and then proceeds to line the space with whatever may be appropriate to create a nest. I would love to see an immature and unsuspecting bobcat, coyote, crow, or raven attempt at getting to her eggs and young!

That wraps up the bird photos. Next, we move on to Bryce Canyon in Utah. See you then!

-Andy