On the weekends, we give our dog, Bear, an ice cream treat for dogs (Frosty Paws). Last weekend, when I opened up the treat for her, I saw an alien looking out at me . . .
Critters
By the Sea
It might be blustery and snowy in Copenhagen and there might be a blizzard heading into Washington D.C. but it’s sunny and nice in California. Maybe the planners of the Global Doom meetings and conferences should have their meetings in Acapulco or Key West. On second thought, the Gore effect would probably bring snow and freezing there and tick off the tourism industries.
Meanwhile, here in the L.A. area, it’s still pleasant enough to go with your husband and dog for a stroll along the cliffs overlooking the blue Pacific – not too warm, not too cool.
BUT – before you schedule your move here, consider that we’re WAY overdue for our next 6+ seismic event. Just saying . . .
Pelican Point
That is not the actual name of Point Vicente, but it seemed appropriate as these California Brown pelicans soared along the cliffs today. Catalina Island can be seen in the distance with historic Point Vicente Lighthouse on the left. Click on the image to enlarge.
According to WikiPedia, the Brown Pelican was listed as endangered since 1970 when its numbers dipped to 10,000. Since then, the population of Brown Pelican had been climbing and was recently removed from the list in November 2009. Current estimates place the population at 650,000 individuals.
This flight of a baker’s dozen was the largest number of birds that passed us today. Other groups that passed were as few as two, and averaged about five or six.
A Visit From Cooper’s Hawk
The little birds that normally gather around the bird feeder in our back yard were definitely not present for the visit. It seems that Cooper’s Hawk is a predator of small rodents and birds as large as doves and pheasants. This one appears to be an adult male hawk, with a wingspan of about 30 inches.
Click on the image to see a different image in a larger size.
From WikiPedia:
These birds capture prey from cover or while flying quickly through dense vegetation, relying almost totally on surprise. Most prey are mid-sized birds, with typical prey including American Robins, jays, woodpeckers, European Starlings, icterids and doves. Birds preyed on can range in size from wood-warblers to Ring-necked Pheasants. Cooper’s Hawks also eat small mammals, especially rodents such as chipmunks and tree squirrels. Mammalian prey can be as small as mice and as large as hares. Other possibilities are lizards, frogs, snakes and large insects. The hawks often pluck the feathers off their prey on a post or other perch. They are increasingly seen hunting smaller songbirds in backyards with feeders. They will perch in trees overlooking the feeders, then swoop down and scatter the other birds in order to capture one in flight.
Pelican at Point Vicente Light
On a whim, we drove to Point Vicente on the south side of the Palos Verdes peninsula in the southwestern corner of Los Angeles County. We wanted to see the coastline and Catalina Island after the brisk winds we had in the area last night. Alas, when we got there, the wind had only kicked up the sea mist and the visibility was not as good as we had hoped. But, there’s always something to see along the coastline.
The sea was a little choppy, with a few whitecaps topping the waves offshore. The air was clear enough that we could see the island in the distance, but not as razor sharp as on some previous post-windstorm days. We watched the surf and the birds in this peaceful, relaxing environment. It’s good to be retired and able to enjoy indulging our whims.
I snapped a bunch of photos of pelicans, seagulls, the Point Vicente Lighthouse and the Interpretive Center. In one fortunate image, I managed to get a California Brown Pelican and the Point Vicente Lighthouse in the same frame with Catalina Island just visible in the background.
Click on the image to see full-sized.
Road Runner
We stopped briefly in Quartzsite, Arizona, for gas and some bottled water (the desert makes you very thirsty). While we were parked there, this road runner walked across the parking lot. I took this picture of him from the truck just before he ran off into the field. For a moment, he was a “parking lot walker,” before becoming a “field runner.” At no time did he say anything like “beep, beep.”
No larger size image available.
Two Men, Two Dogs
We paused for a few minutes at the General George Patton Museum at Chiriaco Summit, right along Interstate 10 in the California Desert. When Bob and Bear paused at the twice-life-size statue of Patton and ‘Willy,’ I thought ‘a man and a dog and a man and a dog.’ >click<
