Damsel usually gets these shots, but, occasionally, I get lucky with my little Canon A710-IS. While we were at the Botanic Garden last weekend, I was standing next to a lantana bush when this little guy landed and I snapped this shot. Notice the coiled proboscis (feeding tube) protruding from it’s head. Click the image for a close-up.
I took so many pictures at the seashore over the past couple of beautiful weekends here in SoCal. I keep finding many that I want to share at the peril of looking like “The Seaside Channel.” Anyhow, this one of yet another California Brown Pelican in flight along the cliffs caught the details of the underside of these beautiful birds. Click on the image for the large version.
On a clear, beautiful day on the Southern California Coastline near Point Vicente, I took over two hundred fifty photos. This is one of several that stood out as exceptional. These are California Brown Pelicans soaring in the updrafts over the cliffs on the south side of the Palos Verdes Peninsula. Santa Catalina Island can be seen across the channel in the background.
Click on this image for the large size.
The Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis californicus) is the smallest of the eight species of pelican, although it is a large bird in nearly every other regard. It is 42-54 in (106-137 cm) in length, weighs from 6-12 lbs (2.75 to 5.5 kg) and has a wingspan from 6 to 8.2 ft. (1.83 to 2.5 m).
Going through the electronic photo album, I ran across this image of “Bear,” our Lab-Shep family companion. She just finished her “Frosty-Paws” doggie ice cream treat and rolled onto her back in her characteristic gesture of contentment. After a tough week on Wall Street, this is something we should all do – have some fun and be contented. Click the image for big.
A disappointed Sachem Skipper lights on this plumeria blossom only to discover that the flower’s fragrance is a false alarm – plumerias have no nectar – they use their fragrance to dupe pollinators into landing. Click image for closer-up.
During our visit to the South Coast Botanic Gardens today, this little butterfly perched near the dahlia exhibit. We don’t go to the gardens only for the flowers; we love to see the hummingbirds, butterflies, dragon flies and whatever else happens to come our way.
Click the image for the 1024×768 pixel version.
Bear, our long-time family pet, doesn’t get to go for a ride very often. Most times she goes to the vet or to the kennel in the truck, but today was different. We had to run a couple of errands after our session at the shooting range and we decided to bring Bear with us. Instead of being taken into the usual dog places, she got to explore, sniff and enjoy herself while CB was in the store shopping.
As she gets a little older, we want to take her to more places when we go. Even if the destination is mundane to us, she seems to think we’re having a great adventure. A while back, we got her a little doggie staircase to make the jump into the truck a little easier for her. She was leery at first, but now gets very excited when I get the staircase out, because that means we’re going somewhere.