Sepulveda Basin Wildlife Area: Birds

A series of posts from the Sepulveda basin wildlife area.  These are some of the birds I managed to snap using the new camera.  Its fun to use, but I'm still getting used to it.

Do you realize how difficult it is to climb trees when you have webbed feet and wings and no hands?

In the brush very close to me.

Funky colored lizard was playing with a mate, when suddenly the mate zoomed across the path and ran fifty or more feet away, leaving this one high and dry.  We don't have these sorts of colors on our lizards at home.

Pop and Mom resting by the sea shore.

Big duck taking care of cleanliness issues.

Sassy Mom.

Painted water fowl.

I thought this was some brush, but closer look reveals that's a fish in its mouth.  You suppose he picked that fish up at the local fish 'n' chips?  You don't suppose he went fishing???

Uhoh.  Apparently he can't read.  This picture was taken while I was standing in the same place as the above picture.

So how'd that go down?

Throat looking a little lumpy?  At least the evidence isn't visible now.

And a white-plumed egret wandering the fields.  This guy also did some eating, but he ate the shrubbery.

Miami Beach Plants, Palms and Creatures

This started as just Palms, but I've added in the other trees I found (none) and a few other creatures as well. 

Palm trees rearing their topknots.  And you thought palm trees were like dinosaurs and didn't rear anything. 

Someone has to recycle around here.  This red ant was noticeably all over this lovely trash can when he (she?, it?) stopped to allow its picture to be taken.  

This is one of those weird Miami Beach parks.  Lots of palms inserted into the ground.  For what purpose you ask?  Go ask the Miami Beach city council.  

Seven birds are all looking at the same idiot out in the water, while one bird looks for food and one headless bird looks elsewhere.  

Those canonical palm trees.  

And some palms are actually hotels.  Need some retouching on the Royal sign.  

Grackle in the grass.  

Athens Animals

Wildlife is everywhere.  My occasional catbirding blog. 

Pigeon candid.  

Nesting structure.  (A stat reference for those who know.)

I'm guessing this is a flycatcher, but I'm not a birder.  I can barely identify cats from dogs from birds, and that maybe half the time.  

What would birding be without a parallel interest in birdhousing?  

Every cat I saw was out of the bag.  And all appeared well fed.  

Birds and Bees of COC

Some birds and bees of COC. 

This is (I think) a hummingbird sitting on his nest.  I had no idea it was sitting on a nest or that I even had taken this photo till I looked at the pictures at home. 

Back view.  Some iridescent coloring there.  Probably bumped into some fresh blue paint. 

Side view.  A wren perhaps?  

Bumblebee searching for mead.  Looks like those water dropping helicopters used to put out fires.  

Cliff or mud swallow nest on a COC building.  They must clean these out periodically because I did not see as many this year as I've seen in the past.