A Parrot's View

Southern California has a significant population of wild parrots. Over the years they have either escaped captivity or were set free.

They usually gang up in flocks of 15-30 and fly noisily through the neighborhood. I don't recall a bird that makes as much noise.

I captured this one sweeping in for a quick breakfast at the neighborhood bird feeder. As usual, the three of them were loud.

Easter Morning In The Wetlands

A beautiful and warm Easter morning drew me into the wetlands to photograph a few shorebirds. I was quickly disappointed to find few birds in the waters.

Unsure whether spring migration began, or whether it was a bad birdwatching day, a few American Coots were about the only thing to be seen today.

The Visit

I was blessed this past weekend with a visit from my brother and my nephew. While the trip was short in duration, it maximized in fun.

We headed out to the desert and photographed the Union Pacific. Here is a picture of them shooting a passing container train.

Tony passes the time finding rocks to throw and finding ant holes to demolish.

Supercat

I never fancied myself as an animal photographer but I couldn't resist taking out the camera for this scene.
I find him curled up in the flower pot and composed the shot.

The cactus provided a nice frame and I waited patiently for the right moment. I found two shots I liked for uploading.

Daylight Saving Set

Daylight Saving Time usually signals the end of great sunset shots in Southern California. Soon even the slightest of clouds will disappear until Standard Time returns in November. Generally, we get either gloomy marine overcast or cloudless sunny days.

Tonight produced a magnificent sunset unlike any I have witnessed in quite a while. I took 50 shots or so and found it difficult to narrow it down to a few to upload. I thought about posting 5 or 6, but the reality is they are all very similar. It is still hard to choose "the best" of them though.

Sailing Into the Sunset

Every photographer finds it quite satisfying to be there at the right moment. I was fortunate enough to find this sailboat cross the sun just before being swallowed by the vast Pacific.

National Geographic Shot

This is my idea of a National Geographic shot if they published one of mine. I was photographing birds and found this Egret sitting on the guardrail of a small dock. It allowed me to approach to about ten feet away or so.


I snapped many photos but this one is my favorite. It represents the best lighting angle and a dark background to offset it.

These Black-necked Stilts are among my favorites to watch. I usually see them along the Ballona Creek as I ride on bicycle. Their quick, jerky head movements are memorable to see.