I don’t remember where this stone wall is, but it’s apparently near enough I could walk to it, because I took the photo in the last two months and I’m pretty sure it’s not next to the grocery store.
Category: Photog.Social
Ducks at a city park
Ducks at a city park that’s recently re-opened the walkways and open space, though facilities and playgrounds remain closed.
1. Join me for a drink?
2. OK, ducks can’t read.
3. Three ducks ignoring a pigeon.
Some photos of the park facilities and warning signs:
Sorta Open. Maaaybe. If You’re Careful.
Here’s a seagull I saw skimming along the waves
On another note, here’s a seagull I saw skimming along the waves on that walk.
#photo #ocean #gull #birds #nature #beach #seagull #flying
covid closures & beaches
The beach is closed now, along with the bike path and the sidewalk I was standing on. ALL of Los Angeles County’s beaches are closed.
Neighboring Ventura County just re-opened some of theirs with distancing rules in place, and while Orange County has resisted closing their beaches, they had so many people show up at the coast this weekend that some cities are thinking about closing them after all. (Well, maybe only on weekends when non-locals might show up. 🙄 )
Thinking back to the last “normal” weekend in southern California
Thinking back to the last “normal” weekend in southern California before it became clear that covid-19 was spreading locally & closures started.
After a busy Saturday & Sunday morning, I went out for a calming photo walk at the beach.
Not many people were there. I’m not sure if it was just not warm enough yet, or people were starting to keep their distance already, or if they were just all at the other end where there was a kite festival.
#photo #beach #SocialDistancing #california
Two finches spotted in the empty greenbelt below a line of transmission towers.
Two finches spotted in the empty greenbelt below a line of transmission towers. They’re several meters apart, though I took the photos from the same spot on the sidewalk, and the female chased a sparrow away when she landed.
Also you can really see the difference between the “look at me!” coloring on the male finch and the camouflage coloring on the female.
On Photog.Social
Male finch on iNaturalist
Female finch on iNaturalist
This mourning dove seems to have buried its legs in a mound of loose dirt.
This mourning dove seems to have buried its legs in a mound of loose dirt. Do birds like the feel of loose dirt between their toes like humans like the feel of wet sand?
A couple of black phoebes spotted in the neighborhood the last few days.
A couple of black phoebes spotted in the neighborhood the last few days. They have this distinctive crest shape to their heads, at least compared to the other birds that live in this area.
Possibly a goldfinch
And another bird, possibly a goldfinch, that took off as soon as I snapped the shutter.
A birb caught in the act of NOPE!
covid-adjacent/masks
I’ve seen several discarded face #masks by the side of the road while walking around the neighborhood.
I don’t understand: They’re not easy enough to find that you can just toss one and replace it on a whim. What’s the story? Did someone rip another person’s mask off and throw it in the dirt as a form of bullying? Throw their own mask away in frustration?
More observations on mask trends in my neighborhood (including banks!) at Where Everyone Wears a Mask
Indian Hawthorn flowers in bloom
Indian Hawthorn flowers in bloom. The empty lot is the greenbelt under a set of transmission wires. Hawthorns will grow as bushes, and make up a *lot* of hedges around here, but they can also be trained to grow upward and pruned into trees. There are several spaced along this block at the same stage of growth.
Seeing a lot of these signs in front of restaurants
Seeing a lot of these signs in front of restaurants when I go walking in the neighborhood.
Most people have been really good at maintaining social distancing while out. The group in the distance seemed to all be one family.
Except for runners. Runners passing me from behind (where I can’t see them to move out of the way myself) have a 50/50 track record of dodging around vs. just zooming past at a distance of a foot.
A black phoebe on a fence.
A crow on a street lamp
American Pipit
There were at least two, possibly three or four of these birds hopping around the grass next to a bike path. They weren’t easy to spot at a distance.
This bird’s new to me: apparently it’s an American pipit, also known as a buff-bellied pipit, a small ground-nesting insectivore. I spotted several of them walking around in the grass next to a bike path that’s just been closed down, though I could see them from the sidewalk with a zoom lens.
Lily in the spotlight
A common House Sparrow
A common House #Sparrow perched on what looks like bougainvillea. It sounded like there were a lot of them in there, but I could only see one.
Some more house finches and a hummingbird.
Some more house finches and a hummingbird. Hummingbirds always look weird to me when they’re perched.
#photo #birds #finch #HouseFinch #hummingbird #nature
On Photog.Social
Finch (in grass) on Flickr
I must have seen over a dozen house finches on a very short walk today. I assume there’s a nest or several in the area.
Hummingbird on iNaturalist
Finch (on wire) on iNaturalist
Finch (in grass) on iNaturalist
A dove spotted this morning.
A dove spotted this morning. I just walked around the neighborhood and most of the birds I spotted were on cables like this.
Might be a mourning dove, turtle dove, or collared dove. If you happen to know, feel free to chime in at #iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/40535563
