Tijuana Slough National Wildlife Refuge

Taking a break from my Butterfly series, I wanted to share some photos from California.

Our daughter Ashley and her hubby Jay moved from New Jersey to San Diego a couple months ago. So we spent a couple of days there over this past weekend. What a delightful trip! And in terms of my wildlife photography wonderfully successful. 

First about "the Trip." They live downtown in a beautifully appointed appartment complex, complete with two bar-b-que areas, swimming pool, weight room ..... Saturday morning we went to the San Diego Fish Market and picked up some Angel Shark and Halibut for dinner. Then over to the Farmer's Market in Little Italy for the side dishes. Jay and Ashley did all the cooking. I didn't have to wear my Chef's Hat (Toque) at all. What a great meal! The shark was perfect and with a peach and avocado salsa was the highlight.

We spent Friday afternoon at Tijuana Slough National Wildlife Refuge and Sunday at the adjacent oceanfront beach. Today I'll show some photos from the Refuge:

Little Blue Heron

Snowy Egret

Willet

Little Blue Heron

Long Billed Curlew

Willet

Favorite Wildlife Photos of 2018 - XXIII

Continuing with my favorite wildlife photos from 2018 we come to a Snowy Egret found at Sweetwater Wetlands:

Snowy Egret

Birding Patagonia Lake

Patagonia Lake is a good birding spot for both waterbirds and riparian birds since a creek runs both into and out of the lake. Here are a few of the day's photos:

Cardinal

Lake Sparrow

Snowy Egret

Spotted Sandpiper

Vermillion Flycatcher

White Faced Ibis

Great Egret and White Faced Ibis

Zone Tailed Hawk

Birding Sweetwater Wetlands - Part III

It's not surprising to see a Great Egret at Sweetwater, But they are so beautiful how can you pass up a photo. Snowy Egrets are a little less common so also a treat.

I am particularly fond of the Snowy Egret in the tree; wonderful detail. You can clearly see the pupil and iris. And the legs look like extensions of the tree branches.

Great Egret

Snowy Egret

Snowy Egret

Sweetwater Wetlands

A quick trip to Sweetwater Wetlands produced a few nice photos though nothing rare:

Cinnamon Teal

Cooper's Hawk

Gadwal

Green Winged Teal

Snowy Egret

Yellow Rumped Warbler

Best Wildlife Photos of 2016: Snowy and Great Egret

Another wonderful photo from Sweetwater Wetlands. This time a Great Egret and Snowy Egret landing in the same leafless tree:

Great Egret and Snowy Egret

Birds with Fish: Snowy Egret

Finally (in this series) the Snowy Egret -- also taken at Sweetwater Wetlands:

Snowy Egret with Fish

Snowy Egret with Fish

Great Egret and Snowy Egret Pals -- Part Two

A hour or so after finding the Great Egret and Snowy Egret in a tree at Sweetwater Wetlands, they landed in another tree:

Great Egret and Snowy Egret Pals

A break from my Warbler Series to show a Snowy Egret and Great Egret together at Sweetwater Wetlands:



A Snowy Egret about to land  in a barren tree top:

A Great Egret decides to join him:

 Now, sitting together:

 The Snowy Egret alone:

Sweetwater Wetlands: Searching for the Northern Parula

Life of the birder/photographer. Unlike the Yellow Throated Warbler I found after 20 minutes of searching, the Northern Parula has escaped me for years. I tried three times along the Santa Cruz River off of Sasco Road (Santa Cruz Flats). I tried twice along the Santa Cruz River off of Ina Road (Tucson). And I have tried five times at Sweetwater Wetlands. All within the past three weeks.

It reminds me of the Daryl Zero quote from the movie Zero Effect:

"Now, a few words on looking for things. When you go looking for something specific, your chances of finding it are very bad. Because of all the things in the world, you're only looking for one of them. When you go looking for anything at all, your chances of finding it are very good. Because of all the things in the world, you're sure to find some of them."

 So didn't find the Northern Parula, but did find some "other things" at Sweetwater:

Common Yellowthroat

The usually reliable Green Heron

Snowy Egret

Orange Crowned Warbler

Yellow Rumped Warbler

Ruby Crowned Kinglet (showing off his ruby crown)

Male Ladderbacked Woodpecker

Female Ladderbacked Woodpecker

Male Gilded Flicker

Other finds at Sweetwater this trip

In addition to the Bobcat, there often is a friendly Green Heron. And others. Here are more photos of that great day at Sweetwater:

Again the Baltimore Oriole

Black Crowned Night Heron

Wonderful photo of Green Heron with small fish

Marsh Wren

Snowy Egret