Sights of January 2015

February 04, 2015 • Leave a Comment

Whales, Birds, and a Kitten

January was rich with friends and family and a new kitten added to my home. Along with my two older cats, there has been much wildlife and animal behavior to watch and photograph inside my own home. However, with good weather and migratory birds and whales, I couldn't stay indoors. It was still too early to see anything particularly interesting on my monthly butterfly count, but fingers crossed for March after our much needed rain.

I was asked to give two presentations this month, one to my local chapter of the Sierra Club on the arthropod study I worked on last year and one to my local Audubon on my travels to the desert, with an emphasis on birds. Some of my butterfly photos were used in publications by Madrona Marsh and the El Dorado Nature Center, a Willet photo was used by Friends of Colorado Lagoon, and one of my spider photos was requested for a presentation on spiders in agriculture. It is very satisfying to contribute to science education and local conservation efforts.

Gray Whales migrate from feeding to breeding grounds (Alaska to Baja Mexico) and back. Winter also brings Pacific White-sided Dolphin and pelagic birds to our temperate waters. You can see them from shore or by boat. I went three times (so far) on the local whale watch boat. In addition to sea life, there is a lot of interesting shipping activity around the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles. Watch the slideshow below or click this link to look though at your own pace. http://kimssight.zenfolio.com/whale_watch_2015

Santa Fe Regional Park in Irwindale is a short drive to a beautiful location. There is a large lake with sycamore trees, grassy meadows, and is a birding hot spot. The dam is built for flood control of the San Gabriel River. I visited the park on an Audubon trip. A highlight for me was a rock wren. I saw them for the first time in the desert last month and now it is good to see them closer to home. http://kimssight.zenfolio.com/santa_fe_dam_jan_2015

Locally I focused on birds. Some highlights are a Feruginous Hawk, a Vermillion Flycatcher, Brown Booby, Purple Finch, Cackling Geese, and a host of other beautiful birds. Watch the slideshow below or click this link to look though at your own pace. http://kimssight.zenfolio.com/new_jan_2015