A Nice Bird Watching Walk with a Garden Surprise

[Greenhorn]

Being on vacation I had the opportunity to spend one morning on a bird watching walk with my daughter. I hope you enjoy the pictures and look for the 'Garden Talk" tie in . Pictures taken January 4th 2017. To add a twist the very immediate area is currently a unpleasant international focal point, but I only add that as a counter point the beauty and magnificence of the nature there.

Interesting Cactus

This fellow was watching the in coming tide, looking for some breakfast.

This little one had found some breakfast.

A little bunny, a few were huge, biggest I'd ever see.

An Aloe I believe - very impressive in person. Maybe 8' - 10 ' tall.

Little humming bird keeping an eye on things. Tons of them here.

I had to look this one up Galvezia juncea

Raahhh They really do look like a bizarre set of Rolling Stones lips coming at you.

Beautiful Coastal Marsh

Ok here is the one, My daughter thought I was as excited about this as much as anything else on the walk. Got some tomatoes growing in the back yard... on January 4th.

 

[alp]

Lovely, @Greenhorn ! Please post more!

 

[Greenhorn]

I Goofed Pictures taken January 4th 2018 not 2017. Sheesh

 

[alp]

I Goofed Pictures taken January 4th 2018 not 2017. Sheesh

Mistakes I made the beginning of every year!

 

[MaryMary]

Got some tomatoes growing in the back yard... on January 4th.

Wow!! Got ripe tomatoes in the back yard on January 4th!! Where did you go, Greenhorn? I agree with alp! More pictures please!!

Raahhh They really do look like a bizarre set of Rolling Stones lips coming at you.

They remind me of the red lips at the intro to the Rocky Horror Picture Show!

 

[Marck]

The plant referred to as a cactus in the first photo and as an Aloe in the fifth photo is neither. It is Shaw's Agave (Agave shawii). This California native plant is mostly found in northwestern Baja California, but a small native population persists in far-southwestern San Diego County, near Imperial Beach. There are also nearby, introduced populations in San Diego, such as at the Torrey Pines Preserve and on the Cabrillo Peninsula. Needless to say, Shaw's Agave can serve as an exceptionally beautiful ornamental plant in mild, xeric gardens.

Being on vacation I had the opportunity to spend one morning on a bird watching walk with my daughter. I hope you enjoy the pictures and look for the 'Garden Talk" tie in . Pictures taken January 4th 2017. To add a twist the very immediate area is currently a unpleasant international focal point, but I only add that as a counter point the beauty and magnificence of the nature there.

Interesting Cactus
View attachment 31050

This fellow was watching the in coming tide, looking for some breakfast.
View attachment 31051

This little one had found some breakfast.
View attachment 31052

A little bunny, a few were huge, biggest I'd ever see.
View attachment 31054
An Aloe I believe - very impressive in person. Maybe 8' - 10 ' tall.
View attachment 31055

Little humming bird keeping an eye on things. Tons of them here.
View attachment 31056

I had to look this one up Galvezia juncea
View attachment 31057

Raahhh They really do look like a bizarre set of Rolling Stones lips coming at you. View attachment 31058

Beautiful Coastal Marsh
View attachment 31059

Ok here is the one, My daughter thought I was as excited about this as much as anything else on the walk. Got some tomatoes growing in the back yard... on January 4th.

View attachment 31060

 

[LouisFerdinand]

My favorite picture is that of the bunny rabbit.

 

[Marck]

Yes indeed, the photos of the animals are also very rewarding to examine. The birds in the second and third shots, are the Snowy Egret (Egretta thula) and Yellow-rumped Warbler (Setophaga coronata), respectively. The rabbit in the fourth shot is a California Brush Rabbit (Sylvilagus bachmanii). Finally, the hummingbird in the sixth shot appears to be an adolescent male of Anna's Hummingbird (Calypte anna), in this shot the gorget is neither reflecting color nor fully developed.

I should add that the photos of the Cedros Island Snapdragon (Gambelia juncea, formerly Galvezia juncea) must be from a cultivated specimen, as no species of Gambelia is native to San Diego County.