Numbatu (W.Poon)

A Cooper’s hawk under some leave and twigs, spread its wings opened but pointing down. Under its claws is a bunny about 1/3 of the hawk’s size.

A Cooper’s hawk under some leave and twigs, spread its wings opened but pointing down. Under its claws is a bunny about 1/3 of the hawk’s size.

A Cooper’s hawk under some leave and twigs, spread its wings opened but pointing down. Under its claws is a bunny about 1/3 of the hawk’s size.

Towards the end of my birding hike a couple of days ago, as I was walking out of the park, I heard rustling under a bush. I stopped to look and saw a Cooper’s Hawk pinning a rabbit down between his claws. The rabbit was still struggling to get out. Poor bunny.

So cool! I have yet to see my first Western Screech Owl. 😍

Ruby-Crowned Kinglet. These little birds move so fast that I almost never could get a good picture of it Ruby crown.

A small bird with metallic green back and black face. The chest is fluffy with granulating green to gray to white. It has a needle like long beak.

Anna’s hummingBORB!

A half white, half gray bird with a sharp beak standing on a knot in a tree. His underside has some chestnut reddish brown colors. He is looking a little smug, or like he is scorning someone.

Smug looking little guy. (White breasted Nuthatch)

A mother Brandt’s Cormorant with babies around her in a nest. They are fairly large birds that are all black with a little bit of dark yellow on the mom’s throat. Baby birds’ eyes are closed and mother had blue eyes. There are three visible babies. The first is near the wing of the mother, the next one is in the middle with neck stretching taller than its siblings, and the last is facing the first at near equal height.

A goth family (Brandt’s Cormorant with babies).

A close up of the profile of the head and neck of a young but large bird with gray and white feathers streaking in the chest area. His eye is bright orange with a light lime green on the eyelid and up to the big long beak.

A young but large bird with gray and white feathers streaking in the chest area. His eye is bright orange with a light lime green on the eyelid and up to the big long beak. He has very large and awkward feet

A frontal view of a young but large bird with gray and white feathers streaking in the chest area. His eye is bright orange with a light lime green on the eyelid and up to the big long beak.

A young Black Crowned Night Heron practicing his hunting skills. Alas, he needs more practice.

A house finch (red face and brownish gray feathers on his tail and back with streaks on his chest), with his claws around the branch with pine needles and his head leaned down, touching the thin branch.

Caught a House Finch loving on a tree.

Fire in the sky. (OC-my own photo.)

#Clouds

Well deserved!

A handsome Belted Kingfisher. [my own photo; Los Gatos, CA]

#birds #birding

This was the end of day one.

In the morning, we found that the boar had gone to the dry creek behind our house and died. Within minutes, 50+ turkey Vultures came to our house. In two days’ time, the boar was entirely eaten through.

Around 10pm, my husband was about to walk our dog and noticed that he forgot to close the garage door. The boar had wandered into our garage to die. It took a long time, but he was able to shoo it out of our garage.

Without a visual, there was little they could do. Around 6 that evening, we found that the young boar did not run away. He merely walked to a different part of our house. I called the wildlife people again. However, it was too late and they said we would have to wait for morning.

I was afraid that it might act erratically so I shooed my dog back inside and called the wildlife crime line. By the time they got back to me, the boar had moved and I did not have a visual anymore.

At noon I let my dog outside and he immediately ran to the corner of our garden. There it was: a young boar standing and not acting normal. I soon saw that it was a boy with at least two gunshot wounds.

NSFW:
[OC] The other morning I heard off and on gun shots for 20 minutes early in the morning. I looked out the window and couldn’t find anything, so I went back to sleep. See comments as I am exceeding the allowable text….

Bald eagle with fish. (My own photo).

#birds

Two young Great Horned owls standing next to each other on a branch. One has its head bent backward and down and cannot be seen from the front view. The other looks a little annoyed as if it is rolling its eyeballs.

“Look sis! No head!”

Everyone has a weird sibling.

Great horned owlets - my own photos.

#birds

I used to think that too! I am surprised to find that their feathers are 100% waterproof!

A small bird sitting in the tip of a branch. It has a black face with a needle like beak. Its chest is proofed up a bit to form a roundish body. Iridescent green feathers cover its back, with some white / gray feathers underneath.

Anna’s Hummingbird’s normal body temperature is about 42C (107F). In the winter time, they may go into a state of torpor - slowing down their heart rate and breathing, and lowering their body temperature to about 9C (48F).

#birds

A large black bird standing a a rock with its wings spread wide. It has a long orange beak and blue eyes. In front of it is a body of greenish water.

Cormorants feathers are not 100% waterproof. Therefore, you can often find them with their wings spread, waiting for them to air dry.

#birds

I really didn’t notice the side feathers until tonight at dinner time when I looked at the picture closely with my son again. They are so stinkin’ cute!!

I think they are rather cute.

Two baby birds with wide beaks and dark heads are in a nest made of mud and a few straws. One is looking at the camera and one is a little behind the other one.

My husband’s cousin has a barn for her horses, and there are Barn Swallows who share the space. They recently had babies. I love their little faces 😍 (My own photos with taken with Sigma long lens - 150-600mm f/5-6.3 Contemporary DG OS HSM Lens).

#birds

A large-ish white bird is landing on wet sand and about to touch down. It has its large wings spread and raised. Its feet have a gold glint to them. There is a white backward crest on its head.

Snowy Egret. Caught it just at the right moment 🥰

#birds

A French lemonade from 1651

A very cute Black bird standing on top of a hedge like a statue. I came so close and it didn’t flinch at all. I think it was posing perfectly for me.

A mostly white small bird with a patch of black in its chest and black edgings in its wings and tail. It stands in front of a big boulder and on dry leaves.

A mostly white small bird with a patch of black in its chest and black edgings in its wings and tail. It stands on a boulder and in front of a pile of dry leaves.

A mostly white small bird with a patch of black in its chest and black edgings in its wings and tail. It stands next to a boulder and on a pile of dry leaves.

White Wagtail. I love the way they walk!