Wednesday, September 16, 2015

Food: Nutritious nuts....

Nuts are great source of nutrition ..especially healthy lipids....some popular nuts....
Pistachio..........

Pumpkin seed (pepita).........

Mixed...almond, walnut, Brazil nut, hazel nut, pecan...

Bird: Hawks..........

A variety of hawks reside and throng my neighborhood in San Diego...giving me ample opportunity to spot and photograph them...
This red shouldered hawk often visits our apartment, as I wake up and go to the balcony, see this impressive raptor perched on the front roof....On Christmas morning, it showed up  yet again...

And on Veteran's day yet again.........it certainly loves to perch on the tile roof, by the sycamore and watch the world go by...

Now its a regular visitor....irrespective of seasons.....it arrives, perches on the tile roof, basks in the sun, before flying away....


With a hope to spot wildlife, I took my telephoto zoom lens...and I am happy about it...just a mile from home, on the San Diego river edge, I saw this beautiful red shouldered hawk sunbathing on a palm...poor guy, its attempt to camouflage went futile..

I annoyed the raptor with dozens of clicks..and it patiently perched there all the while..

On my way back, I got lucky to watch it again..this time on a yellowing cottonwood...

It's not that common to find the birds of prey, unlike a crow, sparrow or phoebe..
This guy certainly made my bike riding and  heavy camera carrying worth it...

Sun basking on a fence of Mission San Diego...

Saturday, September 12, 2015

Discovery: Marquetry in OC fair 2012-2013...........

I was introduced to marquetry (wood carving art), for the first time in a county fair...the intricate sculpture mesmerized me...some pictures from the exhibit.....












Thursday, September 3, 2015

Plant: Palo verde......

Palo verde...a xerophyte...ubiquitous to US South West.....
I saw it first in Orange county....

zillion yellow blooms...

(Green stems..which decided the name 'palo=branch, verde=green').....

followed by Anza borrego desert...

then in my neighborhood in San Diego.........(the miniature leaves are adaptation to reduce transpiration)..





and most recently, profusion of them in the deserts of Arizona....that too in peak bloom time...

Many cities have got their names from this tree, which happens to be Arizona state tree.....
Abloom plant in San Diego safari...........

Discovery: Taxidermy..........

Taxidermy, the art of stuffing dead animals with preservatives and other fillers for displaying in exhibits, for educational purposes. Sharing some from my albums...........
Birds..
Great horned owl......


Barn owl......


Loon.......

Hawk......

Gull...........

Green swallow.....


Animals..
Some raccoon-like mammal.........


Opossum.......

Coyote........


Bighorn sheep.....

Bobcat.......


Spotted deer fawn.. 

Mountain lion...

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