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Category Archives: Animals

The Parrots Are Back

I’ve been hunting these guys with various cameras for years. More than 15 months ago, I got a shot of several of these birds on a power wire, but that wasn’t exactly the nice nature picture I always had in mind. “Birdsong” is not a word that comes to mind when a flock of parrots [...]

Today’s Hummingbird

Most of us have seen video of hummingbirds flying in slow motion. In real life it’s amazing how fast they are. I’ve been hunting these guys with various cameras for years, and this is the first picture I’ve managed to get that’s vaguely worth sharing. We think of these tiny birds as being little and [...]

Dragonfly!

Yet another amazing creature showed up to pose for pictures early this afternoon. It feels good to be getting back to taking pictures of dragonflies; maybe it means lizards are done following me for now. I’ve been hunting dragonflies with a camera for years, with some great results! Check out these dragonfly centerfolds from July [...]

Sceloporus Graciosus

Western Fence Lizards are among the most common small spiny lizards in southern California. Years ago when I started this blog, I did not expect that I would be spending so much time photographing and writing about lizards. Life is like that sometimes. It’s like I always say: “When life gives you lemons, sometimes you [...]

It’s a Rough Life

San Diego is a nice place in January, warm and mild compared to most places, but nobody would argue that it is a tropical paradise. For example, this Gold Dust Day Gecko is not native to America’s Finest City. The picture was taken in the Kohala region of the Big Island of Hawaii. It turns [...]

Magnificent Dragonfly!

This spectacular creature showed up and posed for pictures. One of the earliest posts on this website featured another fantastic dragonfly. I like to take and to publish these pictures for the sake of art, but this one has a little story behind it. These days, I am working hard on revising my bar exam [...]

Art Camp

The San Diego Zoo is a spectacular place. This week Elana and I are attending watercolor art camp. We spend some time with the animals and then create paintings of them. Here is a great picture Lana took today of a hungry and angry tiger. I figured it would be OK to help get a [...]

Lizard of the Day

Do you ever get the feeling that you’re being followed by elgaria multicarinata? No? This is yet another example of how my life is different from everybody else’s. I took this picture in Ocean Beach late yesterday afternoon. Another fine representative of this species hung out with me in Carmel Valley not that long ago. [...]

Bird of the Day

Here is the latest example of why it’s fun to have a camera handy when you’re outdoors. This bird -  a bushtit, according to George, was one of a big swarm of a couple dozen that zipped off to the next group of trees to the south a second or two after I took this [...]

Indian Walking Stick Head

This is something you don’t see every day – yet. This creature is called Carausius Morosus, commonly known  as the Indian Walking Stick because it’s from India and it looks like a walking stick. I’ve reported on these guys once before. Here is a close-up look at one of its little eyes. Apparently these insects [...]

Snake in the Grass!

OK, actually it’s a lizard, but “Lizard in the Grass” just isn’t as catchy. If I’m not mistaken, this is a fine representative of the Southern Alligator Lizard, elgaria multicarinata. It’s great when a camera is handy at the right time! Share on Facebook

Ming the Merciless

Here is “Ming the Merciless, Emperor of Mongo, otherwise known as Charlie Middleton”. Friends of the family thought this was a cute name for an essentially nice cat. What they did not know is that the animal you see in this 1973 photograph actually is Ming the Merciless of the planet Mongo. Here’s the story [...]

The Parents Are Black

Ocean Beach has a colony of parrots, originally from northeast Mexico, who have decided to kick back and enjoy the Bohemian vibe and counterculture traditions of OB. I love these birds and how colorful and loud they are. When they finally showed up, I called Alexis on her cell phone. As a result of a [...]

Moth or Butterfly?

I’m not sure what it is, but I like the colors and I’m impressed to be seeing a magnificent creature like this one outdoors on a cold late-fall afternoon. Incidentally, I asked it about current political issues of the day but it did not reply. Share on Facebook

Smile For The Camera

Rainbow, where are your ears? Share on Facebook