Monday, May 30, 2011

Snakes are Wildlife too!

Snakes are wildlife too! I have seen a few snakes out this Spring season so far.

Rattlesnake on Cowles Mountain
Rattlesnake on Cowles Mountain
Rattlesnake on Cowles Mountain
Rattlesnake on Cowles Mountain
Rattlesnake on Cowles Mountain

Red Racer in Anza Borrego Desert State Park
Close up shot of the Red Racer snake in Indian Valley Anza Borrego. He would not move his head away from the shade of the bushes so it was hard to get a clear photograph.
Close up of the Red Racer snake skin near the end of his tail.

Gopher Snake Near Carrizo Gorge
Scott stepped within inches of this gopher snake and it wouldn't have harmed him but we were both on rattlesnake alert and this was the second of 4 snakes we would see on this trip

Gohper Snake in San Dieguito River Valley
Common Gopher Snake
Common Gopher Snake

Saturday, May 28, 2011

Jumping Spider (Phidippus) With Red Butt

Found this Jumping Spider (Phidippus) with a red butt in my wood pile one day. I think this may be a female but I am not sure. It is a very cool looking spider for sure.

Jumping Spider (Phidippus) in my wood pile

Jumping Spider (Phidippus) in my wood pile

Jumping Spider (Phidippus) in my wood pile

Baby Opossum Trapped By My Dog

My dog managed to find and trap a baby opossum in our backyard the other night. He wasn't much bigger than one of those big yellow softballs. If you have never heard an opossum make noise before I can tell you they hiss loud and fiercely. This little guy did not like the flash from the camera...at all. I took a few pictures of him and then fenced off the area so my dog would not be able to bother him. He was gone the next morning, safe and sound.

Baby Opossum trapped by my dog. I took a few pictures and fenced off the area so he could find his way home. The next morning he was gone.

Baby Opossum trapped by my dog. He did not like the flash at all!

Baby Opossum trapped by my dog. I took a few pictures and fenced off the area so he could find his way home. The next morning he was gone.

Monday, May 23, 2011

Great Horned Owls ABDSP

On a recent trip to Anza Borrego Desert State Park with my son we spotted a large moving mass a few hundred feet up the rocks of a hillside. I pulled over and looked a little harder, turned out to be a Great Horned Owl. A male I believe. He was pretty far away and my 300mm lens just couldn't pull him in very close. As I was taking pictures of him my son saw two more owls, these were whiter in color and I believe the young owlets. They seemed to stay mostly hidden, only poking their heads out occasionally. The male flew off to a nearby crevice in the rocks where I believe the nest to have been and the young owlets finally emerged from hiding for a couple of pictures. After a few shots we left them alone and moved on.

Great Horned Owl in Anza Borrego Desert State Park

Great Horned Owl in Anza Borrego Desert State Park

Great Horned Owls in Anza Borrego Desert State Park

Great Horned Owls in Anza Borrego Desert State Park

Sunday, May 8, 2011

White Squirrels

A day up at Chollas Lake, we saw some baby white squirrels, I don't remember seeing white squirrels before.

White Squirrel

White Squirrel

White Squirrel

Thinking Oreo here folks...

OK, a couple of Geese shots also

Mr. Goose

Mrs. Goose

Monday, May 2, 2011

Bighorn Sheep Sighting in Anza Borrego Desert State Park ABDSP

Me and Ol' Zeek were out panning for some nuggets near Henderson canyon this last weekend when I noticed something off in the distance

Sky Art Metal Art Sculptures in ABDSP - visit this website for info http://www.galletameadows.com

Ol' Zeek is a pretty good guy but he wasn't having much luck with the gold on this trip

Sky Art Metal Art Sculptures in ABDSP - visit this website for info http://www.galletameadows.com

I zoomed my camera all the way in to see what the two figures off in the distance were

Sky Art Metal Art Sculptures in ABDSP - visit this website for info http://www.galletameadows.com

I still had one more zoom level to use

Sky Art Metal Art Sculptures in ABDSP - visit this website for info http://www.galletameadows.com

Turned out there was a whole family of Bighorns out that morning

Sky Art Metal Art Sculptures in ABDSP - visit this website for info http://www.galletameadows.com

I think Spring may have been in the air as there seemed to be two males fighting over the cute one in the middle

Sky Art Metal Art Sculptures in ABDSP - visit this website for info http://www.galletameadows.com

This poor little feller lost his mommy

Sky Art Metal Art Sculptures in ABDSP - visit this website for info http://www.galletameadows.com

But it all was good in the end

Sky Art Metal Art Sculptures in ABDSP - visit this website for info http://www.galletameadows.com

Well, Ol' Zeek and me had to get back to work before the boss man found us horsing around

Sky Art Metal Art Sculptures in ABDSP - visit this website for info http://www.galletameadows.com

It's a long day out in the fields

Sky Art Metal Art Sculptures in ABDSP - visit this website for info http://www.galletameadows.com

Ol' Zeek sure knows how to pack the horse good

Sky Art Metal Art Sculptures in ABDSP - visit this website for info http://www.galletameadows.com

See more photos of the amazing Sky Art Sculptures on my photography blog and also the official Galleta Meadows Website