PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER BRENT PAULL PHOTOGRAPHING A FLY AGARIC MUSHROOM AT THE FISCALINI RANCH PRESERVE OUTSIDE OF CAMBRIA, CA ON THE MORNING OF JANUARY 9, 2024.

A California Photo Safari With a Little Rock Art and Some Birds Thrown In For Good Measure

Prologue…

This little hodgepodge of a blog post covers the Photo Safari, rock art, and bird watching portions of a trip to California that I took in January of 2024.  Much of my time on this trip was spent visiting Frank Lloyd Wright sites in the Phoenix and Los Angeles areas.  But the centerpeice of this trip was the time I spent with professional photographer Brent Paull.  My original plans called for visits to some iconic California and Arizona rock art sites that have eluded me over the years, but snow and extreme cold caused me to cut the trip short.  I  did manage two brief visits to rock art sites in California and they are covered in the second part of this blog.  The birds I saw, some new, some old friends, are covered in the third section of this blog.  So, I begin with the time I spent with Brent Paull…

 

California Photo Safaris With Brent Paul…


I first heard of Bent Paull when my friend Suzy Widgetman and her husband Pablo contacted me in the early Fall of 2023 about joining them on a Brent Paull 2025 Spring trip to Yellowstone National Park.  When I decided to not go to Panama due to overall safety concerns after the events of October 7, 2023, I went to Brent’s website and saw that he had availability on two of his California Safaris in early January 2024.  I called him, and after speaking with him, decided to sign up for his January 9, 2024 “California Coast Safari” and his January 10-11, 2024 “Bobcat Safari”.  I had a great time with Brent, and learned some interesting and valuable photography tips during the time I spent with him.  It is hard not to have a great time with someone with his knowledge, experience, and passion for photographing all things wild!

My schedule called for me to meet with Brent in Cambria, California on the morning of Tuesday, January 9, 2024.   I booked a room at the FogCatcher Inn in Cambria for Monday night January 8, 2024 and spent that Monday exploring on my own.  I drove up to Carmel and spent time at the FLLW Walker House, then spent some time enjoying the magnificent landscapes of the Pacific Coast Higway south of Carmel.

 

 

 

THE WALKER HOUSE IN CARMEL SITS ON A POINT THAT JUTS OUT INTO THE OCEAN. IT RECENTLY SOLD FOR 22 MILLION DOLLARS AND IS UNDERGOING A RESTORATION.
THERE ARE SOME FABULOUS VIEWS SOUTH OF CARMEL ALONG THE PACIFIC COAST HIGHWAY. I SAW MY FIRST SEALS AT THIS LOCATION.
MY FIRST SEAL OF THE TRIP. THE WATER IN THIS AREA WAS CRYSTAL CLEAR AND BEAUTIFUL.
MY VIEW AS I WALKED A SEASIDE TRAIL ALONG THE PACIFIC COAST HIGHWAY ON THE AFTERNOON OF MONDAY, JANUARY 8, 2024.

After my visit to the Walker House, and the time I spent exploring the Pacific Coast Highway, I headed back toward Cambria, where I would spend the night.  I decided to stop by the Hearst Castle, but, unfortunately I missed the last tour of the day (3:00 p.m.) by ten minutes.  Nevertheless, I enjoyed looking at the museum and visitor center.  Maybe another day!  I then drove the short distance from the Castle to the Hearst San Simeon State Park where I had a pleasant late afternoon walk.  

THE HEARST CASTLE COMPLEX IS MUCH LARGER AND MUCH MORE COMMERICAL THAN I ANTICIPATED. THE VISITOR CENTER HOUSES A MUSEUM, A LARGE GIFT SHOP, FOOD, AND A TICKET CENTER FOR THE TOURS.
THE VISITOR CENTER PORTION OF THE MUSEUM WAS INTERESTING, BUT THE REAL DEAL IS AT THE CASTLE WHICH CAN ONLY BE REACHED BY A BUS TOUR.
I ALWAYS ENJOY WANDERING THROUGH A MUSEUM, AND THE HEARST MUSEUM WAS NO EXCEPTION. MAYBE SOMEDAY I CAN RETURN AND TAKE A PROPER TOUR.
I TOOK THIS PHOTO OF THE HEARST CASTLE WITH MY LONG LENS, FROM BEHIND THE VISITOR CENTER.
ON THE BEACH AT HEARST SAN SIMEON STATE PARK.

After my stroll around the State Park, I headed back to Cambria, stopping several times to walk and explore this beautiful coastal area.  I ran out of daylight just as I reached the FogCatcher Inn, where I checked in, had a bite to eat, and slept like a baby!

IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL EVENING TO EXPLORE ALONG THE COAST. ONE OF THE PATHS I TOOK TO GET DOWN TO THE WATER AND THE SETTING SUN.
LOTS OF ENTERTAINING BIRDS!
A STUNNING CALIFORNIA SUNSET, AS SEEN FROM THE FOGCATCHER INN IN CAMBRIA.

California Coast Safari, January 9, 2024…


I met up with Brent Paull early on the morning of Tuesday, January 9, 2024, in Cambria.   We (myself and the other participant for the day, a very nice gentleman from Los Angeles named John N.) loaded our gear into Brent’s truck and promptly headed out.  Our first destination of the day was the Piedras Blancas Elephant Seal Rookery, located a little over 13 miles north of Cambria on the Pacific Coast Highway.  It was a beautiful crisp and clear morning as we arrived and spent the next several hours walking up and down the boardwalk observing and photographing the Northern Elephant Seals.  Look here for the Rookery’s excellent website— it will tell you everything you want to know about these magnificent creatures!

SIGNAGE AT THE PIEDRAS BLANCAS ELEPHANT SEAL ROOKERY.
THE WOODEN BOARDWALK PROVIDES EXCELLENT CLOSE-UP VIEWS OF THE NORTHERN ELEPHANT SEALS.
A COUPLE OF FEMALE ELEPHANT SEALS WITH THEIR PUPS. THE MOTHERS NURSE THEIR PUPS FOR ABOUT A MONTH AFTER THEIR BIRTH.
AFTER A FEMALE'S WATER BREAKS, SHE IS SWARMED BY SEAGULLS, WHO WAIT FOR THE PLACENTA/AFTERBIRTH. AN AMAZING SPECTACLE!
A LARGE AND MAGNIFICENT HAREM BULL AT THE ROOKERY. A SINGLE BULL CAN HAVE A HAREM OF 5 TO 50 FEMALES, AND WILL PROTECT THEM AND THEIR NEWBORN PUPS FROM OTHER BULLS. NOTE THE SCARS ON THE CHEST FROM BATTLES WITH OTHER BULLS. THE HAREM BULL IS ALSO KNOWN AS A "BEACHMASTER".
YOURS TRULY, AT THE ELEPHANT SEAL ROOKERY ON THE MORNING OF JANUARY 9, 2024.

We returned to the Rookery later that afternoon, to catch the seals in a different light.  On our afternoon visit, we got to watch one of the females give birth, up close and personal.  It was an amazing experience!  For a more complete gallery of the photos I took that day, look here. 

After our morning visit to the Rookery, we headed back to Cambria to meet a friend of Brent’s at the Fiscalini Ranch Preserve.  The preserve is beautiful, with lots of trails on 437 heavily wooded acres, and over a mile of beachfront.  Our main goal was to see and photograph a striking, brightly colored mushroom called Fly Agaric (Amanita muscaria).  Our visit was a success, as we found a large number of these mushrooms at the Preserve.  

TRAIL MAP AT FISCALINI RANCH PRESERVE. WHAT A BEAUTIFUL PLACE!
BRENT AND JOHN ON THE TRAIL AT FISCALINI RANCH PRESERVE. MUCH OF THE PRESERVE IS HEAVILY WOODED AND QUITE PEACEFUL AND BEAUTIFUL.
THIS IS ONE OF THE FIRST FLY AGARICS THAT WE SAW THAT DAY. IT WAS MISSING SOME OF THE WHITE, POLKA-DOT LIKE VEIL WARTS.
THIS FLY AGARIC HAS ALL OF ITS WHITE VEIL WARTS INTACT.
IF EATEN RAW, THE FLY AGARIC IS HALLUCINOGENIC AND CAUSES SIZE DISTORTION. THAT IS WHY IT WAS CHOSEN AS THE MUSHROOM IN THE SUPER MARIO BROS. VIDEO GAME!

In addition to the Fly Agaric, we saw many other types of mushrooms that day.  It was a perfect California day to take a walk in a beautiful oceanside Preserve!

THIS WAS ONE OF MY FAVORITE PICTURES FROM THAT MORNING.
I COULDN'T FIND THE NAME OF THIS LITTLE BEAUTY.
A LITTLE FUNCTIONAL TREE STUMP ART SEEN ALONG THE TRAIL.
ONE FINAL PHOTO FROM FISCALINI RANCH PRESERVE...BRENT EXPLORING AGAINST A BACKDROP OF A BEAUTIFUL BLUE SKY AND SEA.

After a pleasant walk at Fiscalini Ranch Preserve, we headed south to visit the Pismo State Beach Monarch Butterfly Grove, located, you guessed it, near Pismo Beach, California.  This grove of Eucalyptus trees is one of only five sites in California that has counts of over 10,000  Monarch butterflies each year during the annual migration.  They gather in amazingly large clusters which make for interesting, but challenging, photo opportunities.  We spent about an hour enjoying the butterflys then headed into Pismo Beach for lunch. 

FROM LATE OCTOBER T0 THE END OF JANUARY, THOUSANDS OF MONARCH BUTTERFLYS STOP AND REST AT THIS BEAUTIFUL GROVE OF EUCALYPTUS TREES.
ONE OF SEVERAL CLUSTERS OF MONARCH BUTTERFLYS WE SAW AT PISMO BEACH.
IN ADDITION TO THE CLUSTERS, THERE WERE LOTS OF DISPERSED BUTTERFLYS AT PISMO BEACH. WHAT A STUNNING SIGHT!

After our Lunch in Pismo Beach we headed to Morro Bay to see the Southern sea otters, commonly called California sea otters, that can usually be found there.  We spent a couple of hours walking near Morro Rock and saw about seven sea otters.  Brent said it is not uncommon to see large groups at this location, but it was a slow day while we were there.  I did see a nice Great Blue Heron, and, to my delight, a new bird for me, the Common Loon.  

THIS WAS ONE OF THE FIRST CALIFORNIA SEA OTTERS I SAW AT MORRO BAY-- IT LOOKED VERY RELAXED!
THIS SEA OTTER APPEARED TO BE EATING WHAT LOOKED TO ME LIKE SOME SORT OF CRAB.
GREAT BLUE HERON NEAR MORRO ROCK, CA, JANUARY 9, 2024.
THE IMMATURE COMMON LOON THAT I WATCHED AT MORRO BAY, CA, ON JANUARY 9, 2024.

We finished up our day by driving back up to the Elephant Seal Rookery.  The light was different from our morning visit, which presented some different photography challenges and opportunities.  The highlight of this visit was observing and photographing a female as she prepared for and birthed a new pup.  It was an amazing experience to observe, up close and personal.  For a more complete gallery of the photos I took at the Elephant Seal Rookery, look here. 

RIGHT BEFORE SHE GIVES BIRTH, THE FEMALE ELEPHANT SEAL POSITIONS HERSELF ON A RIDGE OF SAND. IN THIS PHOTO YOU CAN SEE THE PUP BEGINNING TO EMERGE, REAR END FIRST.
I TOOK THIS PHOTO SECONDS AFTER THE PUP EMERGED FROM THE BIRTH CANAL. YOU CAN CLEARLY SEE SOME OF THE AFTER-BIRTH ON THE BACK OF THE NEWBORN PUP.
THE PROUD MOTHER WITH HERE NEWBORN PUP. IT WAS FASCINATING TO WATCH THEM INTERACT AND BOND RIGHT AFTER THE BIRTH.

Here is a video I made of the birth of new Elephant Seal pup.  I apologize for my ineptitude when it comes to video, but it will hopefully give you an idea of what it is like to observe the birth of a new pup.  

Since our Bobcat Safari was going to take place in the Central Valley area a couple of hours east of the California coast, after finishing at the rookery, I followed Brent to Tulare, where I would spend the next two nights. 

Bobcat Safari, January 10 & 11, 2024…


Tulare, California was our home base for a two day Bobcat Safari.  I didn’t see much of Tulare, since we were mostly on the road looking for Bobcats and other wildlife.  But I learned from Brent Paull that Tulare County has 328 dairies, each with an average of 4,000 milk cows, and that most of Häagen-Dazs ice cream is made there.  According to Brent, most of the Kraft products that use milk are also made there.  During our travels on our safari, I saw lots of farms, from vegetables to citrus.  Surrounded by scenic mountains, the Central San Joaquin Valley is certainly a beautiful place. 

Of course our main target was the bobcat (Lynx rufus).  Brent explained that while it is not guaranteed that you can always see them, your best chance is to find them coming down from higher elevations to hunt.  He also explained that the mainstay of their diet is the small ground squirrels that are common in the area.  So each day, when we started seeing squirrels, we knew our chances were better to see bobcats.  We also hoped to see a badger or two, since they often dig the ground squirrels out of their burrows.  On the first day of our safari, we traveled rural roads west and north of Tulare, and ended up at Pinnacles National Park.  We entered the park at the east entrance road off of Highway 25.  From what I saw, there is not a lot of infrastructure at this park, and apparently it is best known for its participation in the California Condor Recovery Program as a release and management site.  We didn’t see any Condors, or other birds or wildlife for that matter, in the park, but it was a beautiful drive.  As we drove the roads that day, we did see a lot of Red-tailed Hawks.  The highlight of the day was seeing a beautiful Bald Eagle and two Great Horned Owls roosting in a roadside barn.

THE BALD EAGLE THAT I SAW ON THE FIRST DAY OF THE BOBCAT SAFARI. UNFORTUNATELY THE BIRD FLEW BEFORE I GOT ANY REALLY GOOD SHOTS.
THE TWO GREAT HORNED OWLS THAT WE SAW ROOSTING IN AN OLD BARN. IT WAS QUITE DARK INSIDE THE BARN BUT THANKS TO MY D500 AND THE MAGIC OF LIGHTROOM I WAS ABLE TO GET A PASSABLE PHOTO.

Despite our best efforts, we didn’t see any bobcats or badgers on the first day of our safari, as we drove to the west and north of Tulare.  We did get a brief glance at a solitary coyote, but that, along with a few birds, was the extent of our wildlife sightings that day.

The second day of our safari (Thursday, January 11, 2024) we headed east of Tulare.  We spent most of the morning looking for bobcats in the Yokohl Valley, much of which is home to a massive 36,000 acre cattle ranch. The views that we enjoyed while driving in and around the Yokohl Valley were amazing.  And I was delighted when we spotted a beautiful, and very cooperative, Ferruginous Hawk, which was a new bird for me. But we didn’t see hide nor hair of a bobcat or a badger. 

THE YOKOHL VALLEY IS BEAUTIFUL, AND LOOKS MUCH LIKE IT DID 150 YEARS AGO.
YOURS TRULY, PRETENDING TO BE A "LOCAL YOKOHL". ACCORDING TO BRENT, THE YOKOHL VALLEY IS THE SOURCE OF THAT DESCRIPTIVE TERM.
WHEN WE FIRST SAW THE FERRUGINOUS HAWK, IT WAS PERCHED ON A POST.
IT WASN'T LONG BEFORE THE FERRUGINOUS HAWK DECIDED IT WAS TIME TO LEAVE HIS PERCH.

After our first pass through the Yokohl Valley, we headed to Three Rivers (near the entrance to Sequoia National Park) for lunch.  After lunch we began exploring Dry Creek Road and stopped by the Dry Creek preserve.  It was starting to look like we weren’t going to see any bobcats, when we finally got our first glimpse of one.  The bobcat was a good distance away and up high on a ridge, but we were encouraged that we finally saw one!

THE DRY CREEK PRESERVE IS A 152 ACRE RESTORED GRAVEL QUARRY.
OUR FIRST GLIMPSE OF A BOBCAT WAS EXTREMELY BRIEF.
IN THIS CLOSE UP, YOU CAN SEE THE POINTS ON TOP OF THE BOBCAT'S EARS.

We continued to drive Dry Creek Road and made a stop to photograph a Red-tailed Hawk that was near the road.  

THIS HAWK WAS FINE WITH US TAKING HIS PICTURE AND DIDN'T MOVE FROM HIS SPOT NOT FAR FROM DRY CREEK ROAD.

Not long after our stop to photograph the hawk, Brent spotted another bobcat down in a creek bottom near the road.  The cat was moving along the creek and for about five to ten minutes provided us with some good looks.  We finally lost the bobcat as it passed behind a large tree at the edge of the creek.  It was almost like he vanished into thin air!  But make no mistake, it was a wonderful experience to see this animal in the wild, and I was excited to get some fairly decent photos!

THIS IS ONE OF THE FIRST PHOTOS OF THE BOBCAT WE SPOTTED AND WATCHED IN THE CREEK BOTTOM.
AS THE BOBCAT MOVED, HE GOT CLOSER TO THE CREEK AND WAS EVENTUALLY RIGHT AT THE WATER'S EDGE.
ANOTHER LOOK AT THE BOBCAT AS IT MOVED ALONG THE EDGE OF THE CREEK.
ONE FINAL PHOTO OF THE BOBCAT THAT WE ENJOYED WATCHING ALONG DRY CREEK ROAD.
AFTER WE LOST SIGHT OF THE BOBCAT WHILE FOLLOWING HIM ALONG THE CREEK, BRENT JUMPED THE FENCE AND WALKED THE CREEK TO MAKE SURE HE HADN'T CLIMBED UP IN A TREE, WHICH THEY OFTEN DO.

I wanted to mention that we also saw another coyote on the second day in the Valley.  The coyote was moving swiftly along a hill side and was a fair distance from the road, but I managed to get some photos. The California Valley coyote (Canis latrans ochropus), also known as the San Joaquin Valley coyote, is a subspecies of coyote native to the lower Sonoran regions of San Joaquin Valley, California and it is not uncommon to see them as you drive the roads.

I WAS HOPING THE COYOTE WOULD STOP AND POSE FOR US, BUT IT WAS NOT TO BE!
THE COYOTE WAS MOVING FAST, SO IT DIDN'T TAKE HIM LONG TO PASS FROM OUR VIEW.

We finished up day two of the Bobcat Safari by making one last drive through part of the Yokohl Valley.  We saw Red-tailed Hawks and got a look at another Ferrigunous Hawk in flight, but saw no more bobcats.  I was surprised that we didn’t see any deer during our two days, but I don’t recall seeing a single one. 

We made it back to Tulare and said our goodbyes.  I had mentioned to Brent that I decided not to drive up to Bishop because of the weather, and that I would be heading home first thing in the morning.  He graciously offered to take me up to Sequoia N.P. early the next morning to photograph the redwoods and the snow.  I seriously thought about taking him up on his generous offer, but decided I needed to head home as early as possible so I could help Dorothy handle the hard freezes that were on the way to Texas. 

I really enjoyed the time I spent with Brent Paull.  He was cheerful, kind, generous, and knowledgeable about photography as well as the wildlife we pursued.  Brent is a Renaissance man of sorts, and I learned all manner of interesting things from him.  I would not hesitate to recommend him if you find yourself wanting to do some wildlife photography.  He does a large number of safaris throughout the different seasons of the year to many different locations in the West.  I plan to join him and my friends Suzy and Pablo next year on his Spring safari to Yellowstone National Park.  So, with thanks to Brent Paull, I end this portion of the blog!

A Little Taste of California Rock Art…


While I was extremely disappointed that I had to cut short my trip and couldn’t make it back to the Volcanic Tablelands of the Eastern Sierra of California and Petrified Forest N. P. in Arizona, I did manage to make it to two sites in California that had been on my to-do list for a long time.  Here are a few pictures from these two sites.  

The Blythe Intaglios…


As I drove from Phoenix to Los Angeles early on the morning of Friday, January 5, 2024, I made a little detour to see the intaglios near Blythe, California. The Blythe Intaglios are located About 15 miles north of Blythe, California, on California State Route 95, and are managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). 

THE SUN WAS JUST COMING UP AS I NEARED THE EXIT OFF OF IH-10 THAT WOULD TAKE ME TO THE SITE.
THIS PLAQUE IS RIGHT ON HIGHWAY 95 ACROSS FROM THE ENTRANCE TO THE BLYTHE INTAGLIOS.
IT WAS A CRISP AND CLEAR MORNING AS i PREPARED TO DRIVE THE SHORT DISTANCE FROM THE ENTRANCE TO THE INTAGLIOS.
ANOTHER BLM SIGN ALONG THE ACESS ROAD JUST INSIDE THE ENTRANCE TO THE SITE.

There are two intaglios protected with fencing that are just a short walk from the parking area.  The first intaglio that I visited that morning is an anthropomorphic figure over 100 feet long. 

INFORMATION SIGN AT THE INTAGLIO OF A HUMAN LIKE FIGURE.
IN THIS PHOTO YOU CAN SEE THE FIGURES LEGS AND BODY, ALONG WITH THE PART OF A CIRCULAR PATH THAT CUT THROUGH THE CENTER OF THE FIGURES LEGS. THE HEAD AND ARMS ARE NOT VISIBLE IN THIS VIEW.
IN THIS SHOT, TAKEN FROM THE SIDE OF THE FIGURE, YOU CAN SEE THE BODY, THE ARMS, AND THE HEAD, WHICH IS IN THE UPPER RIGHT CORNER OF THE PHOTO.

The second intaglio I visited is a zoomorphic (animal) figure and is just a short walk from the human figure intaglio. 

INFORMATION SIGN AT THE INTAGLIO THAT APPEARS TO BE SOME TYPE OF ANIMAL.
IN THIS PHOTO THE ANIMALS HEAD IS ON THE LEFT AND ITS TAIL IS ON THE RIGHT.
IN THIS VIEW YOU ARE LOOKING AT THE ANIMAL'S TAIL AND HIND LEGS, ACROSS THE BODY TO THE HEAD AND FRONT LEGS.

I only had time to visit the main location with the two intaglios shown in the photos above.  There are two other locations, each with two intaglios, for a total of six in the general area.  I didn’t have time to look for the other four, and the BLM information on the internet does not say exactly where they are located.  But, I am glad I took the time to visit this site.  While I wouldn’t say the site is extraordinarily impressive, it is certainly interesting, and worth a visit!  For a more complete gallery of photos I took that day, look here.  

The Chumash Painted Cave…


On Sunday afternoon (January 7, 2024) I drove from Montecito (where I did a drive-by visit to the Stewart House) to the Chumash Painted Cave State Historic Park to see the pictographs located there.  When I was planning my trip, I knew my time would be limited, so I chose this site to visit because I knew it would be easy to find and very accessible.  If you find yourself with plenty of time in the area there are a number of other sites in the San Joaquin Valley that you might consider visiting. 

I knew that the parking was very limited at the site, so I parked at a large turnout a quarter of a mile below the site and walked up.  

SMALL SIGN ACROSS FROM THE LARGE TURN-OUT WHERE I PARKED BEFORE WALKING UP TO THE CAVE.
WALKING UP THE ROAD TO THE CAVE, WHICH IS LOCATED IN A HEAVILY WOODED AREA WITH A VERY NARROW ROAD.
THE MAIN SIGNAGE AT THE SITE.
THE SHORT PATH UP TO THE CAVE FROM THE ROAD.
TO PREVENT FURTHER VANDALISM, THE ENTRANCE TO THE CAVE IS PROTECTED BY HEAVY-DUTY FENCING.

Anticipating that there would not be sufficient lighting for photography inside the cave, I took a headlamp and several different flashlights with me.  I am glad I did, because it was very dark inside the cave, making photography difficult.  I took the next four photographs with my cell phone, two of which are in d-Stretch mode.  For a more complete gallery of photos I took that day, look here. 

THE MAIN PANEL AT THE CAVE, ILLUMINATED BY ONE OF MY FLASHLIGHTS.
ANOTHER VIEW OF THE MAIN PANEL AT CHUMASH CAVE.
D-STRETCH VIEW OF THE CHUMASH MAIN PANEL.
A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT D-STRETCH VIEW AT CHUMASH CAVE.

A Little About The New Birds I Saw In California…


I added seven new species of birds to my Life List during my California trip.  I already mentioned the Common Loon and the Ferruginous Hawk I saw with Brent Paull on the safaris earlier in this blog.  I also saw two other new birds on the second day of the Bobcat Safari, both in the Dry Creek Road area:  a Yellow-billed Magpie and an Oak Titmouse. 

YELLOW-BILLED MAGPIE, JANUARY 11, 2024.
OAK TITMOUSE, JANUARY 11, 2024.

The other three new birds were all waterfowl that I saw at Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve in Huntington Beach on Sunday afternoon, January 7, 2024, as follows:  American Widgeon, Red-breasted Merganser, and Northern Pintail.  

IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL AFTERNOON AT THE BOCA CHICA ECOLOGICAL RESERVE IN HUNTINGTON BEACH.
AMERICAN WIGEON AT BOLSA CHICA, JANUARY 7, 2024.
RED-BREASTED MERGANSER (FEMALE/IMMATURE MALE) AT BOLSA CHICA, JANUARY 7, 2024.
I ALSO SPENT SOME TIME BIRDWATCHING AT HUNTINGTON BEACH CENTRAL PARK EAST. THERE WAS A BEAUTIFUL FENCED GARDEN AREA, A LAKE, AND SOME CHERRY TREES.

Last But Not Least, A Pair of Peregrine Falcons…

 

When drawing up my schedule for my little California trip, I knew I would have a little time between my tour of Hollyhock and my safaris with Brent Paull.  So I asked Brent for some ideas of things to do in the Los Angeles area during this time.  One of his suggestions was to visit Point Fermin Park and Lighthouse, and he gave me some information about Peregine Falcons that nest in that area.  So after my tour of Hollyhock on Saturday morning, I drove down to Point Fermin Park to see if I could locate and photograph the Falcons.  These were not new birds for me, but I love seeing raptors of any persuasion!  I was successful in my quest and wanted to end this blog by sharing a few Peregrine Falcon photos with you.  

THE BEAUTIFUL AND HISTORIC POINT FERMIN LIGHTHOUSE, BUILT IN 1874.

I am glad I got to see this beautiful lighthouse.  Look here for a detailed history of the lighthouse, and the amazing story of how the lens was recovered and returned to Point Fermin. 

THIS IS THE AREA WHERE THE FALCONS NEST. IT TOOK ME A WHILE, BUT I FINALLY SPOTTED THEM!
ONE OF THE FALCONS, SITTING NEAR THE NEST IN THE CLIFFS.
A MAGNIFICENT BIRD!
TAKE-OFF!
PEREGRINE FALCON, IN FLIGHT.

THE END!