Mallard

Memories of the San Dieguito River
Memories of the San Dieguito River

The Del Mar Fairgrounds have been a customer of my company for decades. We (Western DC Systems) service the emergency systems on campus four times a year. I’m retired now,…

Memories of Poway Pond
Memories of Poway Pond

Very near my home is Poway Pond. Actually, there are two ponds. One is publicly owned, while the other is privately owned. The privately owned pond is now named “Taylor…

Memories of Lake Poway
Memories of Lake Poway

I don’t always bring a camera with me when I visit Lake Poway. Only 7.5 miles from my home, I find its peace and serenity soothes me and heals my…

Memories of Whelan Lake
Memories of Whelan Lake

In 2003, my pursuit of bird photography was budding. I knew Phil Unitt was ramrodding the San Diego County Bird Atlas project, and I wanted to contribute. Phil had a…

Memories of Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve
Memories of Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve

The first time I visited the Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve was on 2015-05-05. I was starting out a long expedition of the western USA states and driving my Suzuki Samurai.…

Memories of Miramar Lake
Memories of Miramar Lake

For most San Diegans, Miramar Lake is either a pleasant piece of scenery, a fishing hole, a body of water to hike around, a picnic haven, or for the pragmatic,…

Memories of Lake Ontario’s Northern Shore
Memories of Lake Ontario’s Northern Shore

2023-05-13 Ontario’s Bronte Harbour After enjoying breakfast at a local diner last Thursday, we visited Bronte Harbour. My friend Judy wanted to show me the nesting Red-Necked Grebes at the…

Memories of Grande Prairie Alberta
Memories of Grande Prairie Alberta

My first visit to Crystal Lake in Alberta’s Grande Prairie was in June-2005 while on my way to Alaska. I was using The MILEPOST travel guide to inform me of…

Memories of McIntyre Marsh
Memories of McIntyre Marsh

I first visited McIntyre Marsh in June-2005 during my stop-over in Whitehorse Yukon while traveling to Alaska. It would be seventeen years later that I would return to enjoy the…

2023-05-27 Ontario, West of Oakville
2023-05-27 Ontario, West of Oakville

My friend Judy has lived in Oakville most of her adult life. During my visit, she tried to show me all of her favorite birding locations. And though she did…

2023-03-18 Sweetwater Wetlands-Tucson
2023-03-18 Sweetwater Wetlands-Tucson

I rely on an internet connection while I roam North America in my RV. My most reliable method has been through the use of cell phone service. As I explore…

2022-07-03 Return to Grande Prairie
2022-07-03 Return to Grande Prairie

When I arrived in Grande Prairie, I drove straight to Crystal Lake and spent a few hours there (read about my earlier visit Here!). There weren’t many new actors on…

2022-06-17 Friday At McIntyre Marsh
2022-06-17 Friday At McIntyre Marsh

Paraphrasing Canada’s own Robbie Robertson, “I pulled into Whitehorse, was feeling ‘bout half-past dead, I just need to find a place, where I can lay my head.” It was a…

2022-05-31 Crystal Lake in Grande Prairie
2022-05-31 Crystal Lake in Grande Prairie

After I camped at Lake Winagami Tuesday night, I drove for a little over two hours to reach Grande Prairie. Family restaurants that serve breakfast are not so easy to…

2022-05-17 Two Days in Cody Wyoming
2022-05-17 Two Days in Cody Wyoming

I spent my first night in Cody at the Walmart parking lot. I’d been having difficulty getting clear focus in my camera when taking long shots of large mammals. Modern…

2022-05-15 Yellowstone Get-a-Way
2022-05-15 Yellowstone Get-a-Way

My stay in Yellowstone began Friday with a night’s camping at the Madison Campground ten miles from the west entrance to the park. When Saturday morning rolled in, I launched…

2022-04-01 Friday Drive to Reedsport
2022-04-01 Friday Drive to Reedsport

I spent Thursday night at the roadside on US-101, just south of the Umpqua River Lighthouse. I wasn’t out of fresh water, but I was getting low. My blackwater holding…

2020-12-06 Wild Ducks at the Albuquerque Zoo
2020-12-06 Wild Ducks at the Albuquerque Zoo

Not everything you find at the zoo is captive. At least that has been my experience at several zoos I’m familiar with. As an example, the San Diego Zoo’s Wild…

2020-11-20 Mid-November Gallery Updates
2020-11-20 Mid-November Gallery Updates

I know I’ve been posting a lot lately about the updates on the bird species galleries I’ve been doing. This updating process is going to take a while. After all,…

2020-11-09 Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve
2020-11-09 Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve

After driving all day from Ely Nevada, I felt tuckered out. I didn’t want to boondock camp in Las Vegas, so I booked a night at an RV park in…

2019-10-28 Monday Afternoon At Vendel Road
2019-10-28 Monday Afternoon At Vendel Road

When I woke up this morning near Gila Bend Arizona, I thought my next stop would be at home. But the call of the wild was too strong to ignore.…

2019-10-10 Vendel Road, Salton Sea
2019-10-10 Vendel Road, Salton Sea

My trip to Arizona finally launched Thursday morning. I used the opportunity to visit some of my favorite bird destinations. My first stop was Poe Road, but I was disappointed…

2013-08-23 J-Street and Border Field
2013-08-23 J-Street and Border Field

Two locations well worth visiting any time I’m in South San Diego Bay region are J-Street by Chula Vista’s Bayfront Park, and Border Field near the Mexican border. I spent…

2013-06-24 Tijuana River Valley
2013-06-24 Tijuana River Valley

My aim on this Monday morning was to enjoy the company of birds, whoever they may be. A good place to accomplish such a goal is the Tijuana River Valley.…

2013-06-13 Tijuana River Valley
2013-06-13 Tijuana River Valley

I visited four places in the Tijuana River Valley on a Thursday mid-June morning. I started at the Bird and Butterfly Garden to be teased by Black-Throated Magpie-Jays. I followed…

2013-05-15 Tijuana River Valley
2013-05-15 Tijuana River Valley

My plan for this Wednesday morning was to explore the Tijuana River downstream from the Bird and Butterfly Garden and discover how far it would take me into the estuary.…

2014-12-19  Santee Lakes
2014-12-19 Santee Lakes

This post wraps up my retelling of stories from 2014. Tales of 2013 remain to be told, and I hope to spin those yarns soon. I know I’ve been pumping…

2017-09-15 Sacramento Valley Trifecta
2017-09-15 Sacramento Valley Trifecta

Sacramento NWR, Colusa NWR, Gray Lodge Wildlife Area The Sacramento NWR mostly had puddle ducks, with a few Raptors and herons. They have not flooded the fields, yet it looks…

2015-07-05 Santee Lakes
2015-07-05 Santee Lakes

My friend and business partner’s second son was born on the Fourth of July last year, and there was a birthday bash at Santee Lakes planned for this day noonish.…

2015-05-05 Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve
2015-05-05 Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve

The Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve in Henderson Nevada near Las Vegas Nevada is a converted water treatment facility that now serves as a bird sanctuary. It lies north of Henderson…

2015-02-01 Tijuana River Valley
2015-02-01 Tijuana River Valley

I decided to head back down to the Tijuana River Valley this “Super-bowl Sunday” to look for rare birds. I sorta struck out on some, but found some semi-rare birds…