Around Balboa Bay

Sometimes the pelicans that show up on the pier seem disoriented. This one was in full possession of all of its senses and begging shamelessly.

I often admire the gardens along the walkway as I visit Balboa. This one particularly caught my attention. Isn't it stunning?

The blue herons are back!I first saw them nesting outside the Balboa branch library last year and wondered how I'd never seen them before. There are, I think, three active nests there. No hatchlings yet, as far as I can tell, but if you look carefully, you can see a bird sitting up on the nest.

Shipley Nature Center

I finally went today after a long time away. Blackbird Pond had water, so I thought I'd hunt for turtles. The person I talked to in the Center said there should be turtles there--that they liked to rest on "the log" in "the middle" of the water. As you can see, there are more than a few logs there.

I didn't find any, but I did see hummingbirds, an egret, a heron (can you see it?), lizards, oddly shaped trees, and some grumpy ducks.

Technically, the ducks were not at the nature center, they were further out in the park proper, out in front of Breakfast in the Park. They like to rest on the warm walkway there where it's warm. They'll get out of the way when approached, muttering all the while.

I wonder what they'll do when Breakfast in the Park isn't there to be a gathering place and source of bread?

Look closely. There is more there than mud.

Of Herons and Popcorn

I learned today what keeps the herons coming back to Disneyland: Popcorn.

Oh, they don't eat it, but the ducks and the fish do.

And when people throw pocorn (or bread) into the water for the ducks, the fish come up to help themselves--and then the herons can scoop them up like, well, popcorn.

More Herons

Still the ones behind the library.

I really do not know how I missed them all those years. They are not only there, they are noisy. Of course, when I went to take a video clip to demonstrate to everyone just *how* noisy, they had quieted down.

One of the pictures shows a chick (very large) being fed, but it's kind of behind branches, so I'm not sure how apparent it is.



Oh, and someone did tell me there were a couple of years when they didn't come because the trees had been pruned too much, so that's two (or so) years of non-observance I am not guilty of.

A Day with Herons in It

It's amazing how many things one does not see.

I've been going to the Balboa Branch library for years.

This is the first time I've seen the herons nesting out back.

They come every year.

And I've never seen them.

But at least I saw them yesterday.

Shipley Nature Center

I don't visit the Nature Center nearly as often as I'd like. And I almost never get the pictures I want. But--I have a lot of fun when I do go, and usually get to see quite a bit. This last time was the first time I had ever seen turtles there. Couldn't get very close to any of them (and wow, they can move quickly when it comes to getting into the water).




The hawk I initially thought was a dove of some sort. It wasn't until looking at the picture later that I realized, nope, a much fiercer sort of creature was involved.

And yes, there really is something in the bushes there.




The Two Fishers is actually from outside the nature center (thus the human fisher), but no one told the heron that.