Fun Times Part 1

    Currently in Almaty, Kazakhstan, looking out the window at the gorgeous Tian Shan mountains. However, before I get to all that fun stuff, have the first part of a not-so-brief recap of my fun early summer! What a fun life I live!

5/24/15

    Went to Big Sur. Fun day. Lots of water.

Sea Otter raft through scope

Breeding colony of Brandt's Cormorants. Really interesting how the nests are equidistant from each other to prevent the birds from pecking at their neighbors.

Breeding colony of Common Murre

The clouds just beginning to clear up at Hurricane Point. Crap this place is gorgeous

One of the majestic California Condors soaring by. This guy is yellow tag 51. According to a brief search, the bird is male, nicknamed "Crush", and just turned 14 a few weeks ago.

The sight of these enormous birds flying next to sheer cliffs and above roaring ocean is somewhat overwhelming.

Hoary Comma in the coastal forest

Wrentit being actually somewhat confiding.

Stinging Phacelia (Phacelia malvifolia)

Two color forms of the lovely Monterey Paintbrush (Castilleja latifolia) in situ

Pelagic Cormorant

Striking Western Thistle (Cirsium occidentale) growing in the salt spray.

Beach Evening-primrose (Camissoniopsis cheiranthifolia)

Orange-crowned Warbler being much more cooperative than usual.

6/3/15

    Foothills Park. Late wildflowers are cool.

Clarkias are pretty awesome. Ruby Chalice Clarkia (C. rubicunda) and Chaparral Clarkia (C. affinis), respectively.

California Buttercup (Ranunculus californicus)

One of the late stunnahs, I present the Mariposa Lily (Calochortus venustus)

Hello there Tiger Whiptail

6/3/15

    Went to San Francisco in the morning. Fairly uneventful but some decent-ish photos.

My first SF Acorn Woodpecker.

A surprisingly cooperative and not surprisingly stunning Wilson's Warbler.

At Fort Mason, I tried scoping Alcatraz for the continuing Northern Gannet but failed miserably. However, I did get to see this entertaining sight of many Western Gulls pursuing a fishing boat.

6/5/15

    Went to Pearson-Arastradero Preserve. Yeah late wildflowers are really cool.

Muehlenberg's Centaury (Zeltnera muehlenbergii), the first representative of Gentianaceae to arrive on my year lists

Skunkbush (Navarretia squarrosa), a lovely plant that lives up to its name in smell. Not sure why it's called skunkbush over skunkweed though as the plant was something like 4 inches tall.

Day-flying Moth (Heliothodes dimunutiva) nectaring on California Aster (Symphyotrichum chilense)

Harvest Brodiaea (Brodiaea elegans), one of my faves.

Sylvan Hairstreak

California Rose (Rosa californica), with a Flower Tumbling Beetle (Mordella hubbsi) and some ladybug larva on it.

6/6/15

    Joined Will Brooks and Gena Zolotar to participate in the Palo Alto Summer Bird Count. Fun. birdy morning at Stanford.

Dead toad covered in giant ants

Western Kingbird perched on the Dish itself

Stunning view of the Bay as the sun poked out of the clouds

Cooperative California Ground Squirrel. Then again, all of these buggers at the Dish literally give 0 shits about people.

Lovely Oregon Dark-eyed Junco

Grasshopper Sparrow in nice full view

Golden Eagle soaring overhead, always nice to see

Barn Owl pellet dump / boneyard at the Carnegie Institute. 

Recently fledged Dark-eyed Junco at Deer Creek. Also seen in this area but not photographed were my first Dusky-footed Woodrat (somehow Will was able to spot one in the midst of a willow after the branch shook) and a Coyote crossing the street.

To be continued...