2008 From End-to-End in Two Pictures

First Light of the New Year - 2008; Sunrise El Capitan State Beach 1Jan08

The Year 2008 was like most years in many ways: some good weather and some natural disasters, politicians being politicians, the Santa Barbara mountains, ocean and islands remained startlingly beautiful, friends continue to be wonderful and supportive, birds and plants continue to amaze and inspire me, and the love of a good (great!) woman is a wonderful thing.

However, 2008 also saw changes from the 'norm': The BIG change is the ChangeMasterObama himself, bringing me a true sense of hope after feeling like an alien in my own country for nearly eight years. 2008 also had an extra day - something that Leaps out at us only every four years.

The Summer Olympics were also different from a normal year, following in each Leap Year - with Michael Phelps making us all feel like underachievers, as well as being too short and too fat.

Continuing my search for our 'next adventure', I traveled to Bozeman, Montana, Decorah, Iowa and TWO visits to Singapore.... which is becoming very appealing! Many friends and all family remain sequestered on the East Coast, while we continue to find new friends on the Left Coast. Birding became a focus; I was able to devote enough time to it, and I got to know Adam, a very good new friend in birding, sports, and life.

I paid $4.69/gal regular (ALWAYS seeking the lowest price!) in early July and now find myself paying $1.77/gal. Now I'm NOT complaining, but what's up with THAT price range? Didn't you find it odd that eight years ago Dick Cheney convened a secret/private meeting with oil ambassadors to consider his administration's new 'energy policy'... and during the Bush/Cheney years the price of oil topped $150/barrel - only to be 'done in' by their complete lack of financial regulations which put our economy in places where the sun don't shine, dragging the price of their oil with it...

So, what will 2009 bring? Who the heck knows??? Who could have predicted anything or much of anything about this year? At least I am able to ring in the New Year with my Sweet Darlin' Baby Doll who is at least as healthy as I am, and know that we will be GREAT, no matter where our adventures take us.

Oh, the year in only two pictures? That was much easier than sorting through the nearly 30,000 images I took this year and finding the best. Hopefully, they will show themselves here on my 'blog' in the coming weeks and months. And the "First Light" photo at the top won a FIRST PLACE Award in the Carpinteria Valley Arts Council's art gallery's (855 at the Arts Center) show titled 'Atmosphere, Wind and Shadows' and juried by Thomas Van Stein! Thomas OBVIOUSLY knows quality when he sees it!!!

While the year 2008 ended photographically within a fog bank at El Cap StBch, I remain hopeful that I will have sunny days and sharp shadows for 2009.

Happy New Year.

Mike

Last Light of the Year 2008; Sunset El Capitan State Beach 31Jan08

Surf's Up at Hendry's!

A change in the weather has made the leaves fly all over town, folks are digging for that blanket they put away in April and surfers have headed into the water. A quick sunset look at Hendry's Beach/Arroyo Burro County Park at sunset Friday evening showed decent waves and a dozen or more surfers in the water.

As you can see, the waves were large enough to have some fun, although they didn't appear to be too predictable or regular to me - a non-surfer.

The waves provided enough fun to turn this surfer board-over-teacup - or some other equally cool surfin' lingo-speak....

This wave had a size and shape to attract more riders than it could hold. Surprise, here we all are!

Now who's gonna ride and who's gonna watch?

Well, maybe we both watch...???

All's well that ends with a grin.!.




This guy had some nice rides!

I found him on several waves.

Just another grand day on Hendry's....

Update on the Theory of "Here Today, Gone Tomorrow"

Devereux Slough November 8, 2007. The fall rains have filled the Slough to about 80% capacity. The Slough will 'break through' during the occasional heavy winter rain as high water builds up against the back of the Pacific shore and dunes. This break through will allow the Slough to become tidal for a period until a another storm moves enough beach sand to re-create another 'plug'.


I've found birding to be so unpredictable - which adds to the charm, adventure and amusement. Even with today's cell phones, Yahoo Groups (that can be instantly checked while in the field with your connected cellphone) and Google Earth, the birds just may not be there when you are.

Earlier this summer I was birding at Devereux Slough - a remarkable piece of coastal estuary - altered by many years of development and still functioning reasonably well. Owned by UCSB and protected, it is also under 'renovation' by many local groups, including the Santa Barbara Chapter of the Audubon Society. Agricultural run-off and expedited siltation are the major culprits, and new native plantings plus eradication of non-natives will go a long way to relieving both run-off and siltation.

This rich environment attracts many shorebirds, ducks, geese, swallows, kingfishers, pelicans, cormorants plus herons and egrets. In fact the most dependable 'good bird' of the summer was a juvenile Reddish Egret. This bird was seen more often than not for the months of July and August, 2008.

Reddish Egret in a calm moment.

The feeding/hunting habits of the Reddish Egret involve much activity, bouncing around the shallows as if fueled with amphetamines and having a serious case of 'ants in the pants'.

This hunting behavior is very engaging to witness and can be quite amusing to watch.

The sudden movements and flapping of wings as it chases fish make it identifiable at a distance from other more sedate herons and egrets.

In speaking with a friend this summer, she stated that "finding this rare bird (only the fourth Reddish Egret recorded in Santa Barbara County) was just too easy!"

Usually birds - and the egrets and herons below are a great example - can be "here" one moment and "somewhere else" the next. I was birding with a small group of similarly afflicted friends in the morning of 12Aug08, hoping to see something unusual at Devereux. What we saw was quite amazing. The normal summer dry period had begun to seriously dry up the Slough, creating smaller and smaller areas for fish to hide. The herons appeared to be pretty good at finding those places and gathered in numbers totalling nearly a hundred.

Mixed group of Great Egrets (larger w/yellow bills); Snowy Egrets (smaller w/black bills); and a single Great Blue Heron (at far left) at 9:30am.

Same spot of Devereux Slough as above, 11:00am.

Another earlier view in a nearby location within the Slough - 9:30am.

Again, the same view as above, just an hour and a half later, 11:00am.

So, when your buddy calls and says, "A White-bellied Fish Eagle has been seen at Devereux" you either need to know he is foolin' you - or get down the Slough PRONTO!

First SoCal Rain of the Season!

Chase Palm Park with the Wharf hiding in the mist

Fall has come to the Central Coast. Today was the first 'rain' I'd seen since the end of April. And that's normal! Growing up in the Tampa Bay area of Florida - one of the Planet's Thunderstorm Capitals where there can be up to 100 thunderstorms in a year - the idea of rain was a regular one. Here in Southern California, the Mediterranean climate results in virtually NO rain for six months, and then when it does rain, thunder and lightning are a rarity.

Ice Plant covering the misty dunes at East Beach - the Wharf is there - somewhere!

So when the first rain does come, it can be a big deal. Rain = Storm in California. Officially, this 'rain' was little more than a daylong off-again, on-again mist with light rain. No wind. No lightning. No thunder. But enough moisture to use the wipers! However, I NEVER got higher than 'three clicks' (of five) on the intermittent wiper setting, and that was on 'the 101' at 55mph. Yet in a short drive to a favored beachfront restaurant for breakfast, I observed THREE bizarre driving occurences. One car passed me on the right along the waterfront, almost clocking a parking car, another purposely broke loose the rear axle around a turn, then spun tires at the next light and the last one simply spun their tires in the rain. Locals say "Stay home!" during rainstorms.

Colors are super-saturated on a sunless and moist day, as seen in the 'cool colors' in the garden of friends where we are house-sitting in Santa Barbara.

While some good birdin' may be found when the weather changes, the light is not so great for long-distance photos, and the contrast is nearly nonexistent. Yet the colors are fantastic!

With similarly cool colors, enhanced by the weather, the Society Garlic makes a nice focus in the garden.

Remember, this 'rain' was officially a trace, although I bet a least one local/weekly paper will call it a storm. Heck, the 'rain' didn't even bring the little kids off the street in my neighborhood!

Kids in the street in the rain.

And upon closer look, the 'rain' didn't even penetrate a rather sparse Coast Live Oak along our driveway. You can see the dry pavers and soil in the center of the photo. So you see? Our first rain was more of a 'mist event'.

Dry pavers and soil under half-leafed out Coast Live Oak

One of the unfortunate happenstances of the rainy season's onset is the subsequent polluting of nearshore waters. All the oil drippings, transmission fluid drops, coolant overflows, and gas station topping off-overfillings lay around on the asphalt all summer waiting for rain to move them downhill - and into the ocean. So today when I parked at the 'honor-pay' parking lot enjoying the views at East Beach, I took a look around.

East Beach with the Pavilion in the mist - I promise!

The following view of the wet parking lot (with a support team for a local 'walk-a-thon' that was not deterred by the mist storm) shows how the water begins to collect on the pavement. The continuing photos show the water as a carrier for road-borne oil and dirt.

East Beach parking lot with accumulating water

The water collects and begins to show telltale signs of the summer's oil accumulation.

The water runs downhill, towards the ocean, through the curb-cut and collects in the sand - still bearing oil.

As you can see above, this collecting polluted water doesn't have far to go to reach the ocean. And that's not too bad unless you prefer to have life in your oceans and on your beaches - oh, and use them for recreation as well.

Oil - so far we can't live (well) with it, and we can't live (well) without it. Yet another reason to find a balance of energy sources to sustain our standard of living and power our transportation so that we can live with a lighter footprint on our Planet, the WATER Planet.

With the mist storm about most all the day, and having enjoyed the beach views in the morning mist/light rain/haze, the only thing left was to get to your little house and have your best buddy nearby.

Carbon allowing her dog, Cody to bunk down in her Little House.

When is Vermillion NOT Red???

Well, I can tell you that when it comes to the Vermillion Flycatchers that I have seen - there ain't nothin' red!

The Vermillion Flycatcher is one of those birds that I have really looked forward to seeing. Growing up in Florida, I was certainly exposed to some great birds - like the Roseate Spoonbill - that looks sorta like a small flamingo with a lot of beak that got flattened by a steamroller. Pretty crazy to be able to see such a bird where I worked - along Sarasota Bay at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens.

However, NO Vermillion Flycatchers were to be seen. I read books. I've seen pictures. And the Vermillion Flycatcher (VF in birder-write) is a spectacular bird. Apparently as red as one of my very favorite birds, the Northern Cardinal, (why it's 'Northern' Cardinal when seen in the Heart of the Ol' South..??) the VF adult male has a brilliant red cap, throat and 'underparts', contrasted with very black eyeline/mask, nape, back, wings and tail. Sheesh! What a bird to see! And now I live in the southwest USA where the VF live. Cool.

So when I read on the local Santa Barbara, CA 'bird alert' group that a Vermillion Flycatcher had been seen only 30 miles up the coast at Gaviota State Beach, my wife and I headed out. After a dry run and literally no birds at Refugio State Beach, we zoomed ten more miles up the coast to Gaviota State Beach. Jeanne quickly spotted a 'new bird'. She's quite good at this. Not only does she see birds very well, she is also able to quickly discern if we have seen the bird before. Handy to have around!

Sure enough, in a struggling Western Sycamore, planted at Campsite #29, we had found our bird! Sound the drums! Here is the bird I had been waiting for!

Nooooo???!!! How can this be? Where's the freakin' Vermillion? With the mask?

So I have officially seen a Vermillion Flycatcher. Simply turns out this one is a juvenile bird (likely a female), with typical coloration(for a VF juvenile female). There will be more. This one can't be the only one in a vermillion. Guess I'll have to go back and keep lookin' for a MATURE MALE VF that will actually be RED!

Vermillion Flycatcher (juvenile female) on introduced/escaped Nicotiana.

Blog or Blob? Gotta Get Goin'!

You must read to the end for info on this one!

Birds I Have Seen Lately

Finding myself in a sudden and early retirement 18 months ago, I find I enjoy having much more time to look at birds. Now eating is still a good idea, so I'm not so sure just how long this 'retirement' might last - so I'm grinnin' with each birdin' opportunity. To get myself back on a bloggin' track, I have decided to post photos of birds that have made a reasonable image in my digital camera lately. While I'm 'proud' of the quality of some of the photos, others are simply for 'documentation' that both the bird and I existed at the same moment in time, occupying a nearly identical space.

On Friday 5Sept08, I took a look at Devereux Slough on the UCSB Campus, and while the dabblers were a long ways away, they seemed different than the Mallards that have inhabited the Slough all summer. My binoculars are fairly decent and 8x, yet really weren't sufficient to bring in the birds from the distance at the far western edge of the Slough. I took this photo at 500mm with my DX digital camera, equalling 750mm of reach. With the average human eye working at approximately 50mm, this totaled 15x. Then when I got home, I enlarged the image. If you don't have a scope, or the $$ to get one, then you have to do a LOT of steps to get any sort of an identification of distant birds - and then only if the birds are the size and coloration of these Cinnamon Teals. Peeps? Forget it! WAAY too small at that distance.

These Greater Yellowlegs were much closer.

Red-necked Phalaropes do nothing at less than warp speed. While my long lens has good 'reach' it is slow to focus, so I was fortunate to catch these zippy little birds at all.

These Wilson's Phalaropes were at Devereux Slough on 12Aug08. Twenty percent larger than the Red-necked Phalaropes, Wilson's Phalaropes seemingly do not partake of the caffeinated crustaceans as much as their relatives.

Occasionally I remember to LOOK UP! And am often rewarded. You'd think I would do it more often. In this case I was fortunate to have this raptor circling quite low, as I didn't have my long lens, and was limited to 200mm. If you're having difficulty recognizing this very large eagle, it was also new to me - a White-bellied Fish Eagle! And no, this is actually not just a post about Devereux Slough - remember? These are birds I have seen lately! I visited Singapore in late July and saw this bird circling overhead. It is a widespread bird from India through Malaysia to Australia. While mostly feeding on water-based animals, they also eat carrion, and have been know to take birds as large as swans. Look out, Fifi.

While watching the White-bellied Fish Eagle, I noticed another raptor-looking bird circling overhead as well. Turns out this is a Brahminy Kite, another common raptor with widespread distribution in Southeast Asia. Not as large as the WB Fish Eagle, this individual looks like it came out second in a fight.

Now THIS bird may look familar, as it is related to our own Brown Pelican. This is an Australian Pelican, seen in the Singapore Zoo. Somehow, just not as 'dignified' as our Brown Pelican, do you think?

Well, dignified may be not quite the right word here.... Brown Pelican at Devereux 12Aug08.

Last fall, when I was first 'into' looking around Santa Barbara, CA at birds, the Black-crowned Night Herons covered the tamarisk trees at the south end of the Slough (near the renowned Bridge-to-Nowhere - this is an old wooden bridge with the distal portion removed - not to be confused with the as yet unbuilt bridge noted all-to-frequently by Sarah Palin.) On 12Aug08 there were three back in the same tamarisks.

No, this Southern Cassowary did not pop out from behind a jacaranda tree on Foothill Road. A native of New Guinea and New Zealand it is a rainforest bird second (at 150lb+!) only to the Ostrich in size among living birds.

WHOA! Now THIS bird just looks like it has been hitting the double espressos! Again at the Singapore Zoo, the Saddle-billed Stork is native to much of Africa from Sub-Saharan regions to South Africa. Just waaay too colorful and amazing to leave out of this eclectic post.

Oh, and the very FIRST bird in the post? It's a Victorian-crowned Pigeon, also from the Singapore Zoo, and just too fancy for belief!