Bullock's & Bonaparte's by Bush as Biodiversity Samples at El Cap State Beach, CA

Moving from the East Coast two and a half years ago, I am continually amazed at how compressed my new world in the Central CA Coast appears to be. I've seen snow on the tops of the Santa Ynez Mountains while standing under palms along Cabrillo Blvd in Santa Barbara. I've driven forty miles in one hour in July and seen the temperature drop forty degrees from 102 degrees in the valley to 62 degrees at Pismo Beach.

So perhaps I should not be surprised to find a dose of Bullock's & Bonaparte's all in a day's casual birding at El Capitan State Beach. Walking the 'Nature Trail' this morning, I again saw (for the third day in a row) Bullock's Orioles high in the Western Sycamore trees that occupy the low ground and grow along El Capitan Creek.

Besides being so twisted they remind you of a Tolkein passage, the sycamores are also tall - I'd estimate over sixty feet. And they are wide, taking a minimum of two people to reach around any of several grand old specimens.

The Bullock's Orioles have been feeding in the top third of the canopy, hardly staying still more than a few seconds at a time.

This afternoon, a camper-friend called me and relayed, "There's a gull-like bird on the beach with very orange legs and an all-black head."

And sure enough, there was a lone Bonaparte's Gull strolling and feeding on the recently-sandy beach. [March storms have brought much sand to cover the previously very rocky beach.]

Scared away by beachcombers in my first attempt to photograph, patience rewarded me as the gull returned not too much later.

As luck would have it, the beachcomers turned around, and headed back towards me - this time 'herding' the Bonaparte's Gull more closely, allowing for a better look than I anticipated!

And then, like all good beachcombers, totally unaware of thier surroundings, they finally put the Gull to flight one last time.

Drama of place is important to my enjoyment of life - El Cap State Beach is a great example of several habitats being compressed into one small area - a beachbound Bonaparte's Gull was found six hours later and 200 yards away from the woodland Bullock's Orioles!

Good Birding!

Rock Cairns: Art on El Capitan State Beach

Specifically and uninterestingly cairns are: an artificial pile of stones. So much for the romance of the tactile artifacts I find on El Capitan State Beach.

Often these stones appear to be set with care and passion, as balance points are difficult to find in odd-shaped stones.

Working until nearly past dark on this past New Year's Weekend this artist of ephemeral piling of the stones placed more than five dozen cairns.

Some more creative 'cairns' have branched out and include bits of driftwood. This approach leads to a feeling of fragility and a short, but dramatic lifespan.

I entered this favored image of mine into a juried art show of the Carpinteria Valley Art Association, in Carpinteria, CA. The show was themed: Man/Woman. The title of this photo? "She Always Liked the Stong, Silent Type". The juror awarded my photo with an 'Honorable Mention'!! Having a professional evaluate my work and deem it worthy is a gas.

The stony spirits of El Cap State Beach hold court as the last rays of light of 2007 disappear over the Pacific.