The Daily Bucket is a regular series from the Backyard Science group. Here we talk about Mother Nature in all her glory, especially the parts that live nearby. So let us know (as close as you are comfortable) where you are and what's going on around you. What's the weather like? Seen any interesting plants, bugs or critters? Are there birds at your feeders? Deer, foxes or peahens in your yard? Seen any cool rocks or geological features? Post your observations and notes here. And photos. We like lots of photos. :)
Well, it's not MY backyard, but . . . .
As you may remember, I was in California for a week recently, and even though I spent most of my time in the touristy places of Hollywood and Los Angeles, I did still manage to see some wildlife. So here are some photos.
I found this gorgeous golf-ball-sized snail on a sidewalk right in the middle of Los Angeles. He had about a dozen buddies with him. I briefly thought about scooping up a couple of them and taking them back with me, but alas the LAST thing Florida needs is another introduced species. So I left them to do their snail-y thing.
Red Eared Slider at LaBrea Tar Pits. Maybe a future fossil . . . . . .
A Crow who watched me eat my lunch outside the LaBrea Museum.
A gull who stopped by to see if I was in a "giving" mood.
A juvie who joined him.
A squirrel who stopped by. He's lots bigger and lots redder than our Florida squirrels. And he poked around a lot closer to the tar pits than I would have dared.
A gaggle of gulls who dropped in as I was eating lunch outside the California Science Center. The ones with pink legs are Herring Gulls, I think--I don't know what the ones with yellow legs are, maybe Black-Backed Gulls . . . But they were a LOT more polite and restrained than our Florida Laughing Gulls.
This little fellow was hanging around outside the Aquarium of the Pacific at Long Beach. I think it's some kind of Plover.
Nearby was an old friend from Florida, a Great Blue Heron. . .
And a convention of Cormorants . . . .
I couldn't identify this fellow--he doesn't look familiar to me. Maybe a California specialty?
Another familiar friendly feathered face from Florida (try saying that three times fast)--an American Coot.
A group of birds fishing in LA Harbor. I recognize the Brown Pelican and some Gulls, but can't make out the other ones.
Another group of fishing birds that I couldn't identify.
This Mallard was paddling around one of the ponds in Disneyland.
This little fellow dropped by while I was sitting on a bench.
I saw this little guy picking crumbs from the sidewalk at the Los Angeles Zoo
While in Long Beach, I took the Whale Watch boat out into the Pacific, near Catalina Island. First we found a pod of Common Dolphins:
Then we saw a whale spout:
Then a tail fluke:
And then a series of breaches:
And now it's your turn. Tell us what's going on in your neck of the woods. Seen any Gray Whales lately? :)