1-25-18

I was getting rooted to my chair and needed a walk. Isn't it amazing how lost you can get in front of a monitor?

I decided to go down to the Los Jilgueros Preserve in Fallbrook and take a look around. Stretch my legs. It's on the other end of town, a nice plot of still unspoiled open space.

Might as well bring a camera. I was on one of the original planting crews down there, many, many moons ago, but don't visit near as often as I should and it is very picturesque in its own way. A buzzard and red tailed soared together overhead in a lazy afternoon dance against a cumulus backdrop.

The Fallbrook Land Conservancy is and always has been one of the best organizations around, with definitely the best cross section of townspeople I have come across. I don't donate to that many groups but they are on the head of my list. Consider joining or throwing them a few bucks and help preserve open space.

Didn't get too far when I encountered a tree full of one of my very favorite avian friends, the cedar waxwings.

Certain sections of town get them, they like to eat berries and for one reason or another they skip my place.

Now I know where to go to see them. Gorgeous birds.

Also ran across this common yellowthroat. It is such a dastardly common name for an uncommonly pretty bird. Oh well.

Met a woman there who does birding tours in east county. She had just seen a hermit thrush near where I saw the yellowthroat.

Bunch of ducks, mostly mallards, but also this bird which I guess is a female lesser scaup.

It was a grey day, not really conducive to picture taking. I did what I could and frankly didn't care all that much. Beautiful walk.

I saw a mountain bluebird in the dark shadows, too far away for a decent capture. Different coloration than the ones up at San Jacinto, tawnier breasts.

Was turning out to be a pretty good forty five minute walk. Isn't it amazing that we can travel so far and wide in search of when there are so many secrets to be discovered in our own backyards?

And I had another epiphany that I will share, only one today, going to ruminate with the other one for a while, isn't it amazing how smart we sometimes think we are only to find out in the final analysis that we were flying blind the whole way and were really the last ones to figure it out?

I looked up and saw the moon and clicked a shot or two. It amazes me how sharp this Sigma 150-600mm C lens is. Click on it and look at it magnified, in broad daylight, mind you. Incredible value for the money. I think the teleconverter question has been answered in the negative. Better off shooting without them. Look at the crater definition. My existing equipment will do just fine. But I still think the readership should buy me a Nikon D850 for old times sake.

That's all I got.