Time Out

I was driving into town on my road on Sunday to buy a sprinkler part when I found myself behind a beautiful young bobcat. Lovely features and a dark bobbed tail.

I gave him his space and he leisurely sauntered down the high canyon road, unbothered by my proximity. Eventually he darted into the scrub and I saw him enter his lair, inside a very spiny native cactus patch.

I live on the fringe of the wild and you wonder sometimes where the predators live and sleep? It is rare to find out.

This actually made a lot of sense. The opening in the opuntia cactus was just big enough for the small feline to enter but probably too big for a puma or coyote to get into without getting seriously pierced.

I wish that I had a camera with me but I did not. 

In fact, it is rare for me to see a cat in the wild, let alone photograph one. 

But I certainly treasure the times that I do.

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We people in the San Diego region live in a Mediterranean climate. It is defined by winter rain and hot, dry summers. The parts of the world that share such a climate are few.

One of the things I have noticed is that we get unusual plants blooming at unusual times in the fall, rather than the spring. Many palms, agaves and aloes are blooming right now, among other things.

Here is the long flower spike on one of my agaves right now in the garden. 

The spike is just starting to flower, from the bottom up!

I would estimate its height to be about fourteen feet tall.

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Leslie has been putting the nijer seed out and we are getting a ton of finches at our feeders.

Yesterday I saw both Lesser goldfinches and Laurences, which are fairly uncommon.

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I decided to play hooky for the afternoon and drove up to the wildlife area, after a three month hiatus.

It was still pretty dry and I didn't see a lot of birds but did see some.

There were a lot of kestrels about.

I saw the shrike but didn't snap a picture.

Saw one owl but didn't take a shot.

I got to see this red shouldered hawk coil and spring!

San Jacinto is an idyllic place, the place I most often find peace.

The place where I managed to snap that bobcat picture.

I like my alone time there, in any season.

For now I am trying to reacquaint myself with my camera rig. 

I missed a few shots yesterday that I normally nail.

Out of practice!

This might be the best shot I have ever taken of an immature male vermilion flycatcher.

Beautiful at any stage of plumage.

Here is another kestrel picture, with a picture of the much larger merlin below it.

Both are gorgeous raptors.

I feel like I am just getting started, will go back out soon to redeem myself.

I need eagles, kites and peregrines.

Man can not live on red tailed hawks alone.