Aug 21 2013
This gorgeous Emerald Geometer Moth flattened itself on the wall right next to my neighbors’ front door. I noticed it while I was cat-sitting for them again. Luckily it stayed there long enough for me to come back later with my camera and macro lens. It was only about the size of two side-by-side dimes. …
Jul 23 2013
To give National Hot Dog Day some meaning and importance I visited one of the two Chula Vista Costcos with my friends, Sylvia y Rodrigo, to partake of the tasty, but terribly named food item. But first I had to try out one of the comfy, reclining chairs they were selling inside across from the …
Jul 04 2013
Started my Independence Day on a really down note. My neighbor sent a text, asking me to check on a bird she found in her front yard before I headed out for the day. She said it seemed to be hurt. By the time I got there (less than half an hour later), I found …
Jun 21 2013
While I was taking a shower this morning my neighbor from across the street came running over and started chatting with me through the bathroom window (something that I will never be able to come back from) and said that a chick had dropped out of its nest in front of her house and she …
Nov 24 2012
While out in the backyard this morning I watched another Monarch Butterfly emerge from its chrysalis, our fourth in about a week, with another three still to hatch. This one was hiding under the lip of a large, plastic flower pot. Never get tired of watching this happen.
Nov 19 2012
Came across this sleek alligator lizard staring at me through my bathroom window. At first I was a little uncomfortable, like when a pet sees you naked. It whistling at me and waving a dollar bill didn’t help either.
Nov 11 2012
Before heading to a lecture at the Natural History Museum in Balboa Park, I had about an hour to kill so I walked over to the San Diego Zoo for a quick half-hour visit. I headed straight for the recently opened Reptile Walk since I’ve been having good luck with photos there of late. Didn’t …
Nov 04 2012
Came across this odd collection of tiny, elongated spots on one of our outside walls in the backyard. Upon closer inspection they turned out to be super tiny, newly hatched larvae of I think some kind of moth. They actually look really pretty with all their hairs sticking out. You can even make out some …
Nov 02 2012
Was able to get quite friendly with a recently emerged female Monarch Butterfly by getting it to crawl onto my hand and then transferring it to my shirt. It stayed for about a minute before then flying north. This was actually the second day in a row that I got to do this. The day …
Nov 01 2012
I was amazingly lucky to be able to watch a Monarch larva transform into a chrysalis, followed closely by a healthy Monarch butterfly emerge from its chrysalis, which then I was able to temporarily place on my shoulder before it flew away. It was a good nature day.
Jun 29 2012
After losing the Phoebe chick this morning my day was a bit of a downer. Later in the day we found a juvenile alligator lizard inside the house just resting on the kitchen floor. I didn’t want anything to happen to this little fellow. It had already lost its tail once and was in the …
Jun 29 2012
Today I watched a Phoebe chick die. Yesterday afternoon, while I was busy enjoying my annual visit to the San Diego County Fair with Rodrigo and Sylvia, I got a call from my mom saying that she found two Phoebe chicks on the ground after they had fallen about eight from their nest under a …
Jun 15 2012
As I was doing my daily watering while house-sitting at Heather’s house, I came across this Fall webworm larva (Hyphantria cunea) casually munching away on a large zucchini leaf. Since it is neither my plant, nor my problem (and partly because its such a cool looking insect), I left the caterpillar to keep eating away.
Jun 02 2012
I went to take a closer look at a second mole hole in our backyard and noticed that the mole had done some house cleaning and discarded some detritus. I first thought it was just old grass, weeds and roots, but upon close inspection I discovered some small mammal bones and bits of hair mixed …
Jun 01 2012
While out taking pictures of tiny Monarch larvae I came across this small dragonfly just sitting on one of our patio chairs. He let me get really close to take a few pictures. First time I’ve been able to do this without them flying away.
