Silverwood Sunday

 

On Sunday, we went for a hike at the Audubon Society's Silverwood Wildlife Sanctuary. It was a little hot (freakishly so for November), but really nice.

There is a bird observation area...just as we arrived, the volunteer told us that there had been a Cooper's hawk flying low, so the birds were mostly hiding. Above is a yellow-rumped warbler.

A white-breasted nuthatch. Such funny birds...they skitter down tree trunks head first.

This area was severely damaged in the 2003 Cedar Fire, but it has recovered...this is a burned tree from that fire. 

A Day at the Beach

Despite being busy with the usual nonsense plus Christmas stuff, I decided to just take myself to the beach today.

This is Cabrillo National Monument, breathtakingly beautiful, no? It was breathtakingly COLD and windy there today, which I rather enjoyed. I was down by the tidepools, but today was not a low tide so the pools were inaccessible.

The last two pics of are lighthouses (duh)--the first one is the first lighthouse built on Point Loma in 1855...it is up at the top of a bluff, which seemed like a good idea, except that fog and low clouds often obscured the light. The bottom pic is of the lighthouse used today, built in 1891 down at sea level.

Baby McSkunkerson...

...was stuck in a rat trap. Poor little thing somehow got its front leg stuck in the side of this rat trap--not a snap trap, it's the kind that has poison inside--and was desperately trying to get it off (including chewing on its leg).

I called Animal Control but couldn't wait (doctor appointment); they did come, and they did free the little one and took it away (some plumbers working nearby gave me the details). Yay for Animal Control, who actually came relatively quickly (and left me a message saying they were on their way after a stop at a vet office). And a shout-out to Miss Robin from Various and Sunday--we are longstanding partners-in-crime when it comes to rescuing animals!

I hope little Monsieur LePew is resting safely somewhere tonight. Poor baby. Skunks are actually very cute! (And even if they weren't, every living thing deserves to be treated with kindness.)

Be well, little McSkunkerson!

Urban Wildlife

In the heart of Phoenix, families of quail--how ADORABLE are those babies?--and bunny couples cavort. So freaking cute!