Los Angeles, California

Summer 2015

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Adventures

 
In 2015 I made my second visit to Los Angeles, California. The main objective was to spend quality time with beloved family members, but I couldn't resist taking advantage of some quiet time to go out and look for western wildlife speices. I made my first visit to In-N-Out Burger, and almost refused to get on the plane home. I also made a return visit to Griffith Park and discovered an oasis of nature in Malibu..

Acorn Woodpecker

Back in 2008 I made a trip to Griffith Park and was thoroughly intoxicated by the totally new landscape. I then followed that particular trip with a jaunt out to Catalina Island, where I saw an acorn woodpecker for the first time in my life. Seven years later I returned to Griffith Park with the sole interest of seeing acorn woodpeckers again.

I had to climb a dusty hillside in an area I didn't know well, but there was something about a pair of telephone poles on a hillside that just demanded my attention. It turned out that these telephone poles were in fact very old trees that had been put to use by a colony of acorn woodpeckers. It was 98 degrees, and I was filthy, but I got the photo I had dreamed of.

Egrets at the Beach!

On another day my beautiful wife Susan and I took the rental car and decided to head for the coast. When we reached Santa Monica we decided to turn north and head up to Malibu. We had no idea where we were going, which is sometimes the best way to guarantee an adventure.

Eventually, we saw a sign for the Malibu Lagoon State Beach and decided to give it a look. Wow!! What Luck!!

There were birds everywhere and when we finally made it out to the water's edge I was captivated by this snowy egret hunting for invertebrates in the surf.

 

Thayer's Gulls!

Once I was done with the egret I decided to take a walk along the beach. A summer surfing school was in operation and many children were out on their boards practicing different maneuvers on the waves. I kept my eyes looking inland and managed to come across a small group of gulls that represented a new life bird for me. We have nothing like Thayer's gulls on the east coast.

Caspian Tern!

Then, just a little further down the beach, I found myself looking at another life bird! This gorgeous Caspian tern was one of several that were loafing at the edge of the lagoon for which the beach was named. I was very lucky to catch this one in the act of yawning while it preened its feathers.

Copyright 2015 William Danielson