Showing posts with label Raccoon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Raccoon. Show all posts

Thursday, December 22, 2011

Shampoo Of Egret Poo


Great Egret. It was right above a footpath, with several oblivious walkers going right under the bird. My hopes and dreams of watching somebody get a shampoo of egret poo never materialized though. Golden Gate Park, San Francisco.

It's full on family week here at BB&B headquarters. What does that mean? Staggering amounts of stress and annoyance on everyone's part, not to mention limited internet access.

By the way, thanks to everyone who's been checking in on The Great Ornithologist Felonious Jive and I, it's strange that more than a dozen people actually look at this.

Right. As always, if any ecolodge or bird tour company wants to get some exposure, feel free to kick me down a free trip. Sure, saying things like that may be a touch whoreish, but I'm not known for being able to hold onto anything like dignity when it comes to birds. So, you people in the birding business, I would love nothing more than to sample your local avefauna (and booze)...I am Funemployed, after all.

However, seeing as I will be confined to the West Coast for the rest of the winter, here are some more invigorating local birds for your enjoyment.


The hallowed Varied Thrush, aka The Robin Of The Shadows. Golden Gate Park.


Red-tailed Hawk. Ano Nuevo State Park.


Barrow's Goldeneye sandwiched by Common Goldeneyes. Mmmm....sandwich. Redwood Shores.


Canvasbacks. Radio Road, Redwood Shores.


A pensive Raccoon. In Golden Gate Park there is a spot that always seems to have a raccoon family lately, and last time I was there I found a photographer sitting right in the middle of them. I don't know what he was thinking, as he seemed to be more concerned about the Mallards and Pied-billed Grebes in front of him than these beasts milling around a few feet away. That's not how I would've done it.


The east coast has more colorful songbirds than we do, but at least we have Townsend's Warblers. Pine Lake Park, San Francisco.


American Avocets. Radio Road.


Tuesday, November 15, 2011

San Francisco's Golden Gate Park


Hooded Merganser. A legitimate duck.

Wow. I am tired. I'm not sure if this Two Buck Chuck is helping or hurting...it's only the first glass. I got in some solid birding today, complete with two year birds (Lucy's Warbler and Tundra Swan), as well as Yellow-throated, Palm and Black-throated Gray Warblers. How often do you see Lucy's and Yellow-throated in the same flock? So sick.

Right. Due to fatigue, this will be kept short. All of the pictures here today were taken in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park over the last couple weeks. It is probably San Francisco's only birding spots that is A) Large, B) Not Hideous, and C) Gets Rare Birds. It is over 3 miles long, over 1,000 acres in size, and is 20% larger than New York's Central Park. Aside from various museums and a small herd of Buffalo to keep the crust punks/hippies at bay, the park hosts a variety of bizarre habitats and has had its share of good birds over the years....almost all of which I have not seen.

But that is not the point. Remember that fall migration is still on, and you must keep your eyes Open. A dreary and birdless fate awaits those who do not.


Palm Warbler. Rare, but just barely. Always nice though.


Wood Duck. One of the birds that the average human imagination could never come up with.


Glaucous-winged Gull. Maybe this is one of the birds I saw murdering Crested Auklets in Alaska last year.

Greater White-fronted Goose vanity shot.

Raccoon. Hey buddy.


Summer Tanager. On the San Francisco rarity scale, I would give it a 3/5.


Pied-billed Grebe. Possibly on drugs.



Green wing of a Green-winged Teal.


Thayer's Gull. Sorry for the blown out picture...I will have to go back to get better ones.