Peregrine falcons
Peregrine falcon
After spending almost 5 days at Torrey Pines, Ca I got these images of the young Peregrine falcons only about a week out of their nest on the cliff. There are 4 juveniles and the 2 parents flying at top speeds over the cliffs and ocean. Peregrines are the fastest animals on earth at 240 mph in a dive.
Great Horned Owl chicks
Barn Owl
Barn Owl
Barn Owls
Great Blue Heron nest
Great Blue Heron nest
Great Blue Heron nest
Great Horned Owl Chicks
Here are some recent photographs of Great Horned Owl chicks and Barn Owls. The unusual part is that they were in the same barn and coexisted. Usually Great Horned are dominant and will kill or chase away the Barn owls.
The Great Blue Herons are in tall pine trees near the coast and the young can fly but still hang around the nest to be fed by the adults. It is not smart to stand directly under the nest as the extensive “white-wash” on the ground is a warning.
Cedar Waxwing on Mulberry Tree
Cedar Waxwing 
Cedar Waxwing on Mulberry
Every April a swarm of Cedar Waxwings swoop down on our Mulberry Tree. They are like little masked bandits who steal all the ripe berries within minutes and then fly to a nearby tree to rest after their gluttony. I have a blind set up in my backyard and can photograph them as close as 10 ft away without any reaction from them, but when I leave the blind a flock of as many as 30 birds instantly takeoff.
Ca Quail pair
Ca Quail pair 
Canada Geese with chicks 
Canada Geese with chicks 
Canada Geese with chick 
Tule Elk Pt Reyes, CA 
Western Gull “Picasso style”
I photographed for 2 days on the Pt Reyes Peninsula in N Ca. We looked for the Pileated Woodpeckers and only heard one high up in the Pine trees but could not get any photos. Beautiful wildflowers and lots of fog which you can see a little bit in the Tule Elk photos. Will add some more scenics and wildflowers in a later Blog.
Kestrals Mating
I managed to get 2 Kestrals mating yesterday. Hopefully there could be some young in around 29 days after the eggs are laid. Could not get all that close with a 400 mm lens. I really needed an 800 mm or greater lens or doubler.
On the way home I got this shot of a red- shouldered hawk taking off from a branch. A crow chased it from the branch.
Red-shouldered hawk chased by crow
Western Rattlesnake Crotalus viridis 
Western Rattlesnake Crotalus viridis
Brown Pelican 
Brown Pelican
The Brown Pelicans were at the cliffs in the town of La Jolla, Ca in their breeding plumage. They take off and land all day long so it is easy to get them in flight.
The Rattlesnake was a juvenile about 16″ long on the trail at the Santa Rosa Plateau near Murietta, Ca. They are still very potent even though they look harmless. Do not pick them up unless you want to spend time in the hospital. An important predator that keeps the rodent population in check so please let them alone. Not to be feared as long as you keep your distance and watch where you walk.
osprey takeoff
Osprey with fish 
Osprey with fish
Osprey with fish in talon
White-faced Ibis at Sunset 
White-faced Ibis landing at Sunset with Black-necked Stilts
The best times to photograph at San Joaquin Wildlife Sanctuary in Irvine, Ca is at Sunset and early in the morning with the softer and warmer light. The White-faced Ibis land in the shallow water within 15-30 min of sunset and at that time you can get the iridescent colors of the wings with the sun hitting them from the front. Also are several duck species including Cinnamon Teal, Blue-winged Teal, N Shoveler, and lots of Coots. There was a Kingfisher that was diving for fish but not within range of my lens. They are extremely hard to get close to.
Snowy Owl in Flight
Snowy Owl
Snowy Owl cleaning Talons
Snowy Owl at Takeoff
More Snowy Owl photos from our trip to Seattle in early Jan. I went through my original images and found a few more that I liked out of a couple of hundred raw shots. Sometimes it pays to go back and process images that did not “pop out” the first time around.
Here are 2 views of the same Duck at Santee Lakes, San Diego, Co California shot on Feb 15. My guess is that it is a hybrid. There is a faint green stripe running from the eye above the white supercillium towards the throat.
Can anyone ID this duck ? Please comment.
I just got an email confirming that it is possibly a black Swedish duck mixed in with mallard. Thanks Darlene.
Larry Moskovitz
close up of Duck
Happy Valentines Day
Wood Duck at Santee Lakes, San Diego, CA
Wood Duck 
Reddish Egret Feeding at Bolsa Chica 
Bufflehead at Bolsa Chica
Great Blue Heron
Some recent photos taken at Bolsa Chica in Huntington Beach and Santee Lakes, San Diego