I was walking the dog in Legacy Park when I spotted the distinctive shape of an ibis! It’s the first time I’ve seen one in America (they are very common in Australia). The white-faced ibis Plegadis chihi is sighted so infrequently in these parts that my birding apps didn’t even offer it as a possibility. But I checked with my naturalist friend Suzanne, and she confirmed the ID. It was a pretty metallic bronze-green colour. Made my day!
If you see a coin in a fountain, it might be a penny. If you see a coin in a stream, it might be a water-penny beetle larva.
I spent some time in a light-filled chemo ward yesterday (I’m fine, I was there with a friend). Everyone who came through, both patients and staff, seemed cheerful and gentle. There was an air of optimism that felt good. I think it was partly the design of the space, and partly, I suppose, the quality of care. Patients are there to get better, and that was reflected in everyone’s tone. It was actually quite a lovely place to wait an hour or two.
I spotted my first Say’s Phoebe yesterday morning. Such a pretty belly!
I painted this for a much-loved sailor, then realized that this is not the type of turtle that lives in their waters. Oops. Hopefully the gift will still be appreciated 😊
I had fun watching this gull repeatedly drop a mussel from considerable height onto the exposed rocks. Eventually the shell cracked enough for the bird to get its dinner.
Here, the first wildflower of the season is always the wild cucumber, Marah macrocarpa. This voracious vine starts its strangling growth with the first winter rains, sending forth long, fast-growing shoots with clusters of white blooms. Later it will produce bright green, round, prickly (inedible) fruit 5–6 cm in diameter and 8–12 cm long, before dying back completely in summer.
Here on our block, we are already seeing wild cucumbers scrambling over the lemonadeberry and bougainvillea, sign that the seasons are turning once again.
Tree crickets, though quite small, have a loud call that is sometimes mistaken for a cicada or tree frog. They cleverly amplify their trill by positioning themselves in a hole chewed in a leaf, with their tegmina aligned with the surface of the leaf. The leaf then acts as a speaker by significantly increasing the area from which the sound radiates. This is the same principle used by the speaker in your stereo.
Nature is amazing 🤩.
American coots have the craziest feet! Each of the forward-facing toes has wide, scaly, flexible lobes that seem reptilian or even alien.
When under water, the lobes help the foot to push through the water. But on land, the lobes fold back when the foot is lifted, making it easier (than if the feet were webbed) for the bird to walk on grass, mud or even ice.
Coots aren’t the only birds with lobed feet; some grebes and phalaropes also have similar structures, though not quite as long or broad.
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