Tagged Butterflies?
Ok, I've seen plenty of tagged birds, and a few tagged deer, but until today I don't think I'd even heard of tagged butterflies.
I was walking around Calero Reservoir and saw a couple of monarch butterflies near the stables. I followed one to a patch of thistle and got some good photos of him feeding.
I'm not sure how they managed to tag such a delicate creature, but it is a real organization called Monarch Alert that is tagging monarch butterflies and tracking them. I edited out the phone number and tag number to save the folks from prank calls. And yes, I have already called them with the info.
Back on the trails, I stopped by the pond to look for dragonflies. The pond was a little high, and I couldn't get down by the water's edge very easily. So, I tried walking around the pond to the spillway and some deer trails that get closer to the water. As soon as I stepped onto the spillway rocks, I heard this loud hiss/rattle sound. Immediately, I look down and there's this mouth with fangs attached to a long body about half an inch diameter, and a tail going 90 MPH. Ok, Mr. Rattlesnake - you didn't give me the customary "you're too close, back off" rattle when I was several feet away - no, you waited to give me the "you're WAY too close and I'm going to bite you" rattle when I was less than 2 feet away. Thanks. Fortunately, he wasn't coiled and he was already heading away. I also backed away, and decided that I would not be crossing the spillway today. I think I've also decided that I will be wearing heavy boots on future visits to the pond. No, I didn't get a picture. My lizard brain and his lizard brain both thought that getting away was more important than a portrait.
Near the pond, there were the usual red winged blackbirds.
These are not the brightest of birds. I love watching them try to land on reeds in the pond a few times before they realize that the reeds are too small to support their weight.
There were also a few lizards hanging out on what's left of the rail fence.
Yes, his belly really is that blue. He looks like a variety of Western Fence Lizard aka Blue Bellied Lizard.
On the other side of the trail and just uphill from the pond, there were quite a few wild flowers in a partly shaded spot.
Back around the horse stables, I noticed that a few cats have started living there and the locals are caring for them. Unfortunately, at least one other animal has discovered where the cat food is located, and that the cats aren't willing to fight for it.
Now, this is a wild animal, and he really wasn't happy about me being there. But you have to remember that I'm shooting with the equivalent of a 600mm lens -- I wasn't very close to him at all. But that didn't stop him from hissing and chattering at me.
I hiked around the rest of the stables area, and the reservoir levee, etc. But the wildlife and wind weren't cooperating, so I didn't get any other useful pictures.
I was walking around Calero Reservoir and saw a couple of monarch butterflies near the stables. I followed one to a patch of thistle and got some good photos of him feeding.
I'm not sure how they managed to tag such a delicate creature, but it is a real organization called Monarch Alert that is tagging monarch butterflies and tracking them. I edited out the phone number and tag number to save the folks from prank calls. And yes, I have already called them with the info.
Back on the trails, I stopped by the pond to look for dragonflies. The pond was a little high, and I couldn't get down by the water's edge very easily. So, I tried walking around the pond to the spillway and some deer trails that get closer to the water. As soon as I stepped onto the spillway rocks, I heard this loud hiss/rattle sound. Immediately, I look down and there's this mouth with fangs attached to a long body about half an inch diameter, and a tail going 90 MPH. Ok, Mr. Rattlesnake - you didn't give me the customary "you're too close, back off" rattle when I was several feet away - no, you waited to give me the "you're WAY too close and I'm going to bite you" rattle when I was less than 2 feet away. Thanks. Fortunately, he wasn't coiled and he was already heading away. I also backed away, and decided that I would not be crossing the spillway today. I think I've also decided that I will be wearing heavy boots on future visits to the pond. No, I didn't get a picture. My lizard brain and his lizard brain both thought that getting away was more important than a portrait.
Near the pond, there were the usual red winged blackbirds.
These are not the brightest of birds. I love watching them try to land on reeds in the pond a few times before they realize that the reeds are too small to support their weight.
There were also a few lizards hanging out on what's left of the rail fence.
Yes, his belly really is that blue. He looks like a variety of Western Fence Lizard aka Blue Bellied Lizard.
On the other side of the trail and just uphill from the pond, there were quite a few wild flowers in a partly shaded spot.
Back around the horse stables, I noticed that a few cats have started living there and the locals are caring for them. Unfortunately, at least one other animal has discovered where the cat food is located, and that the cats aren't willing to fight for it.
Now, this is a wild animal, and he really wasn't happy about me being there. But you have to remember that I'm shooting with the equivalent of a 600mm lens -- I wasn't very close to him at all. But that didn't stop him from hissing and chattering at me.
I hiked around the rest of the stables area, and the reservoir levee, etc. But the wildlife and wind weren't cooperating, so I didn't get any other useful pictures.