Where a diversity of wildlife is abundant, nature is intact. We depend on it, it does not depend on us!
Gambel's Quail - quirky, cute, funny, not a great flyer, seeing their flocks dribble across the yard at high speed is always a pleasure.
The California scrub jay, social and protective of their young they are sometimes even robbing smaller bird's nest.
An oak tit mouse feeding their fledgling young. Taking care of the offspring can go into August and September. The next cycle of life starts again soon the following spring.
The male American Robin has some striking features, the most striking is their song.
The acorn woodpecker has a peculiar social structure, living in small colonies. Best known for its habit of hoarding acorns: the birds drill small holes in a dead snag, then harvest acorns in fall and store them in these holes, to be eaten during winter. Such a "granary tree" may be used for generations and may be riddled with up to 50,000 holes. Nesting is a group activity, with several adults (up to 12 or more) taking part in incubating the eggs and feeding the young in a single nest. (source www.audubon.org)
A Monarch Butterfly is soaking up some sun.
A Red Dragonfly perching on a branch.
This Speckled Rattlesnake is perfectly camouflaged in a rock crack of speckled granite.
Ready to strike, a rattlesnake will draw back their head in order to lunge forward.
The California Striped Racer is also known as a whip snake.
Anna's Hummingbird in flight
Wing speed of Anna's Hummingbird is approx 40 - 50 beats per second.
While mature males have distinct magenta coloring on their chins the females and immature males are lacking it.
The hummingbird is the only bird that can fly backwards.
Anna's Hummingbird taking a rest in a nearby tree.
Some angles reveal the shining magenta color of the male's Anna's Hummingbird chin feathers.
Anna's Hummingbird perching in a resting position.
Birds are equipped with exceptional sense of hearing to protect them from predator activity
Hummingbirds are precision flyers.
Anna's Hummingbird in Flight
Tail feathers are used for maneuvering.
With a 9 ft wing span the American White Pelican is one of the largest birds in North America.
Seemingly only white, the American White Pelican does have some black feathers underneath its wings. They can only be seen when they're expanded.
The Canada Goose is a migratory bird. Historically, each local population followed rigid migratory path, with traditional stopovers and wintering areas. Today many geese in urban areas and on refuges are permanent residents.
The Canada Goose lays up to 11 eggs.
A Common Bluebelly Fence Lizard perching upside down on a tree trunk.
The White-tailed Antelope Squirrel is common to abundant in the deserts of California from Mono County south to the Mexican border.
A Cottontail feeding at dusk.
The Pacific Slope Slycatcher lives in humid woods along the Pacific Coast. It is very common in summer.
The Pacific Slope Flycatcher favors deep shade, often in the groves along streams.
Pacific Slope Flycatcher
The Pacific Slope Flycatcher and the Cordilleran Flycatcher are almost identical except for callnotes and range.
The Great Egret was nearly wiped out in the United States in the late 1800s, when its plumes were sought for use in fashion. It made a comeback after early conservationists put a stop to the slaughter and protected its colonies.
The California Quail is easily distinguished by its markings and curving topknot.
The California Quail is common along the California coast and in a few other areas of the west.
A California specialty, Nuttall's Woodpecker extends only a short distance into Baja and rarely strays to Oregon. Within its limited range, it is often common wherever oak trees grow.
The White-Breasted Nuthatch remain together on nesting territory all year and may mate for life.
The California ground squirrel, also known as the Beechey ground squirrel, is a common and squirrel of the western United States and the Baja California Peninsula.