Mokka mit Schlag » 2008 » March

Sara Orangetip, Anthocharis sara
Santiago Oaks Regional Park, 2008-03-02

I think this is my first new butterfly since I moved to California.

Acorn Woodpecker, Melanerpes formicivorus
Santiago Oaks Regional Park, Orange County, California, 2008-03-02

Western Fence Lizard, Sceloporus occidentalis
Santiago Oaks Regional Park, Orange County, California, 2008-03-02

These things make the Green Anoles I grew up with look like Disney characters.

A Wood Duck, of course. On a trip with the Sea & Sage Audubon Society this morning at Santiago Oaks Regional Park, we found this pair apparently scouting out possible nesting sites:

They were being mobbed by Acorn Woodpeckers, but didn’t seem to mind too much. About half a dozen European Starlings were also present and scouting some of the same holes. I hope they lose the competition for the space.
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Harlequin Bugs, Murgantia histrionica
San Joaquin Wildlife refuge, Irvine, CA, 2007-02-18

Despite the warm weather, there aren’t a lot of macroscopic insects out here in southern California just yet. These are the first really interesting ones we’ve found.