I found this guy in my old backyard on Columbia St. (map location is approximate). My guess is it migrated from Neary's Lagoon.
I saw this odd duck years ago in Neary's Lagoon, Santa Cruz. I think it may be a hybrid or mutant: the overall body pattern is mallard, but the blue bill and brown head are confusing. It was seen associating with other mallards, but was a bit larger than them. After consulting the Sibley guide, I'm pretty certain it's a mallard-domestic hybrid.
Sea Otter between Santa Cruz Warf and Seal Rock
Eating prunus flowers in back yard last night
A falcon had made a meal of a pigeon on the Santa Cruz beach between the warf and some cliffs.
Calling in back yard
Gathering nest materials this morning
This bird was going after insects the way a flycatcher should in the mid to upper conopy of cottonwoods on east bank of San Lorenzo River. I don't think I would have been confident identifying this bird if I had been alone, but I was with members of the Santa Cruz Bird Club, including Steve Gerow, who are reliable at identifying species like this.
The following birds were also seen nearby:
Black-and-White Warbler
Eastern Phoebe
Red-Breasted Nuthatch
Glaucous-winged Gull
Working the trunk and limbs of several cottonwoods. Two other trunk creepers were present in these same trees and from time to time one would chase the other. There was a Red-breasted Nuthatch and a Brown Creeper.
Sea bird observed at "Seal Rock" in the Pacific Ocean.
These caterpillars hatched Friday, March 4 from eggs laid by a Hyalophora euryalis moth on March 18.
In grass along San Lorenzo River levee. I think this could be Arachnis picta,painted tiger moth.
White crab spider with honeybee on borage.
An Orange-crowned Warbler was singing about 4:30 pm in oaks in area between Arana Gulch and Frederick Street Park.
There are a few species of this aquatic fern in the state. I need to figure out how to identify them.
I think this is the Asian Ladybug, but please tell me if I'm wrong.
Common weed in Central California. Western Scrub Jays seem fond of the bulbs I pull up and toss aside when weeding. I wonder if jays have much to do with the spread of these weeds. I believe they don't produce seeds.
I have this pale pink oxalis in my yard along with the sulfur yellow O. pes-caprae. I'm wondering if it could be redwood sorrel. It doesn't look quire the same as the plants I see in redwood forests as it seems to have smaller leaves. It could have smaller leaves here in my yard because it's sunnier.
The Peregrine was perched at the top of a cypress with a Mourning Dove it had seized. When a crow came close it voaclaized. I didn't see what happened, but the crow flew off and the Peregrine began plucking its meal.
I'm pretty sure these are eggs of a Green Dock Beetle, Gastroidea cyanea.
I found these beetle larvae on Rumex leaves. I saw adult Green Dock Beetles and eggs today in the same area, so I am guessing these are Green Dock Beetle larvae, Gastroidea cyanea. If not it likely some other Chrysomelidae larvae.
