Do You Do the Flamingo?

No, that is not an error in the title of this blog! And, there is actually no dancing involved, OK, maybe one dance shot! This post will feature some amazing shots I was lucky to get of Flamingos at the San Diego Zoo! It was our first stop when we went with Russel of Russel Ray Photos! Again, thank you Russel and Jim for such a lovely day!

What was really cool about seeing these lovely, colorful birds, was that they were nesting or preparing their nests…So, without further ado, I hope that you love these photos of this lovely bird!

So, do you do the flamingo? Here is one doing that lovely dance!

Let’s Dance!

And, let’s sing!

A duet!

These lovely birds mostly breed in the Galapagos, Columbia and Venezuela, and some lesser known places. And, they breed at the San Diego Zoo too! Here are a couple of shots that we were lucky to witness of these birds nesting!

Nesting

More of the nesting birds

Periodically they take a break to snooze.

Resting bird

Or they converse with one another about the work being done.

Having a conversation

When they raise their heads, they have lovely profiles. Don’t you agree?

A lovely profile

And they often look at the visitors and I swear I could hear this one asking a question!

Are you looking at me?

It is their feathers that are so incredible what with all their color and patterns!

Beautiful feathers!

Flamingo feather patterns

They also stop often to do a bit of housecleaning!

House cleaning

Did you like this series of photos? I would love to hear from you!

Now go and have a great Wednesday, and, again, thank you for stopping by!

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Other Zoo Views – Part II

For this second series of photos…well, let’s see where the San Diego Zoo takes us, shall we?

Now, I need to let you know that I love cats! Small, big, and bigger! Check these lovelies out! We happened upon the leopard enclosure at dinner time…One of the big cats was vocal, which this photo shows of this big cat talking!

Are you listening to me?

And this next photo, feeling that all of the creatures on this earth should never be caged, can’t you hear what I heard as I looked at this beauty?

Wishing there were no bars…

Royalty exists at the zoo. Can you just picture the crown on this cutie pie?

Such a regal face!

And, Santa’s reindeer are there too!

Santa’s Reindeer

Right behind those lovely reindeer, comes this amazing creature! There was a baby, but even with a docent there, they could not clear the way for good photos! However, this is still a good shot! Check out the eyes…

Cute and Adorable!

You know that I love textures and patterns…Now you might have a fear of snakes, but the skin on this snake is pure beauty!

Beautiful skin!

Right behind the snakes was this lovely tarantula! If you have a fear of spiders…you are warned!

One heck of a huge spider!

Now for cute and cuddly looking…

The Wild Boar!

And for the more cuddly than this one…here is an “Awww” photo!

The Koala

One final shot was a lovely bird, who will be featured in another post, with glorious colors and a huge beak!

Pretty bird!

I hope that you enjoyed this post! Stay tuned for a post on the White Pelican, who is not only regal but a beauty too!

Thanks for stopping by and see you later!

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Pretty Feet Contest Winner 2013!

I just know that you are dying to know who won this contest! Are you ready for the results?

In third place, with the most beautiful toenails…

The Elephant

In second place, with dainty feet for such a big girl…

The Lioness

And number one…

The Zebra!

Many thanks to all who voted for me!

Thanks for participating, and for stopping by today! Stay tuned for Part II of the San Diego Zoo!

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Other Zoo Views – Part I

I wanted to take today to share with you some other photos that I took at the San Diego Zoo. There was so much to see, and I took so many photos…where do I begin? Shall we walk through the zoo together?

Do you remember the movie “The Lion King?” Well, I was able to capture some photos of some of the cast. Let’s start with that cute Meerkat who was named Timon…

Timon

And the Warthog was named Pummba, remember?

Pumbaa!

Then there were the three hyenas. Laughing little fellows! Check this one out!

That was very funny!

OK, aside from “The Lion King” characters there were some pretty cool animals. One of the most striking things was one of the first sights: It was a dog who was best buddies with a cat. Not just any cat, but a Cheetah!

An unlikely friendship

Did you know that there really is a Cheshire Cat? No, really there is! While I did not catch it smiling I did capture its tail!

The Cheshire Cat

Some of the faces of the creatures that we saw were very expressive. See what you think.

Are you looking at me?

You smell funny!

What’s doing?

Others are a bit more laid back.

No chance of getting cold with all this fur!

Nap time!

Like I said at the beginning of this post, I took a lot of photos! So, stay tuned for Part II!

Thanks for the visit today! I hope your day has been excellent!

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Flowers at the Zoo

At the San Diego Zoo, not only is there an amazing array of animals and trees, but flowers too! They filled every available corner of the zoo. I am unsure of the names of most of these, but I still wanted to share these anyway. Are you ready to check them out? Let’s go!

In the area where I photographed the Mandarin Duck, there was this tree that was just glorious with its shades of pink, yellow and orange.

In the pink!

Birds of Paradise were everywhere!

Bird of Paradise

This water lily was most striking!

Water lily

There were some pretty unusual flowers too! This next shot reminds me of a brush.

Brush like

We came across a tree that had orchid-like flowers.

Clusters of lavender and red

Here are flowers that remind me of fried eggs! I do know that this is a California native.

Fried eggs

Then we came upon an odd looking, hairy and sticky flower!

Odd and sticky too!

Spiky flowers were everywhere, and here are two different varieties.

Splash of orange

Spidery

This last photo is of a shrub that I have seen in Arizona. It has no leaves and is topped by an amazing red flower.

Vibrant red

I hope that you have enjoyed these photos! Have a wonderful Wednesday, and thank you for stopping by today!

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A Kiss for Mother’s Day!

Who does not love a big, huge kiss from their sweetheart? Of course, it does depend on who the kiss comes from, don’t you think? Well, I got to witness one big kiss that totally tickled my heart. Maybe it will tickle yours too!

Where did I witness this kiss? At the San Diego Zoo! The kissers? The Rhinoceros! So before we get to the kiss, how about we check out the two that reside at the zoo? While this is not my favorite animal…it does come close to the elephant!

Now the two Rhino’s were in different enclosures. One was enjoying the water, and the other was getting face scratches from a docent. When the one in the water stood up, this was my first view of it!

My first view of the Rhino

Here is the other one getting face scratches. Notice there is a fellow right behind the head as you can see his leg just behind the Rhino’s leg and the top of his hat behind the right ear! If Rhino’s could purr, this one was!

Face scratches

The one in the water decided to play with a ball that was just at the edge of its pool.

Playing!

The other Rhino, having been satisfied with its face scratching decided to lie down.

Do I look enticing?

We notice that the other Rhino, the one in the pool, decides it has had enough with the water and starts to move out.

Coming out of the pool and heading towards…

Sauntering gracefully, it heads towards the other Rhino. Reaching the gates on the enclosure it leans its head down. The other Rhino raises its head. And through the gate they share a kiss!

The Kiss!

I feel very fortunate to have captured this special moment!

Happy Mother’s Day to all Mom’s! May your day be truly special! And, thank you for spending a bit of time with me today!

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Zebras! Love the Stripes!

There is something that to me is so captivating about the stripes on Zebras! I love them! Each Zebra has a series of stripes that is equal to our finger prints. The contrast of black and white…their lovely manes and tails…They have character all their own! I am drawn to the zebra stripe, and often wonder why we do not have striped human beings. There are spotted animals, many of them, and yet all the human has is freckles…I wonder why that is that there are no striped humans, don’t you?

My first view of the Zebra at the San Diego Zoo:

Such a lovely tail, don’t you think?

Doesn’t the tail look like a lovely french braid?

I could only see two in the enclosure, one with its back to me eating lunch and the other too was having lunch! With its face dipped down, there are some good details. They have such lovely eyes, and again I love the stripes!

Having a bite to eat hides most of this lovely face…but what eyes!

Such a peaceful looking animal. Check out this beautiful profile!

Why the long face?

Their mane is the best version of what humans try to emulate in the mohawk haircut! But none can match the coloring in this hairstyle!

Check out that mohawk!

And, they do have lovely feet, dontcha think?

A matched pair!

A quick note to Lisa at Zeebra Designs and Destinations: I thought of you when I visited with this animal! You incorporate the Zebra in your artwork so beautifully!

I hope you enjoyed what Zebra photos I was able to get! Have a great Wednesday, and thank you for visiting today!

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Visiting with the Elephants

When we went to the San Diego Zoo with fellow blogger Russel Ray, I just had to see my most favorite animals in the world: The Elephants! Silent in their communications with each other, they hold a quiet grace. For as large as they are, for me there is something peaceful and comforting being in their presence.

Since my last visit to the San Diego Zoo more than 30 years ago, their enclosure has changed. It is much larger, and includes an area for their personal maintenance. Last time I visited, the African and Asian Elephants had different enclosures, but on this trip to the zoo they are now residing together!

African on the left; Asian on the right

When they stand side by side you can see many differences, with the ears being the most notable.

We are different, but the same!

One of these lovely creatures was by the grooming area, scratching and rubbing against the posts. Little did we know she was thinking of a lovely dust bath!

I think that I need a bath!

Wash the right…

Wash the right side…

…then the left!

Then the left!

One thing that is apparent with these creatures is that wrinkles are definitely in!

Contrary to popular belief, wrinkles are in!

There is a beauty in their lovely faces.

Aren’t I gorgeous with my big lashes?

Now ladies, don’t you wish you had lashes like these? Very alluring!

Such lovely lashes!

One of these lovelies decided it was time for lunch!

Mmm…mmm…good!

And after lunch a trip to the watering hole was necessary!

At the watering hole with my buddy!

Let’s complete this visit with a photo of one truly lovely lady!

One lovely lady!

Well, thanks for the visit today! I hope that you enjoyed the photos! Now go and have a great Tuesday!

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Movement – A Wild Weekly Photo Challenge!

This week the folks at LetsBeWild.com have created a challenge based on “Movement.” Movement happens all around us and to capture it with a photo and stop the action is amazing! Here are some recent photos of movement!

Recently, I went with my friend EB in search of wildflowers. We found ourselves by the South Fork of the American River where I was able to catch rafters going into the rapids!

Going under!

My husband and I drove to Long Beach headed for a cruise, and I captured this shot of a farmer working in the fields. You can see he is on the move from the dust trailing after him.

Working in the fields

A bit further down the road we came upon Harris Ranch. As the temperatures in the valley get pretty hot, they need to cool down the cows. This is how they do it!

Cooling down the cows

We arrived at the cruise ship and walked around the decks. There was a pool area for kids that had some amazing slides and this unusual water feature that they could run around!

A water feature on the cruise ship

From the deck of the ship I was able to catch this amazing shot of a pelican in flight.

Flying away!

After the cruise we met with a friend and went to the San Diego Zoo. When we were at the elephant enclosure we found one of the elephants giving itself a dust bath!

Taking a dust bath

Heading over to where the Rhinos were, this Rhino was in the water and was entertaining itself with a ball that was in the water with it.

A Rhino playing with a ball

One of the newest critters at the Zoo is the White Pelican. I just happened to catch this lovely and colorful bird giving itself a bath!

Bathing White Pelican

In the area where the ducks were swimming, I spied this pair of turtles enjoying a leisurely swim. They were swimmin in synch with each other which you can see by their outstretched toes on their back feet!

Swimming turtles

Then at the camel enclosure, one camel was at rest, and this fellow was busy enjoying an afternoon snack!

Something to chew on

I hope that you enjoyed this “Movement” photos! If you did, then would you please leave me a comment on the LetsBeWild site? You can find me there by scrolling down the page. Look for my gravatar of Madison, my black and white kitty. Click on the reply button and leave me a message! I will respond! To get there click here!

There are some great entries there already so be sure to check them out! Thanks for stopping by today and for commenting too! Have a wonderful Saturday!

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Birds of a Feather – A Wild Weekly Photo Challenge!

Those amazing folks over at Let’s Be Wild have chosen the subject “Birds of a Feather” as this week’s challenge! Having just spent 4 1/2 hours at the San Diego Zoo with Russel from Russel Ray Photos, along with his partner Jim and my husband Paul, I was able to put together some photos of lovely birds! Not all are from the zoo, though…Let’s go and check out these lovelies and some not so lovely but still amazing birds!

One of the most colorful and beautiful birds that we observed at the zoo is the Mandarin Duck. They are brilliant in color and they are quite a sight to see!

Mandarin duck taking a break from swimming

The next really colorful birds are truly amazing! I was able to catch three flamingos lined up in a row napping!

A trio of flamingos sleeping

We saw a lot of babies at the zoo, and here is a cute little duckling out for a Friday afternoon swim! This photo is what my friend Penny would call an awww photo!

A baby swims

And the birds were nesting too! Here is a pair of cormorants with mother bird on the nest and father bird standing along her side!

Nesting cormorants

The newest bird at the zoo is the White Pelican. It is such an amazing bird that I will do a post featuring this bird at a future date! Be sure to check out the colors on this “white” bird.

A white pelican loaded with color

The herons were pretty amazing too! Here is one on the lookout followed by another shot of a different one.  The second photo reminds me of a flasher, and that is because of the way it is holding its wings!

A gray heron

This heron is flashing!

I have no idea what type of bird this next one is, but it is looking right at me!  I see a lovely regal lady wearing a hat and with the most beautiful eyes.  What do you think?  Thanks to Russel Ray for identifying the bird below!  It is a Harpy Eagle!

Pretty bird!

Then we came across the condors! They are amazing birds, and I was able to catch this one as he stretched its wings!  Check out the fur collar!  You might want to double click on this photo to really see the detail in the face!

The condor spreads its wings

From the deck of the cruise ship we were on, I was able to catch a pelican as it flew by!  This is indeed a lucky shot!

Flying high!

The above photo looks to be a bit grainy but it is actually the air that was really hazy!

The funniest thing I saw was on the deck of the ship in the pool area for the kids. I was lucky to find the deck empty of people and was photographing the seagulls on the deck rails. When I turned around, there were three gulls sitting at the edge of a water slide. Then one jumped in to take a bath! The entire series of photos will be another post, but here is a shot of this bird enjoying its bath!

A gull taking a bath on a Carnival Cruise

I hope that you enjoyed these lovely birds! Please look for the link to my post at the LetsBeWild Photo Challenge! Please feel free to leave a comment on their site for me!

I hope that you have an excellent Monday! Thanks for stopping by today!

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