Good Acres

Humpback Whale "Pec Slaps" and Flukes

2011-04-16T18:17:00.000-07:00

Last August, in addition to seeing blue whales, we also encountered many humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae). In particular, we spent quite a bit of time near a mother humpback whale and her frisky calf. The calf was waving pectoral fin(s) in the air and being generally rambunctious. Apparently, an adult humpback's pectoral fins are the largest in the world and can extend to over 15 feet. The calf seemed to be waving hello (and then good-bye) to all on the whale watch boat.

We also saw a tail slap by an adult humpback whale and several tails/flukes as the whales dove. Last but not least, we saw a calf breach. Due to the speed and unpredictability of the breach and my own excitement at trying to capture it, the photo is a bit blurry.

Tail Slap

Southern Sea Otters in Monterey Bay

2011-03-29T20:47:00.000-07:00

Southern Sea Otters (Enhydra lutris nereis) are a fixture in Monterey Bay, California. On our whale watch last year, we saw this little whiskered fellow hanging out by a kelp forest and munching on a clam. At first, he was floating on his back in the water with a clam on his chest and next he had cracked the clam and was eating. They are such delightful creatures. Although the Southern Sea Otter population is much larger than earlier in the 20th Century, they are still dying at alarming rates and struggling to survive. The Monterey Bay Aquarium is doing a lot of research on these otters and has a wonderful exhibit of otters who are unable to be released back into the wild.

Leviathans Next Door: Blue Whales in Monterey

2011-03-20T21:04:00.000-07:00

Last August, we spent the day on a whale watch off the Monterey, California coast. While the weather was chilly and overcast, it was a spectacular day as we saw 5 blue whales and 25 to 30 humpback whales. Here are some shots of the largest animal ever known on earth: the Blue Whale (Balaenoptera musculus). We were lucky to see two travelling together as well as a mother and her calf. They dwarfed our boat and seemed like stealthy submarines gliding through the depths.

Blue Whale Diving with Calf Nearby

Blue Whale off Pebble Beach

Two Blue Whales

Harris' Hawks in Southern Arizona

2011-03-13T08:52:00.000-07:00

Harris' Hawks (Parabuteo unicinctus) are common in Southern Arizona including Tucson. Unfortunately, many of these majestic birds are electrocuted every year on power lines in urban areas. While many birds of prey are solitary, Harris' hawks live and hunt in packs led by an adult female. Their natural predator is the Great Horned Owl. The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum has a flock of Harris' hawks that are showcased in afternoon raptor flight displays.

Harris' Hawk on top of Saguaro Cactus

Juvenile Harris' Hawk

Harris' Hawk on top of Saguaro Cactus

Western Screech-Owl Portrait

2011-02-27T12:49:00.001-08:00

Here's a Western Screech-Owl (Otus kennicottii) that we saw at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, Tucson, Arizona last month. Named after a Smithsonian naturalist, Robert Kennicott, it is very small with noticeable ear tufts. The yellow coloring of this owl's irises against its gray and black feathers was striking. The Western Screech-Owl is common in the Western United States and nest in tree holes or holes in Saguaro cactuses in the American South-West.

Western Screech-Owl (Otus kennicottii)

Arizona Broad-Billed Hummingbird

2011-02-04T18:53:00.000-08:00

During our visit to the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, Tucson, Arizona, I captured a female broad-billed Hummingbird (Cynanthus latirostris) just as she was about to fly away.

Female Broad-Billed Hummingbird

Portrait of a Barn Owl

2011-01-28T20:25:00.000-08:00

A recent trip to the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum in Tucson, Arizona also provided a wonderful opportunity to observe closely a Barn Owl (Tyto alba). Barn Owls are found almost all over the world and have such beautiful markings.

Pyrrhuloxia (Cardenal Torito) of the American Southwest

2011-01-26T12:12:00.000-08:00

I captured this beauty posing near a cactus at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum in Tucson, Arizona earlier this month. The light was perfect and the bird remained remarkably still for the shot. Here's some information on this bird which is found in the Southwestern United States and Northern Mexico.

Female Pyrrhuloxia (Cardenal Torito)

Lana'i Fauna IV - Humpback Whale Dives

2010-04-18T17:07:00.000-07:00

In addition to seeing Humpback Whales (Megaptera noveangliae) engaged in the so-called "head rise" or "spy hop", we also saw humpback whales diving on our whale watch boat tour in the channel between Lana'i and Maui.

Here's a sequence of shots of one whale diving while another whale remained on the surface emitting a series of blows (with Maui in the background).

Anna's Hummingbird

2010-04-18T16:33:00.000-07:00

Today, we walked along Chrissy Field in San Francisco. Along the way, we observed a male adult Anna's Hummingbird (Calypte anna) sitting on a branch. In the sunlight, we could see his beautiful iridescent red throat. At one point, he was vocalizing the characteristic high-pitched, screechy call. Here's a link to an example of this call. These hummingbirds are very common throughout the year in San Francisco.

Vocalizing Male Adult Anna's Hummingbird

Male Adult Anna's Hummingbird

Lana'i Fauna III - Humpback Whales and the Head Rise or Spy Hop

2010-04-15T08:12:00.000-07:00

Humpback Whales (Megaptera noveangliae) travel from feeding areas in Alaska to the Hawaiian islands in the winter to give birth to their young and mate. As a result, the largest gathering of humpback whales in the world may occur in Hawaii during the winter months. While on Lana'i, we saw blows and tail slaps from humpback whales travelling by the coast and took a whale watch trip into the channel between Lana'i and Maui. There, we had several humpback whale sightings including the so-called "head rise" or "spy hop" in the photos below. Some have speculated that this behavior reflects the whale's curiosity in something on the surface -- perhaps a boat -- as the whale rises relatively slowly out of the water and remains still for a minute or two before finally receding slowly into the water in a horizontal position and creating a large splash.

Head Rise or Spy Hop

Reclining Horizontally

Splash

Lana'i Fauna II - Axis Deer

2010-04-08T07:29:00.000-07:00

The Emperor of India apparently introduced Axis deer to the Hawaiian islands in the 1860s by giving several Axis deer to the island of Moloka'i. A dozen Axis deer from Moloka'i then were introduced to Lana'i in the 1920s. In India, the known predator of Axis deer is the Bengal Tiger. On Lana'i there are no natural predators and thus there are now thousands of Axis deer roaming the island. Axis deer have a very pretty reddish-brown coat with white spots. From our hotel balcony on Lana'i, we saw these three Axis deer blending in well with the Kiawe (Prosopis pallida), a kind of mesquite shrub or tree common to the coastal areas of Lana'i and the other Hawaiian islands.

Axis Deer Doe and two Fauns

Axis Deer Doe

Lana'i Fauna I - Spinner Dolphins (Stenella Longirostris)

2010-04-04T13:51:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, we spent a week on Lana'i, one of the smallest Hawaiian islands. While swimming at Hulopo'e Beach, a protected marine life conservation district, a pod of Hawaiian spinner dolphins (Stenella longirostris) swam alongside, above and below us. When the dolphins approached, we stopped swimming and just watched them swim by (and spin above water) with an underwater camera. It was an extraordinary experience. Here's a video of them swimming by us and a few photos.

Meyer Lemon Tree

2010-03-08T15:23:00.000-08:00

When we first saw our San Francisco home some years ago, we loved the large, established Meyer lemon tree which is the centerpiece of the backyard. It probably has been growing here for some 50 years and is about six feet high by 10 feet wide.

Meyer lemons are a cross between a lemon and a mandarin orange and were brought to the United States in the early 1900s by Frank Meyer, an "agricultural explorer" employed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Alice Waters of Chez Panisse was one of the first to use Meyer lemons in her cuisine which has resulted in the recent popularity of Meyer lemons. Here's an article from NPR on the Meyer lemon (although it ascribes the popularity of the Meyer lemon to Martha Stewart, not Alice Waters) and another article from the Pittsburgh Post Gazette. One of our great joys in the garden is harvesting the Meyer lemon fruit throughout the year, particularly during the winter, and using them in recipes/cocktails and giving them to our friends. Here are some recent shots of Meyer lemons on the tree.

Mourning Dove Chick

2009-06-19T09:41:00.000-07:00

I saw a mourning dove chick this morning in the nest built outside my office. About 10 days ago or so, I saw a few tiny, telltail pieces of egg shell on the ground near the nest. The pair of mourning doves assiduously have been sitting on the nest for weeks now. I can not tell if there is another chick in the nest or if there is only one chick.

Mourning Dove Chick and Parent on the Nest

Mourning Dove in the Garden

2009-05-16T14:56:00.000-07:00

About 10 days ago, a pair of mourning doves built a nest right outside my home office on top of a pipe. The pair has been trading places so that one of the doves is on the nest at all times. Hopefully, there will be signs of little ones soon.

Mourning Dove on the Nest

A Stare from a Mourning Dove

Green Thumb Sunday - English Spring Has Sprung

2009-03-18T19:41:00.000-07:00

Gardeners, Plant and Nature lovers can join in every Sunday,
visit As the Garden Grows for more information

Green Thumb Sunday Blogroll

Last week we paid a visit to the wonderful Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew outside of London, England. Even in March, there were flowering shrubs and bulbs galore. Here are a few examples of what was flowering on March 7th.

Crocuses

Witch Hazel (Corylopsis sinensis)

Camellia

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Green Thumb Sunday - Seaside Daisy and Beach Strawberry

2009-02-21T17:58:00.000-08:00

Gardeners, Plant and Nature lovers can join in every Sunday,

visit As the Garden Grows for more information

Green Thumb Sunday Blogroll

Today we went walking along Chrissy Field in San Francisco. During the restoration of Chrissy Field several years ago, volunteers planted California native plants on the sand dunes and removed non-native invasive plants. Although it is nearing the end of February, there were flowers blooming on at least two native plants -- Beach Strawberry (Fragaria chiloensis) and Seaside Daisy (Erigeron Glaucus).

Beach Strawberry (Fragaria chiloensis)

Mature Flower of Seaside Daisy (Erigeron glaucus)

Middle Stage Flower of Seaside Daisy (Erigeron glaucus)

Middle Stage Flower of Seaside Daisy (Erigeron glaucus)

Early Stage Flower of Seaside Daisy (Erigeron glaucus) with Fern

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New Schmap Hobart (Tasmania) Guide Includes Good Acres Photos

2009-02-08T07:00:00.000-08:00

Several of my photos have been selected for inclusion in the newly released sixth edition of the Schmap Hobart Guide to Hobart, Tasmania in Australia:

Tasmanian Museum and Art Galley
Tasmanian Coffee Roasters
Salamanca Arts Centre

If you use an iPhone or iPod touch, then these same links will take you directly to my photos in the iPhone version of the guide:

Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery
Tasmanian Coffee Roasters
Salamanca Arts Centre

New Schmap Sydney Guide Includes Good Acres Photos

2009-01-09T10:24:00.001-08:00

Two of my photos are included in the newly released sixth edition of the Schmap Sydney Guide to Sydney, Australia:

Manly to Shelly Beach Walk
Balmoral Beach

If you use an iPhone or iPod touch, then these same links will take you directly to my photos in the iPhone version of the guide:

Manly to Shelly Beach Walk
Balmoral Beach

A New Year (Año Nuevo) with the Northern Elephant Seals

2009-01-03T13:59:00.000-08:00

Four hundred and six years ago today, on January 3, 1603, Father Antonio de la Ascension, chaplain for the Spanish explorer Don Sebastian Vizcaino, who was charged with mapping the California coastline for Spain, named Año Nuevo Point (New Year Point). Apparently, Vizcaino did not land his ship due to the visible presence of Grizzly Bears. Today, Año Nuevo Point is part of Año Nuevo State Park and Reserve which is on the coast about 55 miles South of San Francisco, California. In a fitting beginning to 2009, we took a naturalist-guided tour at Año Nuevo with our friends, Ray and Jim, to see the Northern Elephant Seals on New Year's Day. We were fortunate that it was not raining or gusting and that there was no fog out on the Point (although a lot of fog hugging the coastline).

Año Nuevo Island and Point with an Abandoned House and Northern Elephant Seals

Since 1955, Northern Elephant Seals (Mirounga angustirostris) have established a rookery at Año Nuevo and arrive each winter to have their pups and to mate. They inhabit the Eastern Pacific Ocean from Canada and the United States to Mexico. Males grow to weigh up to 5,000 pounds and reach fourteen to sixteen feet long while females grow to weigh 1,200 to 2,000 pounds and reach ten to twelve feet long.

Elephant Seals are so named because of the large proboscis of the adult males which resemble an elephant's trunk and produce loud guttural noises. The proboscis also is filled with cavities designed to reabsorb moisture from the males' breathing which conserves moisture during the multi-month mating season when the males rarely leave the beach to feed. Males fight each other in battles characterized by bellowing for the ability to mate with female harems on the beaches.

Male Northern Elephant Seal with Neck Scars from Battle Injuries

Male Northern Elephant Seal Vocalizing

The pups weigh approximately 75 pounds at birth and are almost black in color. They reach 250 to 300 pounds in less than a month from feeding on their mothers' rich milk that is 55% fat. Most pups nurse from their mothers but some pups nurse from several females.

Mother and Her Nursing Days-Old Pup

Neighboring Mother Vocalizes at Pup

It is incredible to see the small new borns next to their large mothers and the even larger males. Here, the relative sizes of pup, mother and adult male can be seen next to a seagull.

Mother, Pup and Male Northern Elephant Seal

For more information on the Northern Elephant Seal click here and here.

Australian Flora and Fauna V - Cradle Mountain, Tasmania (Part 2)

2008-11-29T09:30:00.000-08:00

We continued our almost five day stay at Cradle Mountain - Lake St. Clair National Park, Tasmania with a long bushwalk from Ronny Creek up to Marion's Lookout and then back down to Dove Lake. Part of the walk took us along the Overland Track which runs through the Park.

View from Ronny Creek in Cradle Mountain - Lake St. Clair National Park

The landscape includes button grass (mesomelaena sphaerocephala) which is ubiquitous at Cradle Mountain. The seed pods of the button grass are responsible for coloring the streams in Cradle Mountain a dark coffee color.

Button Grass (Mesomelaena sphaerocephala)

The scenery also is dotted with pandani (richea pandanifolia) which are the largest heath plant in the world and found only in Tasmania. Appearances are deceiving, as the pandani is not related to the palm family. Pandani leaves are very sharp.

Pandani (Richea pandanifolia) along the Overland Track

On our way down from Marion's Lookout, we caught this view of Lake Lilla, Dove Lake and Cradle Mountain.

In the evenings, near Cradle Mountain Lodge, we saw more Tasmanian marsupials including the common wombat and the red-necked Bennett's wallaby (Macropus refugriseus). We learned that wombats defend themselves from predators by diving into their holes and protecting themselves with their rear composed of cartilage that acts as a shield (and sometimes can be used to crush and injure the predator).

Common Wombat

Bennett's Wallaby (Macropus refugriseus)

We also paid a visit to the Devil Sanctuary at Cradle Mountain. There, we observed Tasmanian Devils (Sarcophilus harrisii) feeding in the evening. Their fur was very dense and they resembled very small bears. Unfortunately, Devil facial tumor disease is afflicting and killing the small Devil population. Hopefully, a cure will be found so that the Devils will not become extinct. For more information on Devils and the facial tumor disease, click here.

Tasmanian Devil (Sarcophilus harrisii)

Green Thumb Sunday - Cistus Flower

2008-11-23T20:48:00.000-08:00

Gardeners, Plant and Nature lovers can join in every Sunday,

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On an early morning peregrination in Golden Gate Park today, I encountered a shrub with these pretty flowers. Can anyone help me identify this flower? Update -- Thanks to Zoe in the comments below, I now know that this is a cistus flower.

Cistus Flower in Golden Gate Park

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Australian Flora and Fauna IV - Cradle Mountain, Tasmania (Part 1)

2008-11-19T17:19:00.000-08:00

From the humidity and heat of Queensland, we next flew due South to the cooler climate of Tasmania. Tasmania was rugged and beautiful and filled with lots of national parks and interesting flora and fauna deriving from Gondwanan heritage. We spent almost five days touring Cradle Mountain - Lake St. Clair National Park, Tasmania which is part of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area.

We began with a rainy-day walk around the the King Billy circular track near Cradle Mountain Lodge. The track is named for the ancient King Billy Pines (Athrotaxis selaginoides) (which notwithstanding their name are conifers, not pines) up to 1500 years of age. The walk was an exploration in the many shades of green in the trees and the profusion of mosses and lichens.

Back at the Lodge, it was incredible to observe the many animals that come out to feed in an open meadow near the Lodge in the evening. In the past, the animals had been fed by Lodge staff and guests although this practice was discontinued several years ago (although apparently some guests irresponsibly continue to feed the wild animals). A very bright-eyed and cute Tasmanian Pademelon (Rufous Wallaby) appeared frequently in the evening on the front porch of our room unsuccessfully begging for food.

Tasmanian Pademelon (Rufous Wallaby)

We learned that these poor herbivorous creatures are common roadkill in Tasmania. In addition, their numbers are large due to the dwindling numbers or extinction of some of their natural predators -- e.g. the Tasmanian Tiger (Thylacinus cynocephalus) is extinct and the Tasmanian Devil (Sarcophilus harrisii) population has shrunk due to a fatal and incurable facial disease (more about this in a future post). Click here to learn more about the sad tale of the marsupial Tasmanian Tiger and how it was hunted to extinction. Here is another Tasmanian Pademelon feeding near the Lodge in the evening.

Tasmanian Pademelon (Rufous Wallaby)

Australian Flora and Fauna III - Daintree Rainforest

2008-11-08T07:24:00.000-08:00

After leaving Lizard Island and the Great Barrier Reef, we flew back to Cairns and then drove north into the Daintree rainforest. The weather was miserable on a few days due to heavy rainfall which closed down several road causeways due to rising water. Nonetheless, we managed to spend time in the rainforest in the Daintree Discovery Centre and to take a very informative and interesting day walk with Prue and a night walk with Ziggy through the ancient rainforest at Cooper's Creek.

Stream in Cooper's Creek

Fan Palms in Cooper's Creek

Rainforest floor in Daintree Discovery Centre

We managed to see several interesting birds, dragons and a frog on our walks. We did not see the elusive but beautiful cassowary in the wild. Instead, we saw a cassowary claw print in the mud.

White-Lipped Tree frog (Litoria infrafrenata) on night walk with Cooper's Creek

Cassowary Claw Print in the Mud at Cooper's Creek

Buff-Breasted or Paradise Kingfisher (Tanysiptera sylvia) in the Daintree Discovery Centre

Golden Orb Spider (Nephila pilipes) in the Daintree Discovery Centre

On our drive back to Cairns for our next flight to Tasmania, we stopped at the Rainforest Wildlife Sanctuary in Port Douglas, Queensland. There, we were able to see a cassowary, among other animals.

Crocodile

Swamp Wallabies

Cassowary

Cassowary Claws

Male Eclectus Parrot