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I saw this beautiful stand of wildflowers, which I later learned are called Scarlet Buglers, while we were training our dogs and I decided to go back later on to try to capture them. While I was shooting, a couple of Hummingbirds showed up, followed by dozens, to chase each other all over the sky at break-neck speeds and amazingly abrupt changes of direction, and to feed on the wildflowers. I was naturally excited, but I didn't have my long lens with me, and every time that I tried to move in close enough, they would fly away.

Finally, I decided to sit on the ground and wait for them to come back, which they did, eventually, but they were still too far away, except for the one that was hovering about two feet behind my head, where it would have been an impossible catch, since it was too close and because I'm sure it would have flown off, even it I was able to twist around enough to see it, which I wasn't.

I went ahead and shot them, even though they were too far away and the light wasn't right, because I figured that I might be able to zoom in close enough in post-processing to make acceptable shots and since it was easy enough to delete them, if I couldn't. They didn't come out that great, but at least I'll have them to remind me of the fun I had, sitting on the ground, with the aerial show and interesting feeding going on.

Tags:   Anna's Hummingbird Calypte anna Wildflowers Scarlet Bugler Penstemon centranthifolius Pioneer Mail Cleveland National Forest ALittleBeauty

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The leaves start out red, change to green, then yellow and brown, which is, of course, why it's called a Black Oak.

The California Black Oak "is a critical species for wildlife. Oaks (Quercus spp.) may be the single most important genus used by wildlife for food and cover in California forests and rangelands, and California Black Oak occupies more total area in California than any other hardwood species. Livestock also make heavy use of this species for food and cover.

Cavities in the trees provide den or nest sites for owls, various woodpeckers, tree squirrels, and American Black Bears. Trees provide valuable shade for livestock and wildlife during the hot summer months. California Black Oak forest types are heavily used for spring, summer, and fall cover by Black Bear.

It is browsed by Mule Deer and livestock. Acorns are heavily utilized by livestock, Mule Deer, feral pigs, rodents, Mountain Quail, Steller's Jay, and woodpeckers. Acorns constitute an average of 50% of the fall and winter diets of Western Gray Squirrel and Black-tailed Deer during good mast years. Fawn survival rates increase or decrease with the size of the acorn crop.

It is a preferred foraging substrate for many birds. All of 68 bird species observed in oak woodlands of the Tehachapi Mountains of California used California black oak for part of their foraging activities. Acorn Woodpecker, Bullock's Oriole, and Nashville Warbler show strong preference for California Black Oak." Wikipedia

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Tags:   California Black Oak Kellogg Oak Quercus kelloggii Pioneer Mail Laguna Mountains San Diego County California AnAwesomeShot NaturesElegantShots mywinners

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Tags:   Flynn Search Dog Border Collie www.southwestsearchdogs.org

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