California Myotis Bat (Myotis californicus)

This tiny and actually very cute (as far as bats go) native vesper bat flew into our master bedroom through the open sliding doors of the balcony at around 12:45am. I was brushing my teeth just before turning in and saw this thing fluttering around and thought it was a giant moth until it landed on the curtains. OMG! I scrambled downstairs to get the camera and our iPhones and Gil and I started snapping away but, since it was pretty dark, most of the shots didn't turn out very well. Shortly thereafter, using a bucket and a piece of cardboard, I gently coaxed it off of the curtains into the bucket and released it back to the outdoors. Of course, over the next few days, Gil kept asking me in a rather smirky fashion if I had any unusual aversion to water. Yeah, right, Gil - I know our pooches are vaccinated for rabies, but I'm not. Rabies notwithstanding, it was an awesome experience!

 8/22/16 

Emerald Geometer Moth (Dichorda illustraria)

According to the Kaufman Field Guide to Insects of North America, Geometer moths "make up one of our largest moth families, with more than 1,400 species in the U.S. and Canada." Larval hosts include Laurel Sumac (Malosma laurina), Skunkbush (Rhus trilobata) and gooseberries (Ribes sp.) 

5/11/15 A cool-looking green moth that I almost dismissed as an errant leaf that blew into our master bedroom from the balcony. 

 6/26/16

Granite Spiny Lizard

Thanks to Gary Nafis at www.californiaherps.com, I was able to ID this guy as a Granite Spiny Lizard. He (not Gary) was basking on the redwood deck in our back patio - I guess a good alternative to hanging out on large granite outcroppings - go figure. 

4/24/16 Granite Spiny Lizard (Sceloporus orcutti).

4/24/16 

4/24/16

Jerusalem Cricket

I had been watering the herb garden like crazy last weekend (which has been on the dry side due to our very disappointing, basically ersatz Godzilla El Nino this past winter here in SoCal) and I think I may have disturbed this guy out of his semi-subterranean abode with the unexpected H2O deluge. 

Anyhoo, Gil saw it ascending the stuccoed wall and was seriously perturbed, gesticulating and shouting at both me and the ostensibly alien bug-like critter-thing. I reassured him that it was just a harmless Jerusalem Cricket - nothing to get his panties in a twist about. That is, until I read this description of it in Insects of the Los Angeles Basin (disregarding the fact we're not in LA): "The large size of the Jerusalem Cricket...and their amber-colored humanoid heads caused them to be the object of superstition and fear by some Southwestern and Mexican Indians. The Navajo thought them deadly poisonous and called them "wo see ts inii" which means "skull insect" or "bone neck beetle."
Although their strong jaws can bite with considerable force, Jerusalem Crickets are not poisonous."

Cold comfort if they actually bite you.

4/30/16 Jerusalem Cricket (Stenopelmatus species) crawling up the wall in the herb garden

Mourning Cloak

My first sighting of a Mourning Cloak was many moons ago at the LA County Arboretum in Arcadia. Yesterday was the first time I'd ever seen this beauty here in La Cresta, flitting around my herb garden and also on the Spice Bush (Calycanthus occidentalis) in the planter on the north side of the house. 

4/22/16 Mourning Cloak (Nymphalis antiopa) on my herb garden gate. 

4/22/16 


 5/1/16 on the butterfly bush outside our front portico.

5/1/16

Eurasian Collared Dove (Steptopelia decaocto)

Mourning Doves are very common here on our property, so I was surprised to see this unusual-looking dove in the mix along with House Finches, Scrub Jays, California Towhees, bunnies and squirrels, all feeding on the birdseed that I had tossed out for the ground feeders. It was larger and paler than the Mourning Doves and also had a distinctive half collar around its neck. A cool sighting and also lifer for me. 

4/22/16 Eating birdseed under one of our bird feeders.

7/21/18

Western Black Widow

The reddish hourglass mark on the underside of the abdomen tells you that this one is a female. Black widows are common in Southern California and typically found in wood piles, under houses, and in generally cool, dry places. This grande dame formed her rather haphazard web behind the fountain in my herb garden.

8/17/14 Western Black Widow (Latrodectus hesperus).

Northern Mockingbird

A noisier and less melodic (at least IMHO) version of its also resident cousin, the California Thrasher, the Northern Mockingbird is a common denizen of urban areas, woodlands, and farms. Per the Kaufman Focus Guide, "Often seen running on lawns, stopping to spread its wings abruptly. Eats mostly insects in summer, also many berries in winter. May sing all night on moonlit nights...Repeats a short phrase over and over, then switches to a different phrase, on and on, often including imitations of birds or other sounds. Sometimes leaps into the air and flutters back down while singing." Well, even though I really do love these guys, all that so-called singing could drive you batty and ape shit after a couple of nonstop hours. Just sayin. Thank God for double-paned windows.

1/26/15 Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottes), ruffling its feathers after bathing on the waterfall ledge of the pond.  

Hermit Thrush

I was in the living room when I saw this little fellow land on one of the small fountains in the back patio (which wasn't working btw, because of a either a faulty pump or circuit breaker issue). At first I thought it was an immature Spotted Towhee, but its profile, movements and coloration suggested otherwise. Anyhoo, the camera happened to be on the couch, so I quickly changed the lens to the zoom and snapped as many shots as I could through the sliding glass door in hopes of getting a semi-decent one. This is the first Hermit Thrush I've seen on the property since we moved here in 2006. Yay!!!

 2/10/18 On the fountain in the herb garden.

2/10/18 On the fountain in the herb garden.

12/28/14 Hermit Thrush (Catharus guttatus). 

12/28/14

Nashville Warbler

This Nashville Warbler was a lifer for me. I initially posted this photo on Facebook and asked Dick Cronberg, our reknown, resident wildlife photographer to confirm the ID, and that he did! 

4/27/14 Nashville Warbler (Vermivora ruficapilla) gleaning insects off of the flowers of the Silk Oak tree (Grevillea robusta) in our front garden. The gray head, yellow throat, olive back, and white eye ring are indicative. It's called a "Nashville" warbler because it migrates through that area.