 |
| Red-masked Parakeets in Neighbor's Oak Tree |
It's always nice to meet a friendly face when out and about in the city. (Or even in my own back yard.) Coming home on a Muni train last night after enjoying Joshua Bell's stellar performance at Symphony Hall (beautiful night views of the city during intermission), my wife joined a lively conversation among some other concert-goers, making for a satisfying coda to the event.
In contrast, I started to move someone's grocery cart that was blocking the aisle this afternoon, and the owner grabbed it away and moved off in a huff, giving me the stink-eye. I smiled in return, thinking, "You'll get over it, pal." Of course, I could be wrong, and whatever injury he conjured in his own mind will gnaw at him for an hour or two.
All kinds of people out there, good-natured and otherwise. I try to be the former, saying good-morning to passers-by when on foot, not stealing the right-of-way from motorists at intersections when on my bike. What I've always thought of as basic human courtesies. And I'm grateful to live in a city where good-natured people greatly outnumber the "otherwise" crowd.
 |
| Always A Friendly Face |
 |
| This slightly beat-up red admiral stopped to warm its wings on the edge of the sidewalk on Ortega Street near 48th Avenue -- not exactly what I think of as butterfly habitat. |
 |
| Rock Purslane & Sea Lavender |
 |
| I started my walk to the beach a little late today as I waited for some morning rain to pass by. Once I got back home I consulted the AccuWeather radar forecast before heading out on the bike, and sure enough I got rained on right on schedule. |
 |
| Lots of progress from the aerial hornets (a.k.a. paper wasps or yellowjackets) on rebuilding their nest. (Updates to the original photo will go here.) |
 |
| Great Blue Heron With Commanding View |
 |
| When I stopped to admire the heron I noticed a bunch of cedar waxwings flying into the eucalyptus tree right above me. I grabbed a "hail mary" shot as one group swooped in. |
 |
| Until today I hadn't been sure if the waxies were actually feeding upon the eucalyptus flowers, or just using the tall trees as platforms to hawk for insects. |
 |
| There were probably dozens of waxies in this tree, mostly too high up to photograph. |
 |
| But they were definitely feeding on the flowers themselves, or at least their nectar. |
 |
| I suspect that's a build-up of sap around the waxy's beak. |
Brief Video Clip of Preening Parakeets
* * *
Posts
