This male Mandarin Duck was photographed at the Los Angeles Arboretum. The lakes at these gardens were always my go-to place for Wood Ducks, which I always considered fancy, but compared to the Mandarin, they look almost plain. It's hard to imagine that this beautiful duck is real, so what a treat it is to see him. 12/29/20 My website: www.sparhawkphotography.com
This is a small portion of a very large flock of American White Pelicans that I spotted flying overhead near Salton Sea, California. They made a quite spectacular sight with their black and white wings against the blue sky! 12/28/20 My website: www.sparhawkphotography.com
When I was birding down by the San Diego River last weekend there quite a few birds around, including lots of terns, and this one Black Skimmer. I usually see them in flocks, but this individualist was flying up and down the river, "skimming" for food. His lower bill is well longer than the top one, and he dips it into the water as he flying just above the surface. I appreciated his repetitive patrolling of that stretch of river, giving me several opportunities to shoot him, despite the distance. 7/31/21 www.sparhawkphotography.com
