On my recent San Diego trip I went birding down in the Tijuana River Valley, and stopped at Dairy Mart Pond. At one of the viewpoints I stood listening at the edge of the water and could hear about 5 Marsh Wrens all singing nearby. This type of wren is very secretive and seldom shows itself well enough to get a shot. This little guy was singing and singing and hopped up where I could see it--I got several shots of it before it disappeared again. 4/1/22 www.sparhawkphotography.com
While birding at the Tijuana River Estuary in Imperial Beach, CA, I spotted this Yellow-crowned Night Heron. It was one of 4 I saw there, blending into the marsh plants. At one time this species was considered a rarity in the area, but several years ago a breeding pair nested nearby, and over the years they have become not a common bird, but generally present. There are trees in an adjacent apartment complex and a community ball field in which they nest and roost when not out in the marsh. 3/31/22 www.sparhawkphotography.com
One section of San Diego Safari Park that I visited the other day was Tiger Trail. I wasn't even inside the rather large area when I began hearing the roaring of this Sumatran Tiger! He was quite loud, and I found him pacing around, making quite a racket. In this shot I caught him mid-roar! 3/30/22 www.sparhawkphotography.com
