This very pretty flower was blooming in the Australian Walkabout section of San Diego Safari Park. I'm not familiar with what the flower is, and I don't know if it is specifically Australian, but couldn't resist shooting it. I liked the delicate color and the texture of the petals. 3/28/22 www.sparhawkphotography.com
This may seem like an odd "last day of the year" shot, but there is a story behind it. Each year I keep a list of the bird species I have seen that year, always hoping for a big number, of course. What with travel limitations and all, this year's list was shorter than I'd hoped. About a week ago I needed 13 more birds to get to a nice round 300, and I realized no way I would get there in the time left in the year. While in San Diego I managed to add one here and two there, etc. By the time I got back from San Diego, I needed 5 more birds...maybe I COULD do it, if I worked hard at it, and I'm really lucky! I birded some local areas, and was happy to add a few more. By yesterday I had gotten to 299! Looking at my list, I realized I'd not yet seen a Bonaparte Gull. Aha, I should be able to see them at the north end of the Salton Sea. So I jumped in the car and headed out--88.4 miles later, I was standing on the shore looking at a hundred or more of these pretty little gulls. So I had my 300th bird for 2021--not my best year, but at least I got to 300! Now on January 1st I get to start a whole new list and even the common birds are fair game! Looking back on this year and looking forward to the new one. May all of your years end on a happy note! 12/31/21 www.sparhawkphotography.com
During my recent visit to San Diego Safari Park, I went to a new section that has opened since I was last there, Australian Walkabout. There are currently several Mother Western Gray Kangaroos, each with one very cute baby. This image is of one young one. She was very active, hopping about, then hurrying back to Momma. She finally stopped long enough for me to grab a couple of quick shots. 3/25/22 www.sparhawkphotography.com
