Into The San Diego Wild :)

You may wonder why there is a smile :) symbol after the title. It is because it is not uncommon for me to get comments similar to the two below:

"I was in San Diego, but did not see those at all."
- I guess, it depends on which part of San Diego one focused their travel. Of course, if the focus was the "city", despite all the abundance of nature in and around San Diego, one may not be able to see them because they are not in downtown streets. 

"You always take vacation. I do not have much time to get away as much as you do."

-  One of my professors before told us, "San Diego is one of the most expensive places to live, you could get a place for 1/10th of the price and 10times the size somewhere else. However, if you enjoy a balance of great outdoors and the city, this is your city. You don't need to take a vacation, for everyday is like a vacation. Considering vacation expenses, the price you are paying for to live in San Diego is not that expensive after all."  :)

Oftentimes, we are being mistaken to have a lifestyle that always take vacation. To quote a friend while I toured her around San Diego, she said, "Goodness, Betchai, I did not know these are all just within San Diego and minutes from your home. I thought all the while, every weekend, you take a vacation. Haaayst! Please pray I can find a job, HERE!"

Anyway, let me share with you first a picture collage which somehow summarizes what is around San Diego.

Wandering from Water to Land

One Beautiful Hiking Day from Torrey Pines to Del Mar

Summer is the time of the year where I most enjoy nature from water to land. For me, summer is the most wonderful time of the year. :) Last Saturday was our first time for the year 2015 to get into the water again. Oh boy, how I miss being in the water. If only the water does not get colder the longer I stay, I would stay in the water for as long as I could.

When I was still a kid, whenever I saw my mom looking for me, I would hide myself in the water. It was always a sad time to go home for home was out in the ocean for me. Thankfully, my concept of home expanded as I grew older. Though I still love the ocean, but I learned to love the mountains, the rivers, the woods, the desert, that home now for me extends everywhere. :)  I don't need to travel far to enjoy nature for nature is everywhere, and in nature I feel I am home. Even indoors at home, I still could enjoy the sounds of nature from the joyful singing of the birds and enjoy their wonderful and beautiful sight from the window.

Finding Nature at Home ( birds from the backyard )

So Much "Me" Time and Joy of Capturing Osprey Family

So much "me" in the above picture. :)  Probably  the very reason why I hardly have the motivation to write or update this blog since I don't know when is because I am spending so much time out of the doors. I hardly have time to look at the pictures I captured. I hardly have time to get to computer when am home. I have been so busy in such a very joyful way, enjoying so much me time outdoors. Haha!

Anyway, let me share with you my most recent joy. It is this joy that motivated me to spend some time sitting down to enjoy the pictures I took. Since I have been drawn to birding last year, I kept on wishing to catch an osprey with a fish. It's not at all easy, but no wish, no carrot on the stick to keep us going. Since finding the joy in birding, I had been doing a lot of yoga exercises to strengthen my shoulders and back because of the heavy weight of the camera + fast telephoto lens I carry in my backpack when we hike. Yesterday was finally my lucky day. I was able to witness male osprey bringing fish to his family. Here are some of the pictures of osprey from yesterday.

osprey with fish

Monday's Hiking, Video and Photo Birding at Lake Hodges

Lake Hodges

Though I usually add music to my videos, but in the video above, I chose to not add music since I prefer to listen to the natural music of the wild. The sound of pure joy in nature. I could sit there forever watching the wild and be thankful about this wonderful life, I wish! :) But then of course, life goes on a cycle. Work....home chores....taking care and nourishing physical, mental and spiritual health. That is where the hiking and nature wandering comes in after work, as I get my rejuvenating energy from nature's inspiration.

Lake Hodges is one of the local afternoon hikes we frequent after work because of its amazing wildlife within city limits. Sadly though, we have not been back to this place since Monday because of the smoke from the wildfire Northwest ( Carlsbad, San Marcos, Oceanside ). Praying for the safety of the firefighters and everyone, and praying that the wildfire will be contained soon, and not spread out South. As you could see in this video, there are baby hawks, which are still not capable of flying, matured wildlife may be able to fly away from danger like humans, but the chicks may not. Hoping and praying they stay safe as well.

Anyway, here are more pictures from Monday's rejuvenating in the wild at Lake Hodges.

 Grebes in Courtship Dance

Weekend Wanderings (7): Hiking and Birding, Rain or Shine

Saturday, April 26, 2014 Wanderings

Not rain nor strong winds could stop us from hiking and enjoying our wonderful world. Here are some pictures from today's hiking, morning @ Lake Hodges, and afternoon @ Ocean Beach.

Here are some photos of our Saturday wanderings.

Wildflowers @ the trail

 Happy Egret with Fish

 Osprey with Half A Fish ( the other half was with his family )

 Osprey Enjoying His Fish Meal

MEET THE OSPREY FAMILY

Photographing White Pelicans at Lake Hodges

White Pelicans, Lake Hodges, San Diego, CA

I am enjoying the longer daylight because of Daylight Savings Time right now. After a day's work, we now could enjoy the great outdoors longer, for the sun sets at around 7 pm now. Last Friday, we were greeted by a lot of white pelicans at Lake Hodges. Of course, there are other birds as well, as Lake Hodges has been designated as Globally Important Bird Area.

During weekdays, we usually do not take a long hike because we start hiking late in the afternoon already, after work. We usually take the 3.8 mile hike at Piedras Pintadas Trail of Lake Hodges, which is along the South Shore. Lake Hodges is our favorite hiking trail for bird photography. The lake is teeming of wild birds, where the South Shore is home to numerous marsh, shore and riparian bird species.

Here are some pictures of white pelicans captured by hubby.

Sea Lions At La Jolla Cove

 Sea Lions enjoying a swim? Or trying to escape the wrath of pounding waves?

Are these sea lions wanting to jump down into the water or happy enough that they are well rested on top of the rocks away from the pounding waves?

Whether on land or on water, they are such a joy to watch.

** Pictures above were taken March 2nd, 2014.

Sea Lions Seeking Refuge on Rocks, Mom and Pup Seals at the Beach

Sea Lions Seeking Refuge on Rocks, Mom and Pup Harbor Seals at the Beach

Why do sea lions and harbor seals haul out on rocks or at the beach? The answer is, just like humans, they need to rest too, and more importantly, not to burn so much energy.

Water, compared to air, conducts heat easily. Thus, we feel many times colder in water than in air because we lose a lot of our body heat in water than in air at the same temperature. It's for that same reason that sea lions and harbor seals usually haul out more during the cold season, plus of course, it's their mating and breeding season. 

Mom and Pup Harbor Seal

There are various ways for them to get warm in cold water: grow furs ( sea lions and seals have furs), build mass or grow bigger, eat a lot of food for metabolic heat, or haul out on land to rest. Sea lions and harbor seals combine these different methods. 

Today's waves are really huge. If you notice in the video above, the sea lions are trying to get higher on the rocks. Here are some pictures in addition to the video above about why sea lions and harbor seals are mostly on land right now at La Jolla Cove.

Because the waves are huge, some of the sea lions were displaced from their "home" rocks. A lot of them seek higher ground.

Sea Lions on Higher Ground

The sea lions that are safe at higher level, seem to be concerned as well with their brothers/sisters who still are trying their best to get on the rock. They kept on barking at each other looking down at the other sea lions on water struggling to get to the rock.

Sea Lions Trying to Get on Rock

While the sea lions were trying to use the waves to bring them high on rocks, some were enjoying the waves.

Surfer Enjoying Waves

At the other side of La Jolla Cove, are the harbor seals peacefully hauling out at the beach. There are a lot of baby harbor seals on shore, and some mom seal were training their baby seal both on land and on water.

Mom and Pup Seals

Weekend Wanderings (2): La Jolla Cove and Lake Hodges

Torrey Pine Cliffs from La Jolla Cove

Saturday, February 1, 2014

Initial Plan: Relaxing walk at La Jolla Caves towards Windansea Beach for surfing photography in the morning, then, tidepooling at La Jolla Shores Dike Rock Tidepool in the afternoon.

How The Day Went: 

We started at La Jolla Caves as planned. However, the waves weren't that very flattering for photography, unlike the previous weekend  ( weekend wanderings 1 ). Our walk to Windansea Beach went fast because we did not take any surfing and wave photos as planned. We were back to La Jolla Cove area fast and focused more our fun on La Jolla Cove's scenery and wildlife.

Green Mossy Rocks @ La Jolla Cove

With The Sea Lions

Whales

Humpback Whale

One of the many things I enjoy experiencing here in San Diego is taking a whale watching trip or taking an island tour of the Los Coronados Island. It is fascinating to see whales up close, and observe them in their playful mood. I have not really been lucky enough to picture a whale jumping high and circling around in its most playful mood, it is hard, unless, maybe I have the patience of a seasoned photographer who can wait for that really precious moment. It is hard to tell when and where the whale would jump up, thus photographing whales can be a challenge. 

So far, I only have seen two types of whales here in San Diego coast, and these are the humpback whale and the gray whale.

Gray Whale

Both the gray whale and the humpback whale are baleen whales, and both belong to the largest group of mammals on earth. Their annual migration is one of nature's great treat, and we are lucky enough that the San Diego coast is one of their passing points for us to be able to observe them. Every winter, this giants make a trek from the frigid Alaskan waters to the warm water breeding lagoons of Baja California, Mexico. Here are some more of my whale pictures as these giants pass by San Diego coast to breed in the warmer waters of Baja California, Mexico. 

Humpback Whale

Birds

Some recent pictures of birds from our recent weekend wanderings here in San Diego. We were not into birding before, but somehow, since we had experienced the joy of young peregrine falcons spring of last year, we were hooked. :)

Juvenile Peregrine Falcon

Before, whenever we see birds in San Diego, we would just dismiss them as "just birds"! Now, they are no longer "just birds", they are BIRDS! Special creatures with wings, serenading us with soothing songs and chants. 

Here are some shots of birds we captured lately here in San Diego.

TERN ( SORRY, FORGOT WHAT SPECIFIC TERN IS THIS )

PEREGRINE FALCON, LA JOLLA 

Coopers Hawk's Life in The Dangerous Lane

top right picture - coopers hawk examines his surrounding; middle right picture - coopers hawk dangerously dodged cluttered tree stumps in high speed to surprise prey; bottom right - birds fly for their lives......silence, where did the hawk go? ; bottom left - coopers hawk's reality of life: squeezes his/her victim trying to drown the head of his/her prey; top left - coopers hawk after food, searching again for an opportunity?


It is said that coopers hawk lives a life in the dangerous lane because when hunting, coopers hawk pursues prey with a great burst of speed through tree branches, which is a dangerous style of hunting. Coopers hawk does not have a notched bill like peregrine falcons to kill its prey. Cooper's Hawk squeezes its prey with its sharp talons and strong feet, and if there is shallow water, drowning its prey in the water.

Lake Hodges Birds Christmas Eve 2013

Christmas Eve 2012

Joyful Fluttering of Wings @ Lake Hodges- San Diego, Christmas Eve 2013

Birds came rejoicing, spreading magic! May all your life be blessed with wonderful colors of joyfulness, happiness, peacefulness and more. Have a Blessed and Merry Christmas, everyone!!

Monterey Bay Walk

This is the second part of our day 2 Big Sur-Monterey Bay vacation. In the morning, we took a 4-hour whale watching tour with Monterey Bay Whale Watch, and in the afternoon, we took a very relaxing walk at Monterey Bay.

Sea Lions are Probably the Most Visible Wildlife in Monterey Harbor

As soon as our whale watching boat docked at Monterey Bay's Fisherman's Wharf, everyone sprinted away. However, as I got out of the boat, I saw a beautiful jelly fish swaying gracefully under the water. I took some time photographing until I was reminded by someone who was obviously hungry as you could hear from the 5-seconds video below. :) 

Harbor Seals or Sea Lions? And Swimming With them In San Diego

La Jolla, San Diego, CA

Some of the common sights you will see in San Diego waters, most especially in La Jolla, are the harbor seals and sea lions. 

 Sea Lions or Harbor Seals? @ La Jolla, San Diego, CA

 Sea Lions or Harbor Seals? @ La Jolla, San Diego, CA

Could you tell from the pictures above which are the sea lions, and which are the harbor seals? How about finding what are different between the two groups?

1. Differing flippers: The sea lions have longer hindflippers that they could rotate allowing them to assume a sit-like position and walk on land. The harbor seals have shorter hindflippers that are angled backwards and not capable of rotation. They could not use their hindflippers for sitting or walking, thus they rest by lying flat on the ground, most of the time on their belly.

The foreflippers of sea lions are longer and skinnier. The seals' foreflippers are stubby and hairy.

2. Differing ears: Sea lions have smal earflaps that you could see, true seals look earless because they only have earholes.


Could you now tell which of the two pictures above are the sea lions and which are the harbor seals from the differences I mentioned? If not, read on, as I will add more differences in this post. Meanwhile, let me share with you a common sea lion and harbor seal behavior that I shared with a visiting tourist who was planning to snorkel in La Jolla Cove. A lot of tourists (and locals too), usually find delight in seeing the harbor seals and sea lions in their natural habitat. They are sure cute and fun to look at. However, they can be intimidating for those who are swimming near them for the very first time. 

Snorkeling at La Jolla Cove

A few months back, while I and hubby were rinsing our goggles, prepping them against fogging, a guy who was all geared up to swim and snorkel came near us and asked: "will you get into the water with those seals?" He was actually referring to the sea lions. The one swimming back and forth makes a lot of noise, characteristic of sea lions. Sea lions make a lot of noise, whereas seals are adorably silent! :)

Hubby told him, "yes, we'll do. Those noisy ones swimming are sea lions."

The guy replied, "Don't the sea lions attack people?"

Hubby replied, "They don't, if you leave them be. They most especially won't if they are in the water!"

The guy looked like wanting an explanation why sea lions won't attack in the water, so I told him, "Sea lions and seals do not attack people in the water. The water is their world, they feel very safe there and are very confident with their survival skills there. Sometimes, they would swim past you, somersault in front of you, kind of probably showing off their superior swimming and acrobatic skills in water, or it may be their way of making fun of us in the water, because for them, we are VERY POOR SWIMMERS! :) "

The guy smiled, feeling more confident now getting into the water, but before he went to the water, hubby added, "oh before we forget, don't make a mistake to come near them on rock or on shore or  anywhere out of water, they could attack you!"

The guy looked at me with confused stare, so I told him, "Yes, on land, on rock, anywhere out of water, the sea lions don't feel as strong as they are in the water! Just like some humans, when they are weak, they act out strong to hide the inner weakness! Sea lions somehow could be like that. When they feel weak, they feel less safe, so they are more prone to defend themselves when they feel like you are invading their space and they misinterpret your proximity as harm. When they defend, it could be mistaken as attacking. That behavior could be seen on land where they feel less confident of their skills. Be careful not to come near them on rocks, like what those other people are trying to do. When they haul out on rocks it means they need rest and space."

The guy said, "very interesting! I did not know sea lions behave like men too, gracious and playful when they are confident, yet, could be A BULLY WHEN THEY ARE WEAK!"

The guy thanked both of us, and looked very happy with what he learned, and then, happily and confidently jumped into the water and swam away. :) 

Whale Watching At Monterey Bay

Whale Watching Monterey Bay

In the morning of the second day of our "Into the Pacific Wild Big Sur and Monterey Bay Vacation", we took a whale watching tour with Monterey Bay Whale Watch. Before the tour, I only had one wish, to see a whale breach in front of me. Well, as you can see from the pictures above ( some of my favorite pictures from the trip), sadly, my wish was not granted! :( There is just no way we could control nature. But nevertheless, it was still a very awesome experience for us. We were that very close to humpback whales, and we saw not just one, not just one dozen, but several dozens. We saw whale sprouts almost every where, that it could be overwhelming where to point the camera. 

Though I took several whale watching tours from San Diego and Alaska, but I never had experienced to be that up close with whales that we could hear their sprouts! Even if my wish of seeing a breaching whale up close was not granted, but I still could say this experience is one of the most fascinating I had with nature. Call me crazy, but for some reason, I am thinking of another Big Sur and Monterey Bay vacation again, haha! I guess, I am not giving up on capturing a breaching whale. But who knows, I may experience them in San Diego.

Going back to Big Sur and Monterey Bay, there are just so much wildlife to experience. Up to now, I still am dreaming of the extremely graceful jelly fish dancing in the waters of Monterey Bay, of sea otters, of sea lions, of mola mola, and many more. I really had a wonderful time seeing wonderful aquatic life not from aquarium, but from the wild waters of the Monterey Bay and the Pacific Ocean. I will share the other wildlife in my later post that we encountered during our afternoon walk at Monterey Bay. Meantime, here are more pictures from our whale watching.

 HUMPBACK WHALE AND BIRD

Day 1 of our Big Sur Thanksgiving Week 2013 Trip

Day 1 of our Big Sur Thanksgiving Week 2013 Trip.

The drive to Big Sur from San Diego is a long 7 hours. In that amount of driving, we could reach Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona, or Zion National Park in Utah, but we chose to stay in California. Though I love both Grand Canyon and Zion National Parks, but we just spent some days at Zion during the summer hiking. Last spring, we hiked Grand Canyon from rim down to the river. I felt it is about time to listen to Big Sur calling. :) We actually also spent our 2012 thanksgiving vacation in Big Sur. Our memories from 2012 kept on inspiring me to go back to enjoy the wild scenery, and the wildlife.

from our Big Sur 2012 Thanksgiving Week Vacation

Big Sur 2013 Thanksgiving Week Vacation

We left San Diego about 7:00 am Saturday so that we could still catch some light when we reach Big Sur. Despite having been to the place several times, we still left with high excitement to see the wintering butterflies, whales, sea otters, critically endangered California condors and more wildlife in the wild Pacific Coast. For us, it was not much about seeing the place, which is described by National Geographic as one of world's Top Ten Drives of a Lifetime. It was more about experiencing the wildlife, the wild but beautiful scenery, and extreme peacefulness.

Why do I love Big Sur? Ahhhh, so many reasons, I will slowly share our experiences, perhaps, they would explain why I love to go back in this paradise again and again.

Anyway, here was our day 1 experience, whales will come later on day 2:

Wintering Butterflies at North Pismo State Beach

Pismo Beach is about 5 hours from San Diego. It is a very strategic stop for us, for two reasons: 1. lunch time and 2. experience again the flight of the monarch butterflies as they winter in North Pismo Beach. Below is a short 15-seconds video of the wintering butterflies, currently estimated to be about 30,000 monarch butterflies wintering in the eucalyptus and cypress trees by North Pismo State Beach.

It's very amazing  for me to learn of the flight of the butterflies, how they migrate, and how they winter together. I can't help but be filled with awe seeing them. I added background music in the video above. I actually love adding background music in my personal videos, somehow, I just find nature and music go very well together. I however try to be careful enough to add music that is not copyrighted,and are free to share. Music copyrights is very strict as youtube or facebook could block you if you got three copyright violations. It would be nice if I have my own music studio, maybe I could make my own music. I would probably get a novation impulse at musicians friend so I could make very good soothing music to go with my nature videos. Ahhhh, so nice to dream! Haha!

Going back to our drive, after the butterflies and lunch at Pismo Beach, we continued driving North on Highway 1. Before entering Big Sur, we stopped at San Simeon to check the elephant seals.

 Seagulls and Elephant Seals: Sights at San Simeon

INTO THE PACIFIC WILD

 Some wild snapshots of the wildlife in Big Sur and Monterey Bay, CA
 ( wildlife except the lady in pink jacket above )

So thankful to have a short 5 day vacation into the Pacific wild coast, in Big Sur and Monterey Bay. We left San Diego early morning Saturday, and came back very late in the evening of Wednesday, just in time for Thanksgiving. As usual, a Big Sur vacation does not disappoint. I have been here many times ( this actually is my favorite vacation destination in California), but I feel like I don't have enough, and could always go back for another vacation. Ahhhh, anyway, I will let the video below and the two picture collages speak about our Pacific Wild memories for now.  

WILDLIFE AND SCENERY FROM THE WILD PACIFIC COAST
( every pictures and video were taken in the wild coast of Big Sur and Monterey Bay, not in any indoor facilities such as aquarium or zoos )

I chose the music "How Great Is Our God" by Kimberly and Alberto Rivera because that is one of the songs that best represents my gratefulness to our Great GOD, feeling HIS GREAT LOVE for all life in this Earth. 

Camera Shy Sea Otter

camera shy sea otter picture taken by ktl

Camera Shy Sea Otter To KTL: " Did I tell you to not please take me a picture? Oh no, I have to cover my face again!"

~photo of sea otter taken by ktl, at: US Coast Guard Wharf, Monterey Bay, California. The US Coast Guard Wharf has to be one of the best places to se wildlife in Monterey.

Los Penasquitos Canyon Trail

Hiking @ Los Penasquitos Canyon

Last weekend was our first time to hike at Los Penasquitos Preserve and Park. I wonder why we never hiked this trail before. But I am glad that at least we were able to finally find another nature park that feels like an escape from civilization, yet, still is within San Diego City limits and very near the comforts of home. 

The hike here can be as short or as long, depending on anyone's interests. One can hike at the vast open space ( canyon's meadows) or in the rich oak woodland lining the Penasquitos Creek.