Cornell University recently approached me to use one of my White-tailed Hawk photos for their species info page on their Birds of North America website. Pretty cool as it’s probably one of the biggest publication credits I’ve received to date.
Click here to view the article on the Cornell Birds of North America website.
Some of the other shots of the White-tailed Hawk they did not use:
THE BALDWIN HILLS SCENIC OVERLOOK GRAND OPENING CELEBRATION
Where: BALDWIN HILLS SCENIC OVERLOOK, 6300 HETZLER ROAD, CULVER CITY
When: Saturday, April 18TH
Press Event: 10am-Noon
Community Celebration: Noon until 4pm
Musical entertainment, guided tours, bird watching station, native plant restoration, kids eco crafts, refreshments, healthy food and entertainment for the whole family! * Due to limited space, off-site parking and free shuttle service will be provided.
CALIFORNIA STATE PARKS, in collaboration with the Baldwin Hills Conservancy, and Los Angeles Audubon Society, cordially invite you Back to Nature in the City for a Grand Opening celebration at the Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook on April 18, 2009. A press event is scheduled from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm with the public welcomed from noon to sunset for fun and festivities.
The Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook and trail system is a crowning jewel in the last, large swath of open space in urban Los Angeles. Rising 500 feet above the Los Angeles basin floor and visible for miles, the Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook offers a unique 360 degree view of metropolitan Los Angeles. Visitors will enjoy a showcase for native plants and animals and dramatic vistas from the Pacific Ocean at Marina del Rey to the San Gabriel Mountains and downtown Los Angeles skyline.
We welcome you and thank you for your support in making the Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook a spectacular new park for urban Los Angeles!
More info can be be found here.
The Western Snowy Plover is a small, threatened shorebird, around the size of a small sparrow. They’re endangered due to the fact they nest right along the beach and often in some of the most populated areas of the country…including the beaches of Los Angeles, California!
It’s been decades since they’ve been able to successfully nest here but the California Coastal Commission is trying to change that. A small group of Plovers have been wintering along Dockweiler Beach (just below LAX) and we’re hoping that they may nest. A small section of beach has been “coned” off in the attempt to deter Lifeguard vehicles from driving through it and people from running or walking through the area. Hopefully this will be enough to encourage them it’s safe enough to nest and fledge young here.
I was able to photograph them this morning and afternoon since it’s just a few miles from my house. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that they will actually nest and fledge young. If they do I’ll be there to document it every step of the way…without disturbing them of course!
And with that I present a small photo gallery of what I was able to photograph today:
Just to show you what a “young” bird looks like, here’s a fledgling I photographed at Bolsa Chica a couple years ago:
Spent more time this morning photographing plants and such at Ballona Wetlands this morning. Was able to get permission through Dan Cooper to photograph in some of the restricted areas for the book that we’re working on. Encountered most of the usual suspects including a rather photogenic adult male Allen’s Hummingbird along with a Jerusalem Cricket posing on the dunes.
It took almost a year but I finally published all the video footage I took on our Galápagos trip to Youtube. Click here to visit the video gallery. New footage includes Galápagos Tortoise, Galápagos Green Turtle, Blue-footed, Red-footed and Nazca Boobies, Marine Iguanas, Lava Lizards, Hood Mockingbirds, Waved Albatross and much more.