Photos / Sounds
What
California Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus ssp. elegans)Observer
loualexanderDescription
A red shouldered hawk on the ground behind the house. He was on the ground for about 5 minutes, poking in the oak leaves for prey. There is a two-minute video of him on the ground at
https://flickr.com/photos/loualexander/53293931740/in/album-72157621131669696/
Photos / Sounds
What
Genus AutographaObserver
loualexanderDescription
I have gone through several different databases of pictures of California butterflies and moths. I was not able to find a match for this creature. It is in our neighbor's lantana in the Evergreen district of San Jose, CA USA. It is near both a small forest, mostly oak, and a golf course.
Photos / Sounds
What
Something...Observer
loualexanderPlace
Missing LocationDescription
I think this is a California sulphur-winged grasshopper. Growing up in Indiana grasshoppers were ubiquitous but are nowhere near as common in San Jose.I think this is the first one I have seen this year.
Photos / Sounds
What
Bandwing Grasshoppers (Subfamily Oedipodinae)Observer
loualexanderDescription
I think this is a California sulphur-winged grasshopper. Growing up in Indiana grasshoppers were ubiquitous but are nowhere near as common in San Jose.I think this is the first one I have seen this year.
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Red-cage Fungus (Clathrus ruber)Observer
loualexanderDescription
This is a Clathrus ruber, the Basket Stinkhorn, fungus growing in a street median covered in wood mulch close to us. They really stink and draw lots of flies, as you can see here.
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Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo)Observer
loualexanderDescription
An adult turkey with a youngster. The bigger bird could be the mom, an aunt or an auntie.
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Genus AphonopelmaObserver
loualexanderDescription
It is mating season for the local tarantulas. That means they are on the march, looking for love. This is one that was climbing up our back screen door just as we were finishing dinner this evening. The grid pattern in this picture is the screen, which give you some idea of his size. I used a pooper scooper to lift him down from the screen and send him on his way.
Photos / Sounds
What
Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus)Observer
loualexanderDescription
Not something I see everyday. An acorn woodpecker and a nothern flicker feeding just a few feet apart on the ground behind our house. I did not see them interact ib any fashion
Photos / Sounds
What
Wild Boar (Sus scrofa)Observer
loualexanderDescription
Wild pigs, most likely juveniles from this season. They were about 60 feet away (line of sight) in heavy shade so I had to use camera settings that yielded mediocre images. I assume the large pig in some of the pictures is the mother.
Photos / Sounds
What
Woodland Skipper (Ochlodes sylvanoides)Observer
loualexanderDescription
I know this is a skipper but need help on the exact variety
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Monarch (Danaus plexippus)Observer
loualexanderDescription
Not sure of this identification
Photos / Sounds
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Mountain Mahogany Hairstreak (Satyrium tetra)Observer
loualexanderDescription
-My identification is nothing more than a considered guess. I hope more knowledgeable people will correct me if I am wrong
Photos / Sounds
What
Gulf Fritillary (Dione vanillae)Observer
loualexanderDescription
Feeding on a neighbor's lantana
Photos / Sounds
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Western Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio rutulus)Observer
loualexanderDescription
A western tiger swallowtail butterfly. I stood taking pictures for about three minutes. It flew away several times but it seemed to get comfortable with me standing there. It came back to the same lantana bush four or five times and finally landed very close to me to feed.
Photos / Sounds
What
California Root Borer (Prionus californicus)Observer
loualexanderDescription
I was taking the dog out at 10 last night and spotted this giant critter climbing up our dining room screen. This is a California root borer. They eat the roots of fruit trees and grape vines and are considered a pest. Around here they are just interesting.
Photos / Sounds
What
Acmon Blue (Icaricia acmon)Observer
loualexanderDescription
An Acmon Blue butterfly. it was about the size of a 25 cent coin.
Photos / Sounds
What
Band-tailed Pigeon (Patagioenas fasciata)Observer
loualexanderDescription
A close up of a band-tailed pigeon. They are so skittish it is hard to get a picture this close.
Photos / Sounds
What
Snow Goose (Anser caerulescens)Observer
loualexanderDescription
Need help on the ID of this bird. A flickr bird ID person says this is a young snow goose.
This bird was part of a group of 6 hanging out with about a dozen Canada Geese. This was taken on a golf course in the Evergreen area of San Jose, CA USA Sorry about the quality. Camera battery was dead, had to shoot with cellphone.
Photos / Sounds
What
Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus)Observer
loualexanderDescription
The red-shouldered hawk that has been spending time in the woods behind our house. He looks a little bedraggled from the big wind and rain we are getting this morning.
Photos / Sounds
What
Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus)Observer
loualexanderDescription
A red-shouldered hawk that landed behind our house.
Photos / Sounds
What
Fungi Including Lichens (Kingdom Fungi)Observer
loualexanderDescription
This is a big fungus growing on the north side of our house. It is in an area completely covered by grape-sized gravel over hard clay soil.
Photos / Sounds
What
Snowy Egret (Egretta thula)Observer
loualexanderDescription
A snowy egret. The roil the water with their feet to stir up tadpoles, frogs, insects and small fish.
Photos / Sounds
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Band-tailed Pigeon (Patagioenas fasciata)Observer
loualexanderDescription
Part of a flock of band-tailed pigeons behind our house. There were close to 100 birds on the ground when I took this picture. These are the largest pigeons in North America. Some of them live year-round in NorCal but the population increase in the winter when birds from Canada migrate to here.
Photos / Sounds
What
Honey Mushrooms (Genus Armillaria)Observer
loualexanderDescription
Trying to find out exactly what kind of fungi these are. Picture taken in the middle of an all-grass lawn in the Evergreen area of San Jose, CA
Photos / Sounds
What
Green Heron (Butorides virescens)Observer
loualexanderDescription
A very small green heron hunting on a lily pad along the sixth fairway.
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Great Egret (Ardea alba)Observer
loualexanderDescription
A great white egret with an American coot near the waterfalls on the 6th fairway.
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Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis)Observer
loualexanderDescription
We were out for a Thanksgiving walk when we spotted this red-tailed hawk resting in a tall tree at the bottom of the sidewalk going downhill from Portree Drive in The Villages. I could hear crows in the area but the did not seem distressed by the presence of the predator.
Sorry the quality is so low. This bird was a block away and on the top of a very large tree. I shot it it at a 600 mm optical zoom with a 4x digital zoom. Not a recipe for a high res image.
Photos / Sounds
What
Common Merganser (Mergus merganser)Observer
loualexanderDescription
A female common merganser resting on the side of the pond. These birds generally stay in the water so this is a lucky shot.
