Santee Lakes in San Diego County is a great place for bird and waterfowl watching! So many varieties can be spotted throughout the year! Here is a PDF Santee Lakes Birdlist as of 2016.
I’ve made a short video from my brief visit the other day. A Great White Egret was the highlight! Also spotted Wood Ducks, Great Blue Heron, Mallards, Canada Geese, Pied-Billed Grebe, and of course, Coots!
I am always amazed at the striking rock formations and cliffs at Torrey Pines State Reserve and Beach. They are fascinating, colorful, majestic, steep and very old!
I spent some time walking along the beach recently and was in awe of the rock formations…caves…geometric shapes and more…
Here’s a short video to show the magic in the rocks!
I strolled along the La Jolla coastline the other day (mostly on Coast Blvd.) I discovered really cool breathtaking views, caves, cliffs, the La Jolla Cove, the Children’s Pool, the back of the La Valencia Hotel, beach goers, sea lions and seals, cormorants, and even some beautiful flowers!
Here’s a short video which captured some of the sights!
I had some free time and took advantage of a wonderful mini-escape to nature!
Here’s a short video to recap my time strolling throughout the mile long, double loop, ADA accessible San Elijo Nature Center Loop Trail (Located off of Interstate #5 a bit West on Manchester Blvd. in Cardiff-by-the-Sea, California). There are several benches along the route to sit back, reflect and ‘take it all in’.
There’s a bit of restoration and dredging (thus, disruption of the bird habitats) happening these days, complete with large cranes, so I didn’t spot as many species as usual.
Feel free to read more about the San Elijo Nature Center plus, some info about the San Elijo Lagoon Conservancy
My husband and I enjoyed a delightful afternoon enjoying the benefits of my Keepers Club Pass at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park in Escondido, California. The advantages: I can always bring a guest, I can enjoy the free parking (usually $15), and there are new exhibits every once in awhile to take in and experience. (Oh, we also walked about 10,000 steps too)!
Here’s a short video recap of our day! Hope you enjoy it!
Yet another fun afternoon of fun and adventure at the world famous San Diego Zoo – thanks to my Keeper’s Club Pass.
This time I enjoyed the day with my Goddaughter Caroline, and her one of her best friends, Tori!
We spent several hours enjoying the weather, scenery, botanical treasures and of course phenomenal animal exhibits! Plus: an added bonus of walking (and strolling) at least our 10,000 steps (& beyond)!
Then we ventured out to Balboa Park for a lovely lunch at the Prado, complete with a pitcher of sangria before our delicious steak and chicken tacos (and fries) were delivered!
We passed by Food Truck Friday too!
Here are some more photos from our splendid day!
Feel free to click on each photo to see more detail!
First of all, my Mentee this past year in the San Diego State University’s Aztec Mentor Program, Senior Delaney Heil, (class of 2019) is thrilled to be interning this summer at the San Diego Zoo! She was our bus tour guide! Weren’t we the lucky ones! Besides driving that huge bus (oh my…I could NEVER), she was brilliantly humorous as she narrated along the way!
And here are some photos of our very cool animal friends!
Flamingo
Jaguar – Feel free to click on each photo to see more detail!
Polar Bear
Koalas – Feel free to click on each photo to see more detail!
Orangutans – Feel free to click on each photo to see more detail!
Gorillas – Feel free to click on each photo to see more detail!
Giraffes – Feel free to click on each photo to see more detail!
Elephant
Meerkat
Capybara
Lion
Pigmy Hippo
It’s that time again in San Diego…The marine layer is proudly beaming lately and we kid about it as ‘May Gray’.
I visited Sunset Cliffs in Point Loma on May 21st and was delighted with such natural beauty there…
Take a gander at these photos.
Not a sunny day, but I still witnessed gorgeous rock formations, caves, wildflowers and waves…
YES: #artinnature, #natureasart!
Susan J. Farese
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I enjoyed a quick overnight visit to Coronado, California…Check out these photos and see why this island touched my heart!
Feel free to click on each photo by SJF Communications!
The Charming Glorietta Bay Inn
The Famous Coronado Beach and Hotel Del Coronado
A Beautiful Great Blue Heron Enjoying Glorietta Bay
Overlooking the San Diego Skyline from the Coronado Ferry Landing Including Coronado Bridge
Colorful Places, Flowers and Things
Birds Galore! Osprey, Northern Rough-Winged Sparrow, Rock Pigeons, Cormorant, Black Turnstone, California & Western Gulls
The Glorietta Bay Marina Area
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A quick visit to Lake Poway today yielded a few surprises! Once we arrived it only took a few minutes to see a ‘capture’ of a baby rattlesnake, reported to the ranger by a man fishing along the water’s edge.
Only a few minutes later, someone behind us shouted ‘he’s got a fish’! We looked up to notice just that! Perched high above on a utility pole, an osprey was holding a fish. He soon took off! The photos below show a bit of the dramatic feat!
Here’s a short #haiku (Day #4 of National Poetry Writing Month hashtag: #napowrimo)!
Perched high, above pole
The osprey held on to prey
Then it flew away!
Osprey Perched with Prey – Photo by SJF Communications
Wasn’t that osprey cool???
We walked along the water, taking in sights such as the beautiful blue sky and calm water of the Lake Poway. A few people were fishing, a few boating. Just a gorgeous afternoon.
More #Haiku
Crystal blue water
Perfect way to spend the day
Nature enriches
OH NO!!!!! We suddenly spotted this snake- rattlesnake? (or gopher snake?…it was a few feet long) – just as we walked above (and to the left) of the trail around the lake. That was enough for me! Beware, it’s SPRING and the rattlers are awakening!
Last #Haiku
I ask you…take heed
The rattlesnakes are lurking
Avoid getting bit!
Whew, that rattler was scary! At the end of the trip we noticed this woman who caught some trout. She allowed me to snap this photo!
All in all a wonderful time at Lake Poway!
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In honor of National Poetry Writing Month (#napowrimo) I have mastered the first few days in previous blog posts and am attempting to keep it going (with and without prompts)!
As I have stated previously, I’ve been a Mentor at San Diego State University in their Aztec Mentor Program since 2016. Mentoring has been an inspirational and enjoyable way to connect with and guide students as a role model, share wisdom and give back to one’s community.
Today, I arrived early and was waiting for my first of two mentees to join me for our biweekly in-person session.
Alas: a Haiku blossomed!
Once I returned home for the day, I walked around our general neighborhood and snapped some photos (which to me depict #artinnature #natureasart). The photos are attached below!
As the season of Spring has sprung and as nature evolves – my burgeoning Mentees have been flourishing as well! May they thrive and prosper! Thus…my tribute to them!
by
Susan J. Farese, SJF Communications
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