Huntington Beach Central Park
We were forced to enter the park through a "back door" by the side of the library. The entrance and a portion of the park were closed for a car show.
An algae-ridden pond provided hunting grounds for aquatic birds. And small land animals provided game for birds of prey.
A Snowy Egret hunts in the morning sun.
Off to a better hunting spot.
It looks better here. Let's provide a little shade to attract fish and amphibians.
Photographers are on the prowl for interesting shots. We were looking for Owls since locals told us that there are often Owls in this park.
It seems that no matter where we go in Southern California if there is water, there will be Canada Geese.
There has been quite a bit of rain this year, and the flowers have been happy. California Poppies and other wildflowers are still in bloom.
This Marnach butterfly seemed content to wait for me to take the shot. I wonder what the red coloring is on its wing?
More wildflowers. So vibrant and beautiful! The blue flowers are common sea-lavender Limonium vulgare. Flowers of plant in family Pumbaginaceae.Cultivation of decorative dried flowers for winter bouquets. And the yellow flowers are Yellow Calendula, I believe.
These little beauties are Hot Lips Sage or Salvia microphylla 'Hot Lips'. They are quite striking.
A well-fed ground squirrel. There are many in this park, which may explain the presence of birds of prey.
There are many little gardens around the park. This one caught our eye because of the Japanese Mable tree.
Another happy little squirrel. They are so used to people not bothering them (or feeding them!) that they let me get very close to take their pictures.
There is a little stream running along the paved path that goes around the park. I stopped to get a photo and also managed to get some video.
A few of the club members scope out the edge of the pond. Only one remembers that we are there to take pictures!
Coprinus comatus or Agaricus comatus . These mushrooms go through quite a life cycle. Here, I think they are near the end of life and are very fragile.
It's hard to identify, but I believe this is a young Osprey. It was too far away, even for the 200 mm lens. It's the one time I wish I had my 600 mm with me on this outing.
This is a REALLY BLUE bird! His colors were very vibrant.
A handsome fellow indeed.
I loved the lighting in this image. The trees provided some shade as the morning sun came up and lit all the various shades of green in the grass.
I'll close out this series of photos with another shot of our squirrel friends. They are well-fed indeed!
