Thanks to volunteer Bill K. for sharing these photos from his Arroyo Grande critter camera.
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| A fawn asking, "Where's mom?" |
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| A deer checking out the camera up close |
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| A finch showing off for the camera |
LATO docent ~ nature photographer Mike Klatt shared these observations and photos:
"The last couple of evenings a bit after sunset, large numbers of red-winged blackbirds have been flying to roost for the night in the Italian cypresses in our backyard. We're not sure where they are coming from, but we do see them in a large valley oak tree that's about 50 yards away from the Italian cypresses before they fly to the cypresses. The sound is truly beautiful. It's like a choir of red-winged blackbirds all singing good night to each other. There must be at least 100 or more of them."
September 4, 2020
Young Santa Margarita Elementary School nature photographer Emily and her Oak Ambassador sister were on hand this morning with their mom Jen to help Morro Coast Audubon Society volunteers Freddy and Cheryl install eight new songbird nest boxes along the Santa Margarita Ranch Learning Among the Oaks (LATO) Trail. Emily shared these photos and videos!
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| This buck has been hanging around our yard. Sometimes in the fall we see bucks that have broken antlers which is probably a result of butting heads with another buck over a doe or two. I don't recall seeing one in the spring. I wonder why this fellow ended up this way. --- Michael Klatt, Atascadero |
On June 3, 2020, LATO nature photographer Michael Klatt shared these beautiful photos of Western bluebirds nesting in the Klatt's Atascadero backyard. The bluebird family vacated the nest - baby birds successfully fledged - a few days later. |
| Male Western bluebird returning to the nest box with a meal for the chicks. |
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| Both the male and the female Western bluebird at the nest box. |
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| The female Western bluebird leaving the box. |
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| Male leaving the box with droppings from the chicks. We parents work hard to keep the nest clean. |
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| Male leaving the box to find more food. |
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| Now the female leaves the nest to find food. |
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| One of the nestlings looking out into the world. I'll soon be ready to fly! |
Even after living here for nearly 40 years, we never get tired of watching the deer. Recently a mother and her twins have been spending a lot of time in our backyard. Today they are laying on the grass trying to keep cool. It's pretty easy to see how the inspiration for Bambi came to be. I started to go outside to get a photo, but I didn't want them to have to venture out into the heat to escape my lens.
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| April 30, 2020 |
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| May 12, 2020 |
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| May 27, 2020 |
Stewardship means to just be a good person and help out as much as you can. This can apply to nature and land because if you are keeping Earth clean, and respecting nature, then you are showing stewardship towards nature and land. You can be a good steward of nature by respecting every plant and animal's boundaries and not being invasive in their habitats.
On a more light-hearted note, Ocean View Oak Ambassador Jackson made special Earth Day cookies!
Building a Cocoon the Spotted Tussock Moth from Bob Armstrong on Vimeo.
