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Post by snowmom on Mar 13, 2015 18:52:50 GMT -5
Jean (rockpickerforever) those were great! Kind of makes me think of the starling migrations, where there are miles of birds (think of the old "the birds" movie- that was filmed where they winter in Indiana) in one area, and the sound they make. (Parrots are louder, still, I am sure. They surely are loud as individuals, I can imagine the volume of a whole flock of them!) The Starlings winter in southern Il among other places. We lived there for 3 years. Sometimes the flocks would feed around our house, birds about 6 inches from each other walking all in the same direction, foraging around on the ground, removing pesky insects (they seem to eat Japanese beetle larve!) leaving the area uniformly covered with valuable bird manure as they marched. Sometimes they covered acres and acres... black dots on the ground as far as the eye could see. when they all took off together I marveled how they all swooped and dove in unison, you never saw mid air collisions. My grandma told of carrier pigeons when she was a child, and how they darkened the skies when they flew over. The weight of them pulling down branches of the trees. Might be what happens eventually with starlings and parrots, both of which are invaders to this country. Not enough natural predators I guess.
LOL when I saw the headless parrot photo! they move in unison as well!
The dry phase of your meadows is beautiful too. Looks like it is easier to find the rocks in the dry season. Thanks for the links and the posts. fun to do!
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Post by socalagatehound on Mar 13, 2015 20:42:22 GMT -5
Oh, they are definitely rattlesnakes...lol.
The diamondbacks I've seen here are thick and seem pretty slow, but the mountain rattlers are just slightly thicker than a gopher snake (not skinny like a garter snake) and really quick. Not fast like a racer, but they can cover a short distance much faster than I thought possible. Fortunately, they are not too quick to strike.
Once, I was cleaning up some fallen palm fronds and when I pulled a long frond out of the pile, a 30 inch rattlesnake was curled up on it and he let me know his displeasure. Their rattle is very high pitched and it got my immediate attention. Fortunately, he bailed out on the confrontation. Chased him all the way to the edge of the property with a shovel. Didn't want him biting my dogs.
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Post by snowmom on Mar 14, 2015 4:56:21 GMT -5
OK, I have to ask this ( a bit off topic). We have an El Cajon road and beach here, and people here seem to pronounce it "alkajohn". It took a while to figure out what they were saying. How do you folks in California pronounce El Cajon?
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Post by socalagatehound on Mar 14, 2015 17:26:23 GMT -5
Haha..
L Ka Hone
We have a very Spanish influence here.
I always have trouble in Oregon with names like Madras and Owyhee...
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Post by snowmom on Mar 14, 2015 18:54:51 GMT -5
Heh, in Illinois, Cairo is pronounced Kay roh and Vienna is Vi(long I) anna . They have a Vienna here too, but so far I have not heard anybody say it. funny old world we live in. Thanks!
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Post by stephan on Mar 15, 2015 1:01:12 GMT -5
Nice. One of the rocks looks orbicular.
Oh, and bird is an osprey (Pandion haliaetus), also, sometimes called a fish eagle.
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Deleted
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Member since January 1970
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Post by Deleted on Mar 15, 2015 7:31:01 GMT -5
Nice report.i recently had a adult red tailed hawk injure a wing trying to fly through chicken wire and get a free chicken dinner. At my house,had to call a falcon rescue team to get it.the city has no one to deal with such issues.we also have loads of parrots(monk)and a couple other invasive species,had a friend ambush a flock and throw his castnet(for catching bait)on them.lets just say he got more than he bargained for when he tried to grab one.he got several stitches from that run in.mean little green bastards.he thought it would be like the pet store.ROFL,shoulda' seen his face
Dave
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Post by iant on Mar 15, 2015 13:54:28 GMT -5
Great pictures Jean, thanks for sharing your surroundings and wildlife with us!
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Post by Pat on Mar 15, 2015 14:59:58 GMT -5
rockpickerforever, thanks for taking us along! Are those headless parrots burrowing their heads, or are they all facing back? Never saw a trapdoor spider home. What a neat job! Will have to look up what the trap door spider looks like. We get small hawks around here, but not very often. Prior to removing our swimming pool, we would get dragon flies hovering above it and not far from it. No pool: no dragonflies! So neat to go for a walk like that so close to your home. Was it just a walk from home, or did you drive to the spot? Love your trips and all the wild life and scenery! Thanks! snowmom With the Spanish influence around here (California), we learn early that a "j" is pronounced like "h". /L Cahon/ Spanish "h" is not pronounced; it's silent, as in "hombre" pronounced om-bray.
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Post by Peruano on Mar 15, 2015 15:02:08 GMT -5
I'd go for cat on the skull. If it was a rabbit it would have the distinctive honeycomb bone structure that lightens the skull sort of like corrugated box structure. Obviously the incisors on a rabbit are distinct from those of a cat. If I'm not mistaken (and I'm too lazy to go look it up) rabbits have two sets of incisors (one behind the other so that when the older set fall out the others are immediately functional). Nothing worse that a rabbit without his front teeth. When it comes to telling cats from skunks you need to look at the palate with the skunk having a very short palate, ending somewhat even with the back cheek teeth, and not further back like cats and other carnivores other than skunks. Your black rock is probably a gabbro (dark igneous rock with large crystals and speckled appearance if cut. Spring is upon us, even in Spring Valley. Cheers. Tom
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Post by rockpickerforever on Mar 15, 2015 16:49:08 GMT -5
Thanks for the comments, everyone! Interesting to see an Osprey in that territory. In the Maritimes, we commonly call them Fish Hawks. They will hover (like a Harrier jet) until they spy a fish. They will then dive like a Peregrine falcon for a fish dinner. I'm not sure if rock hounding amongst the trap door spiders is all that comforting. How big are those critters? Darryl. Darryl, I'm pretty sure we have Peregrine Falcons here as well.
Are you afraid of spiders? The hole was only about 1.25 inch in diameter, so however big of a spider could fit down that is how big they are - probably bigger than you would think. That photo was taken April of last year, just after a light rain when I was out looking for decollate snails. Saw quite a few of the burrows (have to look closely!), but no spiders out and about at that time. Those trap doors are well made, had to really pry that sucker up to open it. Could have been a spider on the inside holding it shut, lol.
Nice. One of the rocks looks orbicular. Oh, and bird is an osprey (Pandion haliaetus), also, sometimes called a fish eagle.
Thanks, Stephan! I had an inkling. Have seen them over at the San Diego River and ponds over at Mission Trails Park. Not sure if they are just visitors passing through, or if they stay around all year.
Nice report.i recently had a adult red tailed hawk injure a wing trying to fly through chicken wire and get a free chicken dinner. At my house,had to call a falcon rescue team to get it.the city has no one to deal with such issues.we also have loads of parrots(monk)and a couple other invasive species,had a friend ambush a flock and throw his castnet(for catching bait)on them.lets just say he got more than he bargained for when he tried to grab one.he got several stitches from that run in.mean little green bastards.he thought it would be like the pet store.ROFL,shoulda' seen his face Dave Thanks, Dave. You bet those little green parrots can do some damage. My sister used to have a cherry-headed conure, we called it a red headed mean @ss, lol. Them things will lay you open! Your friend was lucky he didn't lose an eye or a finger. Great pictures Jean, thanks for sharing your surroundings and wildlife with us! You're welcome. Glad you liked them. LOL when I saw the headless parrot photo! they move in unison as well! The dry phase of your meadows is beautiful too. Looks like it is easier to find the rocks in the dry season. Thanks for the links and the posts. fun to do! Headless, that's what they look like when they do that!
I supposed the brown phase of the meadow is okay, too, at least it doesn't have snow on it, lol! Yes, you can see the rocks much better without all the green spring growth covering them.
rockpickerforever, thanks for taking us along! Are those headless parrots burrowing their heads, or are they all facing back? Never saw a trapdoor spider home. What a neat job! Will have to look up what the trap door spider looks like. We get small hawks around here, but not very often. Prior to removing our swimming pool, we would get dragon flies hovering above it and not far from it. No pool: no dragonflies! So neat to go for a walk like that so close to your home. Was it just a walk from home, or did you drive to the spot? Love your trips and all the wild life and scenery! Thanks! snowmom With the Spanish influence around here (California), we learn early that a "j" is pronounced like "h". /L Cahon/ Spanish "h" is not pronounced; it's silent, as in "hombre" pronounced om-bray. Pat, they are preening, turning their heads under their wings to straighten and clean their feathers, pick the lice, whatever it is birds do. After owning parrots, parakeets and cockatiels over the years, I would never own another. Birds are filthy critters, I'll stick to dogs.
Just walked there from home, Pat, it's only a couple blocks away.
snowmom, ditto what both Craig socalagatehound and Pat said about pronunciations. You can find places with Spanish names throughout the state, but even more so this close to the border. J is said as an H (El Cajon - the Box, La Jolla - The Jewel, Jamul, Japatul, Jacumba, etc), and H is silent (Hola!), pronounced "O lah" - hello in Spanish. Jamacha is pronounced "Ham-a-shaw." San Diego itself is Spanish, named after Saint Didacus of Alcalá.
On this one, the jury is out, not sure which way to go. Spanish double Ls are pronounced as a "Y." So the person that landed in San Diego Bay in 1542 (first European to set foot on what is now the West Coast of the United States), explorer Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, you'd think his last name would be pronounced "Ca-brio." But he was Portuguese born, and the Portuguese pronounce their double Ls. So, would it be Ca - Brillo (like a brillo pad)? I think the latter. Had a friend that worked the switchboard at a hospital here in San Diego. When I was doing floral deliveries, I would stop by and visit her briefly while she worked. She would answer the phone "Sharp Cabrillo Hospital", while her co-worker was saying Cabrio! So much confusion, lol.
And they say English is a hard language to learn.
I'd go for cat on the skull. If it was a rabbit it would have the distinctive honeycomb bone structure that lightens the skull sort of like corrugated box structure. Obviously the incisors on a rabbit are distinct from those of a cat. If I'm not mistaken (and I'm too lazy to go look it up) rabbits have two sets of incisors (one behind the other so that when the older set fall out the others are immediately functional). Nothing worse that a rabbit without his front teeth. When it comes to telling cats from skunks you need to look at the palate with the skunk having a very short palate, ending somewhat even with the back cheek teeth, and not further back like cats and other carnivores other than skunks. Your black rock is probably a gabbro (dark igneous rock with large crystals and speckled appearance if cut. Spring is upon us, even in Spring Valley. Cheers. Tom Tom, I think cat as well, it is about the right size. I know it is not a rabbit, have owned them as pets before. Head is shaped differently, and herbivores don't have those carnivore teeth! Never thought about skunk, could be one of them, but cat more likely.
I may have to go back and get the smaller brother of that big rock. I think that's doable.
Thanks again, everyone!
Jean
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Post by gingerkid on Mar 16, 2015 8:35:54 GMT -5
Saw quite a few of the burrows (have to look closely!), but no spiders out and about at that time. Those trap doors are well made, had to really pry that sucker up to open it. Could have been a spider on the inside holding it shut, lol.ROFL!! Is it the female spider in the burrow? |
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garock
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since February 2006
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Post by garock on Mar 16, 2015 10:37:30 GMT -5
Nice walk ! Great Photography !
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Post by rockpickerforever on Mar 17, 2015 10:00:46 GMT -5
Nice walk ! Great Photography ! Thanks, Frankie, glad you liked them.
Saw quite a few of the burrows (have to look closely!), but no spiders out and about at that time. Those trap doors are well made, had to really pry that sucker up to open it. Could have been a spider on the inside holding it shut, lol.ROFL!! Is it the female spider in the burrow? Jan, I never did see the spider, but because the burrow is a magnificent piece of architecture, I'd say yes, probably made by the female  . From what I read online about the trap door spiders, the male is smaller, and (like a lot of spiders) needs to be careful when approaching the female to mate. Maybe he doesn't even make a burrow, just cohabitates at that time? IDK. I saw several trap doors (missile silos?), and all were about the same diameter. |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 17, 2015 10:37:48 GMT -5
Oh, they are definitely rattlesnakes...lol. The diamondbacks I've seen here are thick and seem pretty slow, but the mountain rattlers are just slightly thicker than a gopher snake (not skinny like a garter snake) and really quick. Not fast like a racer, but they can cover a short distance much faster than I thought possible. Fortunately, they are not too quick to strike. Once, I was cleaning up some fallen palm fronds and when I pulled a long frond out of the pile, a 30 inch rattlesnake was curled up on it and he let me know his displeasure. Their rattle is very high pitched and it got my immediate attention. Fortunately, he bailed out on the confrontation. Chased him all the way to the edge of the property with a shovel. Didn't want him biting my dogs. Dont you live in San Diego county? |
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Post by rockpickerforever on Mar 17, 2015 10:43:08 GMT -5
Scott, Craig lives about two miles north of me on Dictionary Hill in Spring Valley. Although I have yet to meet him.
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jamesp
Cave Dweller 
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,612
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Post by jamesp on Mar 17, 2015 10:57:12 GMT -5
you guys mentioned snakes  |
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Post by rockpickerforever on Mar 17, 2015 11:06:03 GMT -5
Not that kind, James. The ones we're talking about you have to worry about them biting you, not the other way around.
Someone did a great job on that one! |
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
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Post by jamesp on Mar 17, 2015 12:49:32 GMT -5
Lemonconstirictor. Safe anyway.
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Post by rockpickerforever on Mar 17, 2015 13:26:15 GMT -5
Maybe banana constrictor??
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. From what I read online about the trap door spiders, the male is smaller, and (like a lot of spiders) needs to be careful when approaching the female to mate. Maybe he doesn't even make a burrow, just cohabitates at that time? IDK. I saw several trap doors (missile silos?), and all were about the same diameter.
