On Saturday we went to The World Famous San Diego Zoo. There are some marvelous aviary sections of the zoo which allow you to get up close and personal to some very exotic birds, as well as some more conventional caged exhibits where you can see some very big raptors. I really like birds. I might have taken a lot of pictures. ‘Nuff said.
I’ll identify species where I have the information (and I’m sure I’ll get some wrong).
Just as you enter the main gate there’s a huge flock of flamingos. Beautiful, graceful, and bizarre, all wrapped up into one.
Something nesting in with the flamingos.
Egyptian something. Sandpiper, maybe?
In the Scripps Aviary, a Golden-breasted Starling.
In the Scripps Aviary, a Red-Eyed Dove
In the Scripps Aviary, an extremely bright purple puffball with absolutely no fear of people.
Some kind of mallard or duck, obviously.
A big raptor, some kind of sea eagle if I remember correctly.
Some sort of pelican.
Andean condor. We were just walking away when he decided to sun himself and stretched out those freakishly huge wings.
Sorry I don’t have better ID’s on the species – maybe next time I’ll do less sloppy work. But if you can get to San Diego, go see the zoo! Spend at least a day there, maybe even two. And then there’s the Wild Animal Park, which is completely separate and a much different experience. (The animals roam free, you see them from inside protected areas and vehicles.)
We Love The Stars Too Fondly 