CWilbur

CWilbur, 2 months ago to mastodon

Most of you will never see even one of these mineral specimens in person, so when I was invited to see this case, I asked if I could snap a picture. So, my #mastodon friends, here are some of San Diego’s finest produced #gems in the rough. #tourmaline #morganite #kunzite.

CWilbur, 8 days ago to random

Back to Daley Ranch and adjacent Dixon Lake. Good sun, and the #butterflies were flying. Still not getting the specie variation I hoped for. Not pictured: Any Whites. They were out, of course.

Buckeye in flight. There were tons of Buckeyes today.
Gray Hairstreak, hidden in foliage. There were lots of Grays too! Two generations of them.
Metalmark on Broom. My one Metalmark for the day but I’m sure there were more.

CWilbur, 1 month ago to random

New Blue today #butterflies

Pictures of a Blue close-up with outer wing pattern.
Pictures of a Blue nectaring on white flowers.
Pictures of a Blue wings open on low foliage.

CWilbur, 2 months ago to random

Absolutely stunning day for #butterflies today at Calavera. Surprise finds; surprise absences. If I had a wish, it would be for more landings. Much of what I saw was on its way somewhere. So no pix. But the Lorquin’s Admiral showed up big time.

Closing in on the Admiral.
Nice closeup of Lorquin’s Admiral.

CWilbur, 30 days ago to random

Today’s Calavera #butterflies Part 1

California Ringlet perched on dry grass.
Checkered White hanging with the Sunflowers with an interesting iridescence on the upper wing surface.
Female Marine Blue perched on a dry twig near the top of the Volcano.

CWilbur, 6 months ago to random

This is the future that GOP imagines for all of us. We must vote these people out!!

CWilbur, 3 days ago to random

Okay, so today’s #butterfly search took me back to Calavera, and today was a good day. I’m going to break this story up into the journey to the top of the Calavera “Volcano”, summit observations, and the trip back.
My trip starts at the west end of the preserve which is the entrance to one of Carlsbad’s high schools. There’s a trail that starts here - a dirt road actually - that heads roughly north alongside a Sycamore-lined stream. Here terrain ranges from riparian to chaparral. So as you might guess, this is where most of the bigger butterbirds hang out. I started right out seeing Monarchs. And a few other littles. #

Closeup of nectaring Monarch
A couple of maybe Eufalia Skippers, in what looks like mating situation in trailside weeds
Wing pattern of a flying Skipper.

CWilbur, 9 days ago to random

Elfin Forest rarely disappoints for #butterflies and today was no exception. Lots of good stuff.

Female Bernardino Blue gives a hint of orange inner wing as she pauses to snack on a Buckwheat blossom.
This Behr’s Metalmark also enjoys the new Buckwheat blossoms.
This unidentified Skipper bravely defends its trailside pebble.

CWilbur, 15 days ago to random

Not a great day for #butterflies near the coast. Blame #maygray.
But I did see this guy. #roadrunner There were two actually.

Roadrunner on a metal fence, clacking away.

CWilbur, 1 month ago to random

Ho hum day for #butterflies. I did see a couple of Sulphurs and a Monarch, but no pix. The lack of small butterbirds is shocking. Today’s only (barely) recordable encounter was a lone Silvery Blue. I got tons of video but the butterfly was mostly out of focus.

CWilbur, 6 months ago to random

My Mastodon phone app has gone kablooey. Anybody else have this? I restarted my iphone but no love from the ancient elephant.

CWilbur, 2 months ago to random

Okay masto-friends, I’m entering a local wildlife picture contest and I need help picking the one shot to submit. I’m gonna show you 10 pictures in three posts. Can you all weigh in on your opinion? If you want, just reply to the post selecting one of the three(or four) pix. Anyway, enjoy the posts. I took all these pix. First set:

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CWilbur, 1 month ago to animals

The device on the upper left won’t boot. #catsofmastodon

CWilbur, 13 days ago to random

Some nice observations of #butterflies during an excursion to Orange County today. “Vanilla” species.

This Tiger Swallowtail dances around what appears to be Lantana blossoms.
Monarch floats over Milkweed.
Orange Sulphur female bolts from her grassy hideaway.

CWilbur, 2 months ago to random

#mysterious #mystery noise in the wall. There’s no motor in the wall. Just water pipes I think. Not shared wall. I went outside and yes, the noise is definitely coming from the wall. Any guesses?

No video. Just audio recorded on my phone of a mysterious noise in my wall.

CWilbur, 1 month ago (edited 1 month ago) to random

Unknown Hairstreak

CWilbur, 17 days ago to random

Hit the trail again today at Elfin Forest and I didn’t see a single rattlesnake. However I did see #butterflies, which is what I came for. Finally the spring butterbirds came out!

Desert Sylvan Hairstreak perched on spring foliage.
Desert Sylvan Hairstreak perched on spring foliage.

CWilbur, 18 days ago to Geology

Super find on eBay: This Boleite specimen from the copper deposits near Mulege, Baja Sur. #geology #bajacalifornia

CWilbur, 15 days ago to random

Headed out to a new location for #butterflies today. A place called Daley Ranch, in northeast Escondido. It was an interesting day: Relatively few species, but tons of individuals. Lots of Metalmarks, lots of Cabbage Whites, and multiple Swallowtails, and even two probable Sisters. But the real story was Buckeyes, dozens of them. They were so common they were fighting each other in groups of three or four. I stopped playing attention to them after a while.

Buckeye leaves the ground, leaving its shadow behind.
Buckeye on the ground, wings partly open.
My first sighting of the day: A lovely Tiger Swallowtail, nectaring in its usual fluttery fashion, beside the trail.

CWilbur, 1 month ago to random

Not a bad day for #butterflies tho the wind picked up and weather generally deteriorated with the day’s walk. Several interesting sightings and some shitty pictures. Today’s #butterfly excursion was to Calavera.

This Giant Swallowtail never gave me a clear shot.
My Lorquin’s Admiral was a repeat show today at Calavera.
Pretty sure this is a Gray Hairstreak. I’m guessing he’s old and lost most of his color.

CWilbur, 12 days ago to random

At Mission Trails today #butterflying. Don’t ever try this, thinking you’re going to just zoom back up to north county in the afternoon. 🙄
Anyway the Blues showed up out there. Multiple species. All of them terrbly camera-shy today, so my pix are atrocious and not very definitive. That said, I’ve narrowed the field somewhat. The first two pix are I believe to be either Western Tailed Blue or Reakirt’s Blue. The final two are of a Marine Blue. That one I know. #butterflies

Same WT Blue taking off.
Marine Blue rests on Broom.
Marine Blue nectaring trailside in Broom.

CWilbur, 12 days ago to HashtagGames

Knock Knock
Who’s there?
Banana… Knock Knock
who’s there?
Banana… Knock Knock
Who’s there?
Solitary
Solitary who?
Solitary Orange you glad I didn’t say banana?
#trumpguiltyasongorpoem
#HashtagGames

CWilbur, 2 months ago to random

Tis the season, I guess. #rattlesnake

CWilbur, 2 months ago to random

Part of a recent discovery in Pala, San Diego County, California. #tourmaline

CWilbur, 1 month ago to random

#storytime This happened back in the 1960s. So a while ago. A poacher hiked into a place called Pine Valley. He arrived at night, using his flashlight to travel the trail down from Chews Ridge in the Ventana Primitive Area. Stealthily, as was his method, he set up a sleeping pad, laid out his bag and prepared to sleep.
Later, he was awakened by a strange rhythmic growling noise. He sat up and shined his flashlight towards the source. Two eyes seemed to reflect the light back. Thinking it was a raccoon, he pulled out his pistol and fired several shots. The noise stopped and the eyes seemed to whither away. He laid back down and fell back asleep.
The next morning, the poacher discovered that the ‘eyes’ were actually two brass reflectors on the top of a sleeping bag. The bag belonged to a ranger who had set up his own camp 50 feet from the poacher. The ranger was dead.