West African crane

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Today I’m participating in the A Word A Week Challenge. This week’s theme is “waiting”. I encourage you to click on each photo to see a larger view. If you like what you see, please subscribe to this blog to receive updates of the new photos I post, usually 3 to 5 times a week.

This past Saturday, for whatever crazy reason I woke up really early. When I looked outside, I realized it was a good thing. I waited for just the right time to capture this beautiful winter sunrise.

A Word A Week Challenge: Waiting for a winter sunrise in San Diego

This great blue heron was waiting for fish to swim by in a local pond.

When I photograph ocean waves, I like to wait until the very moment when the wave is about to break.

I’m not sure what this West African crane was waiting for, but it made it easy for me to take its picture.

This cute duck was patiently waiting for my kids to throw duck food in the water.

And this seagull was a freeloader waiting for a free meal at the same time.

I’m participating in LetsBeWild.com’s Wild Weekly Photo Challenge. This week’s Challenge is: Birds of a Feather!

I’ll start with a couple of photos I took yesterday of my neighbor’s house, right under their roof. We have tons of swallows (swifts if you don’t live in the U.S.) in San Diego and it’s nesting season right now. This swallow couple started building their mud nest just this week and they’ve been busy finishing it up to lay their eggs.

Let’s Be Wild Weekly Photo Challenge - Birds of a feather - swallows in their nest — Let’s Be Wild Weekly Photo Challenge – Birds of a feather – swallows in their nest

Here’s another shot of just one of the parents. I can’t wait to see little chicks in there. I love watching the swallows hunting for insects every evening. It’s amazing to see so many of them moving so fast through in the air without flying into one another.

Let’s Be Wild Weekly Photo Challenge - Birds of a feather - a swallow's nest — Let’s Be Wild Weekly Photo Challenge – Birds of a feather – a swallow’s nest

Talking about nests, here’s a dove sitting on its eggs. We have tons of mourning doves here too. I love listening to their soft cooing in the quiet of the morning.

Mourning dove sitting on its nest and eggs

Here’s a West African crane taking a nap. What a cool hairdo!

Let’s Be Wild Weekly Photo Challenge - Birds of a feather - West African crane — Let’s Be Wild Weekly Photo Challenge – Birds of a feather – West African crane

I can’t help but laugh when I look at the next photo, where the duck is acting like he’s a flamingo, although his legs are about two feet too short. I guess he’s the real ugly duckling.

Let’s Be Wild Weekly Photo Challenge - Birds of a feather - Flamingo and duck — Let’s Be Wild Weekly Photo Challenge – Birds of a feather – Flamingo and duck

This great blue heron below was a freeloader at the San Diego Zoo, eyeing the small fish in the crocodile pond. I wonder if the crocodiles were eyeing him too…