Shell creek

 Right off hwy 58 in san luis obispo county lies shell creek rd. next to the avenales wildlife area. We visit this area every spring to see the abundant and numerous species of wild flowers that occur along the roadside. The variety of wildflowers that occur in the same area together is what keeps us coming back every year. However the flowers are rain dependent and with our light rainfall this year the season and multitude abreviated in comparison to wetter years.

 I got a chance to walk the dry creek bed while the kids were occupied with their mother and was briefly visited by this merlin falcon with snake of some sort gripped in its talons. I was pretty stoked on the sighting since these are only here in the winter and spring is growing long. It took a couple bites from the snake and then i think the glare from my sunglasses on my hat scared it off. It flew off toward a fence line where it was harassed by a redtail hawk trying to steal its meal, I started in that direction to try and photograph the action when i spotted this bullocks oriole shown below.

 When most all wildlife native to our area seems to be wearing camoulflage for concealment it's nice to see something so tropical looking like this bullocks oriole. The pictures dont really do justice to the fluorescent orange this oriole had. Hopefully i will be returning to shell creek road soon and hopefully these visitors will still be around as the orioles are only here in the spring and summer and then off to south america for our winter.