roses
Rosa sp.
Rosaceae

I've been so intent on looking for wildflowers that I've overlooked some beauties right next door. Many people in town have gorgeous roses in their yards, IF they can figure out a way to keep the deer away.

red-shouldered hawk

Apparently this fellow likes to hang out on the fence regularly since we just saw him a few days ago.

Brandt's cormorant ~ 05/05/09 ~ Hopkins

best guess Brandt's cormorant
best guess Phalacrocorax penicillatus

This was a very odd scene right off the beach where most of our local harbor seals hangout north of Hopkins. We don't often see cormorants in large groups in the water at this location.

Initially, I wasn't sure which cormorant these were since, we also have pelagic and I think double-crested cormorants. Thanks to a small snippet of info from MBA, Brandt's cormorants hunt cooperatively. So, I'm making my best guess.

bougainvillea
Bougainvillea spectabilis
Nyctaginaceae

This is a very popular plant for all the hotels in the area. It's very showy. It's native to South America, which surprised me because many of the favorite garden plants around here come from South Africa.

Brewer's blackbird
Euphagus cyanocephalus

Very common bird seen along Cannery Row foraging scraps from the tourists. This fellow was very cute!