Open Space - The morning was glorious - Clear blue sky - Cool breeze out of the west. To the north rocky Madonna Mountain, elevation 1,292 feet. A pair of Turkey Vultures soared over the open space. A vocal pair of Red-shouldered Hawks were playing a game of mating tag.
I stopped to listen to the distant song of a Meadowlark. Nearby was the call of an American Kestrel, North America's smallest Falcon (photo by Linda Tanner), and there it was, only a few yards away, diving out of the sky at sonic speed to snag a small mammal with its piercing talons, and off it sped. This amazing scene lasted about 3 seconds.
Walked over to the lake. A migratory Snow Goose (photo, right) was keeping company with its city cousins, 4 large and very vocal domestic geese. The small Snow Goose followed the foursome at a discrete distance except when stale bread appeared in someone's hand, then the Snow Goose was right in the middle of the melee. Laguna Lake Park never disappoints.
