Over the Labor Day holiday I made use of my zoo membership and went to the downtown San Diego Zoo. I don’t think I’ve ever gone to the zoo by myself so I was kinda nice being able to spend my time wherever I wanted. Naturally I spent more time in the aviaries than anywhere else. So I’ve compiled my favorite bird pics.

I had a lot of fun taking pictures with my zoom lens. Not all were in focus but it was enough to scratch my photography itch. The limited capabilities of my camera help keep me from getting too deep into that world which is probably for the best. What would I do with more pictures? When would I have time for all that editing/file management? Other animal pics should be coming soon.

My favorite bird of the day would probably have to be the Violet-backed Starling (first photo). It was just stunning to see in-person. Starlings often have shiny-florescent colors. The Superb Starling (pictured bathing) was another beautiful example.

The African exhibit has a great aviary that is larger and more open then most of the others. You could see the bee eater’s flocking and flying together which was special to see. It actually has two sections which are at different elevations, giving you different views.

It was a very hot day so I ended up sitting in the shade in the Scripps Aviary for a while. It’s a really nice spot with the sound of the waterfall and birds. So I took some time to journal there.

The last aviary I went to was an indoor exhibit with lots of tropical birds. Some of them reminded me of birds I saw while traveling latin america. The exhibit did make me laugh though because they had Rose Breasted Grosbeak which I don’t think of as a tropical bird since they migrate to the US. But it’s a good reminder of how interconnected the world is and how far birds travel. It made me want to get out and travel again. There are so many cool parts of the world to explore.

a flock of pink flamings mostly curled up and stand on one leg
Artistic shot of a toucan looking up and away from the camera showing only the symmetrical colors of it's face and bill through leaves
two green and blue parrots preen each other up in the trees
two gray birds with bright orange bills and a white curl across the face sit on the ground
a shiny, violet colored bird sticks it's head out from behind a bare branch
tall gray and white bird with a crest in a tree
various colorful birds perched on branches of a bare stalk
a gray bird with blue neck and very long tail at a feeder as another bird bird cocks it's head inquisitively
A yellow bird with an orange face and black wingtips hangs from a branch under a woven bird nest and another bird
a shiny blue, black, and orange bird stands in running water as droplets hang in the air behind
large gray and white eagle in a pine tree with meat in it's claws
large horned owl perched on a woman's gloved hand
brightly blue colored bird looks down from rocky ledge
a large, round bird with blue tinted dark feathers and a long tail
bold magenta and white songbird in a bare branch
small yellow and blue bird in a tree surrounded by large green leaves
small green-backed bird with yellow throat and black face perched on a wire