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Tag: playtime

Glow in the Park Penguins?…

Recently we traveled to the Palm Springs area in California on a mission to assist Executive Photographer (and Co Owner of Surrounded By Penguins), Scarlett, with her Birb Biologist job. I love when this opportunity comes up because I feel like I’m a helpful assistant to wildlife caring people. We also are directly helping with research as we are collecting generic samples of the birds we catch. A few choice penguins and I are always happy to tag along and help with these endeavors.

As usual, I tagged on other ventures for Surrounded By Penguins while up there. In the interest of wanting to provide excursions and tours to surrounding wildlife conservation areas to include zoo’s, aquariums, and the like we decided to include attending a special event at the Palm Desert Living Desert Zoo and Botanical Garden. We obtained 3 genetic samples of wild birds that have established territories at the zoo. It’s pretty amazing that this zoo provides sanctuary knowingly and passively to endangered wildlife. The habitat maintained at many zoo’s actually provide the surrounding wildlife with a sanctuary. You’ll see deer at the Safari Park in San Diego for example along with both local and migratory birds and other wildlife. What animals have you seen in zoo’s that cohabitate with the zoo animals?

The Executive Penguin literally surrounded by Penguin Ambassadors before going to the Glow in the Park event at the Living Desert Zoo in Palm Desert
Lit up kangaroo mice greet us at the parking lot gate.
This place has been in existence for 50 years and we just found out about it!?

Since we were collecting genetic samples we got to visit the Living Desert Zoo before opening. During the day we got to see these amazing lanterns already set up for the Glow in the Park event. We could only imagine what they looked like at night.

We wouldn’t get our chance to see the lanterns lit until the the events closing night. The unobstructed colorful views during the day became much more appreciated as we found ourselves shoulder to shoulder much of the time at night. But wow wow wow were the lanterns amazing. Day or night the creative detailed figures were impressive. We were blown away by the correctly coordinated colors, fabric designs, accurate proportions to scale, and many of the lantern animals moved! Not one person in the collective mob was unimpressed and many people were still interested in seeing the actual animals that were not lanterns too. To give respect to the animals, the lights were strategically placed and some areas were off limits.

Maybe some animals that are nocturnal were visible? These naked mole rats are blind so do they know when it’s day or night? Without the ability to see, how else can we gauge if it’s day time or night time?

I found it amazing that they had different ‘rooms’ for different age ranges, toilet use, etc. Even without the ability to see, the moles seems to instinctually know where they belong.

Although it was difficult, I took many many many pictures and will share some below.

Not a naked mole rat. What a trickster!

During the event, Afie, Syd and I decided that from now on only one of them would be on my shoulder while in public. Both of them at the same time proved to be way too much to worry about. The ippies (Mippy, Sippy and Zippy) are definitely the most readily and photogenic of the ambassadors. Syd and Afie seem to enjoy seeing the ongoings from our shoulders and agree to being in selfies occasionally. Most times they are like the family pictures with the one kid that looks hilariously awkward on purpose.

As usual, we all still had a great time. Enjoy!

Of course butterflies are pollinators too.
Birds that consume nectar are pollinators too! Some birds are seed disperses. Others take on other roles. What other animals help pollinate plants?
Many birds fulfill many roles that help us and our environment keep safe and healthy. What vital role do Condors fulfill?
Most people travel to this area for the rare opportunity to see Bighorn Sheep in the wild. Many participate in the annual count. If you see a rock move in the distance here, it might be a Bighorn!
Oooo pegasus drawn carriage? Why not?
Panda walk way! Let’s go!
Whoa…. This was a very large, impressive, elaborate structure. They had many you could walk through, but this dragon might had been the center piece.
The detail in the reptiles was incredible.
Alligator or crocodile? Can you tell the difference?

A Day in Perris… Meeting the Sand Penguin Family

Have you ever heard of sand penguins? Not African penguins or other penguin species that you can find waddling on beaches and other sandy areas, but actual magical sand penguins. These penguins are so rare that only a few picture of them have been seen on the internet. From the first time we found out about them, we became obsessed with a need to meet them.

Well we were in luck! Our recent visit to Perris Lake lead us to a wonderful beach spot where Sand Penguins magically appeared! Once we heard of the special appearance the race was on to meet them before they disappeared into their mysterious hidden nesting grounds in the sea.

No time to pack neatly! Come on everyone lets go! The trek was harder than we thought it would be… Having no time to figure out how to best roll the wagon, we dragged across the beach until we saw some Seagulls.
Excuse me, Seagulls. Can you tell us where we might find the sand penguins? Squawk! Set up here, yeah set up here, they’ll come to you! Squawk! Yeah! They will come to you.
Zippy: What do you think, Sippy? Should we set up here?
Sippy: I am not so sure, Zippy. There’s something about those Seagulls that I can’t quite put my beak on. But I suppose this is just as good as any other place here, so lets set up.
Once set up, everyone agreed that the location was beautiful. Beautiful but no sand penguins in sight.
*Just then… A flock of Seagulls came into view* Huh. What’s this? What are these Seagulls up to?
Whoa! What a flurry! I can barely tell what is going on!
As the Seagulls passed, only one remained… “Squawk! Hello there penguins and friends! March along there towards the water where all the other Seagulls fluttered. There among the sand and sea, you will find what you seek.” And so a small party of brave penguins set out to the shoreline. They said bye to Seagull as they made a u turn over the sand penguins and back towards the other seagulls. Bye Seagull!
With not more than a wiggle and a waddle. They saw that a few of the sand friends and small penguins were already at the shore line. Huh, how did that happen? And wait… Is that what we think it is?
It is! And a baby sand penguin at that! And look there are others! And the small penguins are even guarding.
Sippy: “Hello family! And hello new to us sand family!”
Look at all them!
With the magical sand penguins arriving and the visiting penguins making their way, the seagull took their leave. “Thank you, Seagull! I hope we see you again soon!” said the visiting penguins. “No problem. I am sure we will meet again. Take care!” the Seagull responded
Wow! It seems like we’re late to the party! We better hurry!
Mippy: Wait a minute, I forgot something!
What’d you forget, Mippy?
Mippy: “A kite! To fly so that we can signal thank you to all the other seagulls.”
Fantastic, Mippy! That’s a great idea!
Finally, we made it! Time to have the a sand party of royal proportions!
Some friends even came on a sand raft!
All the friends learned so much about each other. The sand penguins are royalty made of magic. They help to protect all beaches, even when they don’t form into penguins. They love when people play in the sand with them, but they don’t like when people liter on them because it’s dangerous and disrespectful.
The sun was starting to set. It was time to get going. Jack wanted to stay with the sand penguins. Not ready to leave the beach, Jack lagged behind.
Come on, Jack! They all encouraged Jack to come back.
Jack: But I don’t want to leave! What if we never see the sand penguin family again?

They all said their farewells and thank you’s until it was almost too dark to sea each other… Get it? Sea. Until next time sands penguins, until next time…. Oh! And seagulls too!