We saw the pelicans being fed at the Safari Park.
The feeder said that Great White Pelicans eat fish and they like trout the best.
Pelicans have a pouch under their bill. When they eat they swallow the fish whole.
They have strong webbed feet for swimming and strong wings for flying.
They use their pouch to scoop up fish and water. Their pouch can hold 3 gallons of water but their stomach can't. So they have to carefully pour the water out without losing the fish.
Adults eat about 4 pounds of fish every day. Sometimes we see pelicans flying by the bay looking for food. They look like divebombers when they try to catch fish in the water. It's pretty funny to watch them.
At the Safari park, dad and I bought some bee pollen before we went in the Lorikeet cage. As I walked in, a lorikeet flew on my hand and started eating. I was very careful with the bird.
Then more came and landed on my arm.
Another one landed my shoulder and one on my head.
Lorikeets were everywhere!
Lorikeets can eat whole flowers, nectar and pollen. They have 4 toes on each foot.
They are colorful birds that are mostly green with some yellow and red feathers.
They live on the islands of the South Pacific ocean and Australia. They have a brush like tongues to help them eat.
There are gorillas at the zoo and the Safari Park. They are vegetarians and eat fruits and vegetables.
Males can eat 40 pounds of food every day.
Gorillas are hairy animals except on their faces, palms of their hands and bottom of their feet. Gorillas live in "troops". Each troop is protected by a male called a Silverback.
He protects his troop from enemies beating on his chest with cupped hands, showing his teeth, screaming and charging the enemy.
Baby gorillas weigh 4-5 pounds when they are born. Males weigh 300-500 pounds. Females weigh 150-200 pounds.
Gorillas walk on their hands and feet. They turn their hands to do a knuckle walk. Their arms are longer than their legs.
Gorillas are mammals. They love their families.
Some of the best tide pools in California are at Cabrillo National Monument in San Diego.
Tide pools can be small or big and are filled with sea water.
Plants and animals can live in tide pools. The best time to explore tide pools is at middle or low tide. My mom and I went to Cabrillo at middle tide so we didn't get to see the octopus or any sea stars. But we did get to see lots of anemones.
Anemones have to stay wet so sometimes they cover themselves with small pieces of shell and sand.
Can you see all the anemones in this picture?
We also saw some hermit crabs. Hermit crabs have soft bellies so they have to find empty shells to live in. When it gets too big for a shell it just finds a bigger one.
Some sea animals hide in the long grass that grows in the water.
We saw a lot of mussels and gooseneck barnacles. They keep a little water in their shells to keep them wet when the tide is out.
When it was time to leave, this little guy tried to come with me in my shoe!
Balboa park is a big park in San Diego. The zoo is in the park. Balboa was a Spanish explorer. 12 million people visit the park every year. Sundays are a fun day at the park. The organ concert is one thing. Brides and grooms go to the park for wedding pictures.
It's fun to look at them.
There are lots of people playing instruments. They want you to give them money.
There are magicians too.
A group that rescues birds is there on Sundays asking for donations.
A lot of festivals are held at Balboa park too.
A free (and crowded) trolley drives through the park.
Orca whales are also called killer whales.
At Sea World there are killer whales in the Shamu show. They jump, swim, roll, slap their tails, make big splashes and eat lots of fish.
Killer whales eat more than fish. They eat sharks, penguins, sea lions, squid, walrus, sea turtles, seals and other whales. They eat 500 pounds of food every day.
They have 45 teeth. Their teeth are for ripping and tearing. They do not chew their food. They can swallow small sea lions and seals whole.
They live in every ocean in the world. Most live in the Arctic and Antarctic oceans. Orcas are mammals. They are black on their back and white on their stomach.
Males are 19-22 feet long. They weigh 8000-12,000 pounds. They live 50 years.
Females are 16-19 feet long. They weigh 3000-8000 pounds. They live for 90 years.
Females usually have babies every 10 years. Babies are called calves. Mothers help their babies swim to get its first breath of air.
The only enemy of killer whales is people.
