Peacocks...in my backyard!

When thinking about the sights in Southern California, it's a pretty safe bet that certain stereotypically "California" things come to mind: Beaches, the Hollywood sign, beautiful people with perfect bodies, and so on. But what about peacocks? Yes, peacocks!

(See our constantly growing collection of peacock pictures on Flickr.)
I had forgotten what it's like to have these majestic, beautiful, colorful birds wandering through my neighborhood and yard, but now that I've been back a while I can't imagine life without them. The peacocks--or, more accurately, peafowl--in my neighborhood originated at what's now the Los Angeles County Arboretum in the 1800s. Eventually they spread out over the surrounding areas and are now as much a part of the scenery as the palm trees and San Gabriel mountains.

Every day I get to see peacocks and peahens in my neighborhood and yards. I consider myself very lucky that I can sit on my patio and snap photographs of these spectacular birds, up close and personal.

This closeup of a peacock with his feathers fanned is one of my favorites, and it's available on assorted merchandise on CaliforniaDreamsPhotography.com.




;;;