The Adventures of Asher & Journey: When the Axolotl Stole the Show {San Diego Zoo}

Our last visit here was in 2015 when the kids were just turning 5. This time they had one major goal, to see an axolotl, thanks, Minecraft. Of course I wanted to see birds, and boy did I! They have multiple aviaries to walk thru which I love because there's nothing between me and the birds and they have a more natural environment. Many of the ones we saw were actually nesting and raising young within the aviaries.

White-headed Lapwing (above) Southern Bald Ibis (below)

Purple Glossy Starling

One aviary had a number of birds from South America and Africa that I've actually seen in the wild. It was like seeing old friends and conjured great memories! The opportunity to introduce my family to these birds up close was a thrill. I used to see these Tanagers and Caciques regularly in our yard in Ecuador and I've seen the Andean Cock of the Rock in Ecuador and at their lek in Colombia.

Paradise Tanager (above) Yellow-rumped Cacique (below)

The unmistakeable Andean Cock-of-the-Rock (below)

I just missed seeing a Harpy Eagle (below) in Ecuador at a known nesting site.

But the biggest thrill for me was from a rather plain looking black bird. Birds-of-Paradise live in Papa New Guinea and have elaborate mating rituals. I've watched videos of these displays and always thought it would be amazing to see it in person. Well, the San Diego zoo has a section with a few different species of Birds-of-Paradise. I spent a bit of time watching each bird, but one held my attention longer than the others. This jet black bird would sometimes show a splash of turquoise feathers across his chest! He started calling and waiving his black wings high above his head. Then like a shape-shifting cartoon, I blinked and the bird turned into a black oval with turquoise "eyes and mouth". A few seconds later, he morphed back into a bird. It's hard to explain, or even comprehend what I just saw. If I hadn't seen the videos, I would be so confused. I thanked the bird and walked away knowing I just had a bucket-list experience that I will always remember. The Superb Bird-of-Paradise lives up to its name.

My favorite thing when visiting zoos is looking for creatures that I was never aware of before. Here we found pygmy hippos, the size of a large dog. Well, actually even smaller than my brother's dog.

And of course the kids were able to finally see a real, live axolotl! They loved it!

Did you know Africa supports the greatest variety of animals and plants on earth? I did not.

I love the stats from this sign:

1,100,000,000 people live in Africa which is 16% of the world's population

Over 50% of Africans are under 25 years old.

The continent of Africa is comprised of 54 countries, 3,000 ethnic groups, which speak 2,000 different languages! It is home to:

1,129 Mammals

2,270 Amphibians and Reptiles

2,000 Birds

5,000 Fish

100,000 Insects and Arachnids

I'll never forget seeing zebras roaming free in Kenya!

This Secretary Bird is another amazing creature that can be found in Kenya.

We were fortunate to visit at a time when nearly all of the animals seemed to be pretty active. The gorilla walked right up to the other side of the glass a number of times and then settled briefly in this pose. While the red pandas were napping, we still had a great view of their adorable face.

This bear was repeatedly lifting his bone high above his head and dropping it. It was pretty entertaining to watch. Here he's holding it with one paw while licking the other clean.