Birds, Mysterious Ads 07-18-08

I picked up Corky in Long Beach this afternoon and on the way home I saw this Osprey bout three blocks from his house. He was perched on a light standard right over the street, spending most of his time preening and not posing for pictures. These are the best I could do with my digital camera.

Osprey are one of the bird species that was threatened with extinction by the use of DDT. They have made a good comeback since DDT was banned in the USA. I see them frequently about two miles from my house near Anaheim Lakes (which are artificial) because several Osprey nesting poles have been erected in the area.

Osprey eat fish, diving into the water to hook them with lethal talons. They carry them suspended in both feet with the fish head pointing forward to cut down on drag. An elegant form of delivery to nest or roosting tree.
Growing up in western Oregon I saw a lot of Osprey fishing in the rivers and lakes, I'm so glad to see them more frequently now.

The mysterious ad was on a billboard along the freeway. It was one of those that keep the product a bit of a mystery - I didn't see a brand name, but I was going 65 mph. All I caught was the image of an auto and the words, "Distilled yet not reduced." How do they distill a vehicle? And why? Weird stuff.