newty newt newts

Still enough water here for these California Newts. With no one with me this time, they were a lot more active. I saw at least 7 different ones in three different pools.

People have stolen them in the past, so I'll not mention the location this time.

Coming up for a breath...

...and going down with one

Bobcat

 I was reading one of my regular plants in Rancho Sierra Vista, and  came across a bobcat less than 2m from the trail and about 20 feet away-not unheard of,  but very unusual. It wasn't in dense grass, but in some fairly sparse but tall mustard. I took some pictures from this distance, until I heard it growling quietly, so I decided to leave it alone and move on.

 I had to pass closer to it to get through the area, and it did not like that-here, it has just given me its best roar, ears back,  and looked very unhappy.

An hour later I came back, and didn't see the cat...but while I was looking at the spot it had been lying, it turned up 5 feet away and growling again to my side. I shot the last two pictures while backing away and talking to it. I've never seen one spend this sort of time out in the open in one place. It was about 1:00 PM, which is also an unusual time to see one out and about-they prefer dawn and dusk.

It looks a bit thin, but I don't really know what is normal. Notice the radio collar and ear tag. It's old enough that its ears are pretty well ragged. It might have had a kill with it; at the second encounter, it was licking its chops as I left, but I didn't see anything.

It's pretty large as they go, and it's probably the same one that walked by me last week.

Yesterday, on a hike with a larger group, we found this spiffy gopher snake on Snake Trail. Well over three feet; there was some meat on this one.

Humboldt Lilies at last

After watching these guys for weeks (and finding over 100 plants in upper Sycamore Canyon) I finally have some blooms to show. Some have already peaked and are drying out, and many of the plants are browning back before flowering, but a few are spectacular. The first two pictures are from the very first plant Robin found that started this whole obsession.

There was a pair of extremely agitated woodpeckers in this live oak, but only after getting my pictures home did I see the large gopher snake in their tree, likely looking for tasty eggs. I have much better shots of the birds, but not with the snake in view.

These LBBBs have taken over a swallow's nest. Any help identifying them? It looks like the swallows left because of structural problems...I hope the nest lasts long enough for the chicks to fledge. Outside the restroom at the Rancho Sierra Vista parking lot.