The dog got me up about 2:30 am needing to go potty, so I let him outside, then he and I went back to bed until about 5:30 am. I still had a slight touch of vertigo, but really felt I HAD to get outside and moving. So, I got myself up and dressed, and headed over to the Effie Yeaw Nature Preserve for a walk. I told myself that, if at any time, the vertigo increased or interfered with my driving and walking, I’d call my sister Melissa for assistance. Thankfully, I didn’t need to call.
It was 58° when I got to the preserve, but it warmed up quickly to 73° before I left it. I wasn’t expecting to see a lot; mostly just wanted the exercise. I didn’t see a whole lot today, but there were a few standouts.
CLICK HERE for the full album of photos.
The first thing I saw was a small group of female Wild Turkeys on the golf course with about a half dozen poults scrambling around them. It’s always a treat to see the babies; the moms usually protect them so well you hardly ever get to actually see them.
In the trees along the trail there was a family of Red-Shouldered Hawks yelling at each other. I think there was a pair of parents and two fledglings that were just learning to fly. The youngsters would cry from their branches, and the parents would call loudly to try to get them to fly out just a little bit further. The fledglings hopped-flew from one tree to the next, then would just sit and cry some more. It was sooooo noisy!
In another area, I saw a group of deer: a buck in his velvet and four does. One of the does looked VERY pregnant. There should be fawns around this time of year, but I haven’t spotted one yet.
I walked for about three hours and then headed back home. This was walk #57 in my hike challenge.
Species List:
- Acorn Woodpecker, Melanerpes formicivorus
- American Robin, Turdus migratorius
- Anna’s Hummingbird, Calypte anna
- Armenian Blackberry, Rubus armeniacus [pink flower]
- Bay Laurel Tree, Laurus nobilis
- Black Phoebe, Sayornis nigricans
- California Manroot, Bigroot, Marah fabaceus
- California Mugwort, Artemisia douglasiana
- California Pipevine, Dutchman’s Pipe, Aristolochia californica
- California Quail, Callipepla californica [heard]
- California Scrub Jay, Aphelocoma californica
- California Towhee, Melozone crissalis
- California Wild Grape, Vitis californica
- Columbian Black-Tailed Deer, Odocoileus hemionus columbianus
- Cooper’s Hawk, Acipiter cooperii [heard]
- Crow, American Crow, Corvus brachyrhynchos
- Cudweed, California Cudweed, Pseudognaphalium californicum
- Curlycup Gumweed, Grindelia squarrosa
- Eastern Gray Squirrel, Sciurus carolinensis
- European Honeybee, Western Honeybee, Apis mellifera
- Goldenrod Crab Spider, Misumena vatia
- Grape Erineum Mite, Colomerus vitis
- Interior Live Oak, Quercus wislizeni
- Mourning Dove, Zenaida macroura
- Mullein, Great Mullein, Verbascum thapsus
- Northern Flicker, Colaptes auratus
- Oak Titmouse, Baeolophus inornatus
- Poison Oak, Pacific Poison Oak, Western Poison Oak, Toxicodendron diversilobum
- Red-Shouldered Hawk, Buteo lineatus
- Rio Grande Wild Turkey, Meleagris gallopavo intermedia
- Showy Milkweed, Asclepias speciosa
- Spotted Towhee, Pipilo maculatus
- Turkey Vulture, Cathartes aura
- Valley Oak, Quercus lobata
- Western Fence Lizard, Blue Belly, Sceloporus occidentalis
- Western Redbud, Cercis occidentalis
- White Alder, Alnus rhombifolia
- White Horehound, Marrubium vulgare
- White-Breasted Nuthatch, Sitta carolinensis
- Yellow Starthistle, Centaurea solstitialis
- ?? spider in bay leaves
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