I saw a few Turkey Vultures while looking for study plots near Lower Dolan Ridge at Landels-Hill Big Creek Reserve, CA. They were riding thermals while scavenging up and down the coast.
I saw this Ensatina just after dusk near Redwood Camp at Landels-Hill Big Creek. It had to be a recently emerged juvenile because it was extremely small compared to other Ensatinas I have seen.
Found a slender, either a Gabilian or a California Slender, under an old log near the Science Hill parking lot. It was the first time my friend Maritza had ever seen one.
We observed this specimen, among other at the Kelson Sand Dunes during an excursion to the top.
We observed a single Ringtail inside the Bunny Club at the Sweeney Granite Mountain Desert Research Center. It had crawled up through a small space between the boulder and the floor boards, sneaking up the face of the boulder to where some food scraps. The ringtail woud snatch some scraps, pause to put some food in its mouth, then dart back down the small opening between the boulder and floor boards. It paused just long enough for some good photographs.
We found the California Kingsnake basking in the evening, preparing itself for its night stalking just off the trail near the Norris field station at Granite Mountain UC Natural Reserve.
