My personal challenges for today’s Socially Distant Bioblitz: (1) Start early and leave when eyes begin itching due to toxic air / ozone from Lake and Ranch 2 fires. And so I was safely home when the Rock Pool Fire started just west of the area I was exploring. (2) Get track/sign observations. I was successful in both, but it cut my time very short.

(As I’m writing this, I hear aircraft and ambulances and fire trucks racing down Mulholland Hwy to get to the Rock Pool fire. It’s a major hiking destination, and I hope no one got hurt.)

Here’s my first sighting of the day, a youngster Desert Cottontail. I saw them everywhere in the ranch area today.