Sunday, March 7, 2010

Coyotes and Meadowlarks on the Plateau

Around 11:00am this morning, Gil and I (with Hana in tow) drove out towards the vernal pools to scout out coyotes or other wildlife along the way. We spotted four coyotes frolicking on the hills to the east side of Clinton Keith Road, just before the junction with Tenaja Road.

It was fairly overcast today so the lighting was on the tricky side, but I managed to get a couple discernible shots of these wily and fascinating canids.

3/7/10 East side of Clinton Keith Rd., just north of Tenaja Rd. junction, Santa Rosa Plateau Ecological Reserve.


We could also hear the ubiquitous whistly-bubbly-jumbly call of the Western Meadowlarks in Hi-Def throughout our drive. These guys were everywhere, mostly hidden in the grassy expanses of the reserve, but a few would occasionally pop up on the fence posts or rocky outcrops to sing their warbly tunes. 

3/7/10 Western Meadowlark (Sturnella neglecta). Via Volcano, Santa Rosa Plateau Ecological Reserve.



3/7/10 Engelmann Oaks (Quercus engelmannii). East side of Via Volcano, between Tenaja and Rancho California Roads. Santa Rosa Plateau Ecological Reserve.

3/7/10 Engelmann Oak (Quercus engelmannii). East side of Via Volcano, between Tenaja & Rancho California Roads. Santa Rosa Plateau Ecological Reserve.

3/7/10 Fenceline Trail, between Tenaja and Rancho California Roads, Santa Rosa Plateau Ecological Reserve.

3/7/10 Vernal pools, Via Volcano just before junction with Avocado Mesa Rd., Santa Rosa Plateau Ecological Reserve.

3/7/10 Vernal pool, Via Volcano just before junction with Avocado Mesa Rd., Santa Rosa Plateau Ecological Reserve.

3/7/10 Grasses emerging from vernal pool. Via Volcano, just before junction with Avocado Mesa Rd., Santa Rosa Plateau Ecological Reserve.


2 comments:

  1. I love your beautiful views of the California countryside. I always like seeing coyotes although, they do tend to stay out of sight. I love nothing better then a beautiful oak tree having grown up in Thousand Oaks, CA.

    ReplyDelete
  2. We don't have coyotes here in the UK just foxes and they are quite illusive characters and hard to photograph. Isn't the oak tree so majestic in its stature. I love oak trees.

    ReplyDelete