Deer at Willow, Western Toads at Barbara's Lake (+ important Petition to sign re: Closing of 200 CA State parks)

On Wednesday 27 May 2009 I was briefly at the Willow Staging Area's parking lot and encountered a doe (see above photograph; there was another small deer about 500 feet behind her, however I did not photograph it). Here is a short video that I was able to take once I realized I had my camera on me, and after the doe moved quite a bit away from me. CLICK HERE FOR THE VIDEO.

I then went with a friend to the Dilley Preserve and walked to Barbara's Lake, taking Canyon Trail to Edison down to the Lake. The California Dodder was very dominant in the lower parts of the trail. No more Mariposa Lilies were in sight. The California Manroot / Cucumber plant has shriveled up and must have released its seeds a while ago - everything about that plant is yellow and dry. There are some lemonade berry shrubs along Edison that are simply not producing berries this year, juxtaposed with some that are, but whose berries are not ripe yet.


Halfway down the lake path there is a table where one can sit underneath the shade of Coast Live oaks. A few woodrat nests could be seen there:


And then continuing down The Lake Trail, the ground seemed to come alive, as Western Toads were hopping across the path towards the lake. Click on the photos below to see their larger versions and to check out the detail of this cool toad! CLICK HERE FOR A SHORT VIDEO WE TOOK OF A WESTERN TOAD on the trail.


More reports to follow shortly!

On a final note, to all of you who follow this blog, please take the time to read the following message and to sign the urgent petition as mentioned below. YOUR PARTICIPATION IS CRUCIAL!!! Thanks!

Hello all ~

California's in crisis, and budget cuts are being made everywhere. Among the drastic cuts being proposed right now is the closure of 200 of our state parks.

I cannot even begin to tell you how devastating the closure of our parks would be, not only to the public, but to the natural parks themselves. When you don't have enforcement (presence of staff, rangers, etc) trails and structures are degraded, people become frustrated and start sneaking in to the parks without proper equipment or knowledge of what the area requires, and everyone is put at risk.

Please sign the petition RIGHT NOW and forward the link to your friends and family. Our link and access to nature are vitally important. Making sure that our parks stay protected and respected is one of the biggest responsibilities we have right now.

LINK: http://ga3.org/campaign/budget_may09

Thanks, and take care!