Hello friends;

I've been watching for the whiptails to mature that I first saw about two months ago along GlenRanch Road. Today I saw about 10 whiptails, 9 of which were along Glen Ranch Road. There is a traffic light for the residential area at a street called Saddleback Ranch Road. Between there and El Toro Road, along the dirt trail on the east side of Glen Ranch Road is where I saw about 50 junior whiptails about two months ago. Today, I saw two adults, 6 juniors (I don't know if they're one year old or two) and one brand new baby! Strangely most of them were hanging out ON the sandbags! (which don't really contain sand....they contain some very small smooth gravel - some of which has spilled out around the bags.) I had to wonder if they lay eggs in the fine gravel....perhaps it is easier to dig in than the 'adobe clay' that is indigenous? All of them but the little baby ran swiftly across the horse trail to the brush, as soon as they saw me coming. The baby ran for cover but stayed on the sandbags. Awesome sighting. I LOVE those critters. Even though they're scared, they never just run directly away.....the appear almost curious - enough to 'parallel' my course and watch me watching them  :-)

 

The other one I saw was at gate # E, near the base of Line Shack trail. It was a junior.

 

At gate F, there was a patch of black-and-white fur that looked like skunk. It was just in the middle of the dirt road.

 

And today I again saw snake 'footprints' on the bottom part of Vulture View trail, just before the junction of Whiting Ranch Road and Sage Scrub trails.

 

Hey, have you noticed that the mocking birds have picked up a new call? The one near my house mimics the sound that the 'remote' makes when you use it to lock your car doors.  :-)

 

Happy Trails,