California summer leaves

Fall in Cali

For those who think California has only one season, I offer exhibit A: fallen leafs. I went for a 6 mile hike in Alum Rock Park this weekend.

I cannot express how great it is to have a nice hike so close to home.

Seek and ye shall find... snakes!

Up until today, I hadn't seen a rattlesnake in... oh... over 20 years, even though I hike in prime rattlesnake territory on an almost weekly basis.

Well, today, as I stepped off trail to watch a mini-landslide caused by a deer, I almost stepped right on this beautiful 20-inch guy.

He was calm about it - never even rattling. We got a bunch of photos, and then I attempted to catch him. Despite all those Jeff Corwin episodes I've watched, this guy was just too fast.

Judging by my Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Reptiles and Amphibians (a must have for any amateur naturalist), it's a Northern Pacific Rattlesnake, a subspecies of the "excitable and aggressive" Western Rattlesnake.

Enjoy!

Sunset, Dear

- Photography = Light Writing

The better the light, the better the writing.

This is a photo of a deer at sunset in Alum Rock Park in San Jose, California.

Staredown with a Gray Fox:

 Hello Mr. Fox

I went for a hike at Alum Rock Park in the hills of East San Jose today.

On my way down the hillside, I heard a rustling in the bushes.

It took me about 5 minutes to pick out the tips of two furry ears - backlit by the sun - poking up over the tall grass.

I moved down the trail and found a clear view. 

At first, I thought the ears belonged to a bobcat, but I quickly saw that it was a fox.

We had a staring contest for about 10 minutes, then he turned his head.

I closed in for this shot. He then went under a bush, so I moved on.

A ranger confirmed it was a gray fox. They are present in the area, but seen infrequently.