Believe it or not (I don't), I am now entering the 11th year of keeping this blog. I don't know how long I'll continue it but for now, welcome to 2020.
Speaking of which, I have been ill pretty much for the whole year so things remain the same. We went out on New Year's Day to start the 2020 bird count but I was starting to get sick so we didn't stay out long. We just added a few common species, but it was a start. We didn't get out again, thanks to my bacterial infections, until Saturday, January 11th. The temps were going to be record-setting warm and we decided to peek at the dens. I was nearing the tail end of my sickness and Andrea was beginning the.... ummm... tail beginning of hers.
It was indeed lovely out and we figured we'd see tons of animals but that really wasn't the case. We saw one knucklehead, though, and a Northern Water Snake became our first herp of 2020.
We checked the other dens but nobody was out. Salamanders were also absent. We figure that being fully underground, they didn't know it was so nice out. Plus, it was dry. We added a couple more birds. Here's #5, a Downy Woodpecker.
The next day, Sunday the 12th, was even nicer. It hit 71° which is a record. We hadn't planned on a hike but being sick, we didn't have any obligations, so we went out for another walk around the same spot. Fresh air and sun is the best medicine anyway, isn't it?
Sly's den hasn't had much action (for us) in a few years but this slim Ribbon Snake (First of Year!) was up grabbing some sunshine.
I was wondering if this was the new Robles, the large Ribbon that we'd seen at the end of 2019 but despite them both having a stub-tail, this one doesn't have the scarring on his back and is a good half-foot shorter.
Heading into the Valley, we just couldn't miss a big ol' lady Water Snake all stretched out. Andrea did a size reference.
She decided she didn't want a human so close, so she slithered slowly away (the snake, not Andrea), almost crawling right over our first Garter of the year. The Valley was hoppin'! (Or slitherin'!)
This guy was pretty Ribbony... made us do a few double-takes.
We carried on, hoping the Cottonwood Den would give us a few more sightings. Our hopes were realized. These two Garters were peeking out.
Can we get a closer look at how cute that is?
Andrea tried to stifle her laughter at the sight, even though snakes can't hear. It's just how we are.
A few feet above the periscope duo, this guy was being more secretive.
We went on to check out the Rock Wall Dens but they were empty. That's OK, we'd already had far more success than we should have. We were tired (hey, we're sickos) and headed back. We swung by the Cottonwood Dens on the way out and this Garter had emerged, but the others had all returned to their beds.
We thought it might have been one of the others but markings suggest a different animal. So, that makes a 5 Garter day!
OK, now I know this day was a sign of Global Warming and the planet is doomed. We all know that, unless we're idiots. But the joy and health benefits, both physical and mental, that we derived from an hour in the sun in January is nothing to be sneezed at. I guess it's taking advantage of a bad situation. It did the ol' heart a lot of good to see some noggins and a smiling wife.
