Walking along Davis Creek, 9am. There is white ground fog rising from the valley floor, creating a beautiful white arc across the sky. It is so quiet and peaceful. A short time later the whispy whiteness has burned off and the clear blue sky and sunshine lights up the trees. Sounds of many different birds begin to fill my ears. A pair of Red Shouldered hawks calling close by within the riparian corridor, the ever present White Tailed kites whistling out in the open fields, numerous Yellow Rumped warblers chipping, the Northern Flicker’s high piercing cry, and other woodpeckers drumming. Standing still and listening is always rewarding out here.Then when I look down, I can see that there are many green, tiny and not so tiny, seedlings sprouting everywhere, the result of the inch or so rain we had last week. This valley is always changing, moving into the next season. For example, different birds migrate here to nest in spring, but then move to other places when their young have fledged. Still other birds only come in the fall and winter as they move through on their way further south. Then there are the birds who are year-round residents. Some of the wildlife does the same, such as Black tailed mule deer or bush rabbits, as the hills dry out, they come down to eat the lusher vegetation growing in the valley. Additionally, the plants go through their seasonal life cycles, such as the poison oak which had turned from a vibrant green to a scarlet red, a couple of weeks ago, now is bare of leaves, with white berries now showing. It is an endlessly entertaining and interesting world.
