I spy a bobcat in Berkeley

Back in the Bay Area! Went for a really nice hike this weekend at Inspiration Point in Berkeley's Tilden Regional Park. The views of the Bay are amazing! In addition to the 360 views, the wildlife was phenomenal. Two hawks, a dozen wild turkeys, several blue jays, and a bobcat! The bobcat was about 50 yards away, at first we couldn't tell if it was a coyote or a cat, but with the help of a friendly hiker's binoculars, we confirmed it was definitely a bobcat. I didn't bring any cameras, so the photos below are taken from the web.

Condors

I forgot to mention in my last post, the most spectacular sighting of the trip. Andean Condors! I just couldn't believe it. I thought condors were super rare and never seen, but we saw 20 of them over two days! What luck and joy. I spent more time enjoying the birds than photographing them, but here is a short clip showing one soaring over the valley. 

Coyote sighting!

Awesome 3 mile trail run at Arastradero this evening. 7 deer and a coyote = one happy Julia! Terrific way to start the weekend. If only my iphone hadn't died this week, I would have a nice photo to post. My coyote wasn't as cute as this little guy:

This is why I run

To decompress after my Lung Block Exam, I went on a great run in Arastradero Preserve this evening. About a mile into my run, I took a break to look around, and realized I was a step away from landing on a small 12 inch snake, it was slender with reddish-brown and yellow stripes. Continuing along, after a big climb, my efforts were rewarded with a gorgeous view of the surrounding landscape, extending all the way to the Bay.

The best part about a big ascent is the winding downhill run that follows, I was practically sprinting for almost a mile, all the while keeping my eyes peeled for other cool animal sightings. About a 100m before finishing, I slam on the breaks. There is a HUGE rattle snake in the middle of the trail!  I'm talking 4 feet long, big rattler, smack in the middle of the trail, with a dead mouse in its dust. So, fortunately I stop. Spend about 10 minutes in awe of this creature as it meanders off the trail into some gofer hole. Then I sprint to my car, slightly terrified of every sound along the trail, but joyous of my chance encounter with two beautiful snakes just minding their business on a sunny Monday evening.  This is why I run.

ZooBorns

ZooBorns.com is the cutest website ever, it has pictures of newborn animals from zoos around the world. Just look at this baby elephant -how cute!

Quack Quack!

Saw this little guy at the Chicago Botanic Gardens today.

Hawaiian Sea Turtles

Look what I saw!