The girl's target for the day was to find Newts, they ended up finding six total in the general area. Also found some nice salamanders up near the end of Gazos Creek Road.
I saw this Great Blue Heron flying low, very close and he landed very close to the parking lot. Seeing him land was quite a sight!
This pretty coyote was roaming around Kelso Depot (Mojave National Preserve).
He came quickly to my car and then waited, just as if he was expecting me to give him food. He's probably used to tourists feeding him :-(
This cute checkerspot was very still so it was the perfect opportunity to get a close-up shot.
Saw this very fidgety fast moving wasp searching for tarantulas while we were out for a hike to find some as well.
Unfortunately a dead tarantula hawk. They are not easy to photograph when they keep moving.
It looks like there are two different genera of tarantula hawks. I am not sure which one is this one.
This mushroom looked nice but I don't know what it is.
This Garter Snake was sunning itself on the road. There are many varieties of Garters. I don't know what that one is.
Found this Foxglove on a hot day at Mount Madonna County Park. It was 90+ degrees, at the end of the season. But the flower was in a heavily shaded area, and was doing well.
This is what passes for Fall color around here. Frankly, poison oak puts out just as much color in just as many varieties as any sugar maple, just in smaller quantities. And, you know, it's hard to love a plant whose primary gift to humanity is a horrid, oozing rash, especially when held up against the sweet, syrupy benevolence of the sugar maple. Itchy torture vs. delicious pancakes: not much competition.
While on a all-day, 13 miles hike, we were certainly hoping to see a tarantula, but not at 9 am (PST). That was a good surprise... Maybe this guy was just getting out of Mrs Tarantula's nest...