Home»Jasper Ridge Galleries»A Day at a Time: Individual Visits»12/19/2016 Christmas Bird Count: Escobar Gate at Dawn

Entering Escobar Gate at 7 am, well before sunrise, I shared the Preserve with browsing deer. Frost decorated the soap plants and mushrooms, and caused a frost heave in the road. It was a beautiful clear day, perfect for "postcard" images of my favorite spots on the Birding Transect Trail: valley oaks full of mistletoe, serpentine rocks, and more. And of course there were birds. Highlights include a male kestrel, returning again and again to the Lone Valley Oak, a raven at the very top of a Douglas fir, and a kite, once again kiting in the clear air, descending smoothly on a single spot, hoping to catch a vole in the grass.

Start with the "Overview" collection. Then, if you want, there is a collection of More Trees, and another of more birds. Enjoy!