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Spring has definitely sprung in Orange County and Baily and I took a hike up to O'Neil Regional Park since Chris was engaged in a fierce bike ride around Santiago Canyon.
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It's been rather rainy lately so the ground was pretty muddy. I was slower than usual going up the hills today; I realized that I was probably carrying several pounds of mud on my boots. Consequently, I'm chalking my turtle pace up to the additional mud weight.
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This was a good day for wildlife, probably because we got an early start and it's still pretty cool out these days. There is a cell phone tower at the end of the hike and two hawks were fluffing themselves upon it. Click on the top picture; you can see one bird on either side. I wouldn't be surprised if a nest appeared here in a couple of months.
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I would have identified these guys as red tailed hawks but their breasts look a bit too buffy and clear to me. (click on the picture to enlarge). Red tails usually have a slightly mottled breast and very distinct red tail. Any thoughts? Papa?
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On the way down the hill I realized that three california vultures were circling us at low altitude (less than 50 feet). Since I still in the land of the living, this was rather disconcerting.
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See? I wasn't joking about the mud.
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This is always a difficult hike for me in the summer because the grass has turned brown, the pond has dried up, and the earth is scorched. I remember this hike as it is right now: green grass, green cacti, a full pond, and most importantly, lots of frogs. A year ago we reached the final hill and discovered that the ground was literally hopping with thousands upon thousands of tiny frogs. It was almost impossible to walk without crushing a few. And new they're back.
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I heard them as we walked up the final hill. I was so excited that I said something like: "Bailey! Can you hear the frogs? Hooray!" This prompted a nearby hiker to give me a very strange look, not a big surprise, given the fact that I was addressing my dog. Anyway, the frogs have reappeared.
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I don't know where they go for 9 months out of the year but they're back with a vengeance. This must be mating season because it was pretty loud up there and they kept croaking, even when I was nosing around in the grass trying to determine their location. These guys are about two inches in length. I'm going to keep my eyes out for eggs (and tadpoles).
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I've tentatively identified these guys as California Tree Frogs, despite the distinct lack of trees in the area. Click
here for more information.
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Frog in motion.
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