Wildlife close to home

[balzaccom]

While we saw a few interesting animals in Yosemite (Marmots, deer, a pika or two, and some squirrels, one thing we did not see was beaver. But then, we can see those right here, within to blocks of our house.

Ever since Napa forced the Army Corps of Engineers to completely revise their flood project for the city, the Napa River has become a vibrant home to wildlife. And on our evening walk today, we managed to catch sight of a couple of beaver as they did what beavers do---paddle around the river looking for things to do .

We've also seen sea lions, otters, and all sorts of nice birds, as well as salmon, which now spawn in the river. Good times.

Photos are here: https://www.backpackthesierra.com/post/ ... se-to-home

[dave54]

Well, we have a wolf pack.
A few reports of seeing a wolf in town, but all are believed to be domestic dogs (usually German Shepherd). However -- I have heard them at night fairly close. Seen their tracks out hiking, and maybe once a quick sighting across a large meadow (not sure, a distant fleeting glimpse in dappled shadows).
Mountain lions are occasionally seen right at the edge of town, and a few homes right on the edges sometimes get their trash raided by bears.
Raccoons and skunks are a common nuisance in yards. They trigger the motion detectors on my security cameras and I can watch them in my yard. Wild turkeys sometimes spotted in town. A few elk are around, but not a large population. Seldom spotted. My backyard birds are mostly Stellar Jay, goldfinch, juncoe, chickadee, quail, Evening Grosbeak, and the ubiquitous ringneck and rock doves. Robins and sparrows galore. Rarely, during unusually heavy winter snowstorms, I will see a Clarks Nutcracker at one of my feeders. I keep my feeders up year around. (Getting to be an expensive hobby! Seed isn't cheap).

Hiking at night/dusk has shown me a ringtail, bobcat, and fisher. I enjoy paddling on the lake in fall when the waterfowl are all rafted up, or the sandhill cranes in the spring.

I will neither confirm nor deny my 'sasquatch' sighting. (Almost certainly a bear, but he was walking upright bipedal).

[Dave_Ayers]

That's awesome. Saw a Badger at Vargas Plateau (near Fremont) a few weeks back. Unfortunately it scurried into a burrow before I could get a snapshot.