The main highlight of the day was a herd of Tule Elk resting under some trees in San Antonio Valley. They were quite close to the road, and easily seen from the car.

Tule Elk in San Antonio Valley

Other mammal highlights included both Desert Cottontail and Black-tailed Jackrabbit off of Mines Road. Birdwise, I saw a Greater Roadrunner and a California Thrasher, both very interesting species that aren’t seen often. I also saw a pair of Turkey Vultures feeding off of a California Ground Squirrel carcass on the road and took this picture:

Turkey Vulture on Mines Road

While they are quite common, Turkey Vultures are still quite a sight to see close up.

As the evening light faded, we first spotted a Tarantula as it was crossing the road. As we were attempting to get him out of harms way in a timely manner, it managed to crawl into the wheel on our car. After several minutes of banging a stick on the tire, it finally decided to come out and wandered off to safety.

Tarantula on Tesla Road

As we drove along, we also saw a Gopher Snake cross the road. When threatened, Gopher Snakes tend to sharpen their heads so that they resemble something like triangles, something we had noticed before while driving along Mines Road which is also in Livermore. This one was no exception.

Driving a little further east on Tesla Road yielded two Western Rattlesnakes. We managed to snag a picture of the second one, its eyes gleaming in the headlights. Note the defensive position.

Western Rattlesnake off Tesla Road

The fact that we saw three snakes as well as a tarantula crossing the road combined with a decent level of traffic shows how easily animals can become roadkill. Drivers must be careful always.

On the way back, we saw a Barn Owl fly along the road for a bit and then veer off. And then a Desert Cottontail by the side of the road. No Kit Foxes but plenty of wildlife.