Love is on the ground

Today there was mating taking place. Lizards and toads were warm enough.

The toad was calling from a flooded irrigation field. I have a feeling he might not be successful this night...

This pair of lizards were busy. I watched three of them chasing each other until I realized one was a female...

It is nice to see the new flowers after seeing nothing but mustard plants and crossflower for a month. Here is a globe mallow, found where the ground is moist. The rest of the bosque is pretty bone dry and the passing cars are throwing up clouds of fine dust when they drive past (PS, SLOW DOWN!). The dust does leave good tracks, including this puzzle:

Something about 40 lbs climbed out of the ditch and waddled across the trail into the woods next door where there is a regular trail through the grass. It likely slept in this straw hole on the opposite ditch bank. I suspect raccoon, maybe skunk, or possibly porcupine, maybe muskrat. The muddy prints were pretty generic. I am paying closer attention to the many holes on the sides of the bank now.

The nice thing about all these birds jostling for territory, is that they hold still on their perches while advertising their property. It makes them a heck of a lot easier to photograph. Still pretty poor results, but I'll get the hang of it... Last night we saw a ghostly night heron flying low through the ditch, and there were tracks yesterday in the dust along the banks, their big three toes are pretty distinctive, but I usually see them perched late at night in the trees.