These oaks were very elderly, forming intertwined trunks and branches which was beyond awe-inspiring. The bark was rugged and gray/brown. The fresh leaves were evergreen, curled inside, and were saw-toothed. This was in my opinion the most beautiful grove of the Coast Live Oak Woodland.

The yuccas were tall and heavily branched, had thick, brown trunks, and fibrous, dense leaves of a succulent. When I came across this individual around the ending of sunset, it formed a silhouette against the gorgeous, waning colors of the cool desert sky. This pristine beauty reminded me of the sheer wonder the Mojave Desert embraces! This was one of several Joshua Trees in the Creosote Bush Scrub plain.

The lizard was very brown and had many geometric patterns, with the glittering blue underneath the head. This male achieved his daily exercise of power over his territory by doing push-ups on the rock. Once the lizard paused, I zoomed in on this reptile of fascinating detail. This moment was captivating; never before had I seen these sophisticated details in a critter one would regularly see darting around walls or gardens casually! These lizards were commonly spotted sun-bathing in the Lower Montane Forest.

The snake-like lizard was in some sort of dormancy, moving slowly with occasional flickers of the eyes. Its body was slender, the head appeared diamond-shaped, and the patterns of black stripes were seen on the brown/orange-colored back. It made a stunning impression on the rest of the family, showcasing the wild side of our Cultivated landscapes in Diamond Bar!

The small mammal was found in quite an unliving condition! By all means it was dead, with some grayish-brown fur being retained, along with the bones. Seen here are the vertebrae, skull, and predator-like canine teeth. The size and tooth anatomy of this critter didn't seem akin to any local rodents. This specimen was found under a Cultivated pine along Diamond Bar Blvd.

This lizard was either dead, or this was an extensive piece of its shedded skin. Its body was slender, the head appeared diamond-shaped, and the patterns of black stripes were seen on the faded, brown-colored back. These remains appeared to be fresh, not highly disturbed, and were found under a Cultivated pine along Golden Springs Dr.

This adult gull still had remnants of the juvenile's plumage, otherwise it matured. The wings were light gray, the feet and bill were light pink. The end of the wings and the tip of the beak were black. It lived along the extensive, sandy Beach.

The small passerine bird was a reserved, secretive little one. It blended in well with the undergrowth, due to its rusty brown and gray plumage. The reddish-brown tail also wagged as it hopped through the branches. This one lived in the Riparian Forest.

The waterfowl was small and compact. The head was black, the round body was dark gray, and the beak was white. It dove in and out of the water of the Freshwater Lake, which reflected the beautiful colors of autumn.

The humminbird's head when reflected in the sun gave a tiny magenta glow. The body was light brown-gray and light green. It also had a tiny sword-like bill. It perched on the low-growing, dense shrubs of the Sand Dune scrub.

The passerine bird was black and brown, with bead-like black eyes. The feathers were glossy and nearly pitch black with brown. These were feeding off of bread crumbs on the steps nearby the massive swath of Cultivated lawn.

The gull's beak was mostly yellow, with a little red, and the feet were light pink. The body was white, with dark gray wings. It was walking in the surf zone of the massive sandy Beach on the Balboa Peninsula.

The peregrine was a slim raptor, making a very harsh cry heard from hundreds of feet away. The head was black, with the white patch, and the feet & bill were yellow. The wings were dark gray and the belly was tawny-white. It flew out of the date palm, then it flew in circles with another individual around the lighthouse as they both flew inland across the Coastal Sage Scrub.

The small passerine bird was mostly light gray in color, it also had a black cap. The underside of the tail was also clay-red. It was taking a bath in the small steam winding through the Eastern Temperate Forest.

Wrestling with the slimy worms was quite a feat for this unstoppable robin! The bird had the easily recognizable black head, red belly, and gray wings. It was foraging in the moist, Cultivated lawns of the National Mall.

The small passerine bird was maneuvering up and around the cypress trunks as if it were a creeper or woodpecker. The head had distinct yellow and black coloration, the rest of the plumage was olive-green, gray, and black/white. It was an infrequently spotted member of the disturbed, cypress-dominated Closed-Cone Pine Forest.

The female mallard had brown, molted plumage with the patches of bright blue on the wings. Along its side was a youngster, a fluffy, bronze yellow/brown duckling! It was the cutest! Both were calm swimmers in the still waters of the Cultivated, manufactured Reflection Pool.

The majestic, wide-spanning bird was a very large raptor, with black wings. The underside was gray and black. The head was bald and dark magenta. Several individuals including this one soared in ovular formations above the coastal headlands and nearby Sand Dunes.

The passerine bird was completely black, with deep yellow eyes. The feathers were glossy and had a light purple/blue simmer to them. These were extremely common around the facilities of Crissy Field, dwelling on the Culitvated lawn and the food it provided via leftover lunches.

The gull's beak was mostly yellow, with a little red, and the feet were light pink. The body was white, with dark gray wings. Numerous gulls perched along the concrete wall built on top of the Rocky Shore coastline.

The goose was a large waterfowl, with a thick brown body, and a compact, black neck. The head was mostly black, but it also had the two white oval patches. Up close, these geese were rarely intimidated by humans, especially this individual here who I got relatively close to. These lived in the Freshwater Lake ecosystems.