TIDEPOOLING & YOLO WILDLIFE BYPASS
I did a little tidepooling the following day to see what sorts of ocean invertebrates were out and about.

A tiny Porcelain Crab with comically large claws.

The By-the-wind-sailor is a composite jellyfish-like creature that uses its "sail" to catch the wind.

What the tidepools looked like.

Marine Hermit Crabs were quite common.

My first-ever encounter with a Leather Sea Star - true to their name, they are soft and pliable.

A subadult Red Rock Crab.

After tidepooling, I drove two hours north to Yolo Wildlife Bypass, but it was closed due to flooding, though some nearby farmers let me check out their land.

A Pacific Gopher Snake that was basking alongside a flooded ditch.

A classic grassland bird - Western Meadowlark.

I came across a few examples of the "lifer" that I had been seeking - Valley Garter Snake.

A Coastal Fence Lizard, depsite their name, they'll also perch on rocks and hide underneath them when they sense danger.