Stage Gulch Rd., Part 2, Petaluma - June 3, 2010

Walking Distance: 2.2 miles
Walking Time: 1 hr., 1 min. (6:40 - 7:41 p.m.)
Start and End Point: Parked on Stage Gulch Rd. (dirt pull-out area), across the road from 601 Stage Gulch (JLT Ranch), Petaluma, CA

I finished this stretch of country road that I started a few days ago. It was later in the day; and when three people pull over to ask me if I needed help, in less than 1 mile, I came away thinking two thoughts.

First, the stretch road was probably not the safest hiking path; it had no real shoulder, traffic was whizzing by -- and there were, sadly, lots of small dead animals on the side of the road (mostly snakes, but the occasional birds and insects as well). Second, this was an area with kind people, who were concerned about fellow human beings who might have had a flat tire, or a stalled motorcycle, or other trouble.

I enjoyed seeing cows, and great egrets wandering around in the grass on a farm near the cows. Except for having to be vigilant for traffic, it was very peaceful. So, I kept to the far edge of the grass (watching for little critter holes and what might be popping out of them), and enjoyed the walk.




Wildlife Sightings:
28 red-winged blackbirds; 3 dead snakes (1 kingsnake, 2 brown, patterned snakes); 4 great egrets (farm grass/field); 2 little brown jobs (LBJs); 14 black and white cows; 1 killdeer; 1 dead bird; 1 dead bumblebee; 1 dead black beetle

Stage Gulch Rd., Petaluma - June 1, 2010

Walking Distance: 2.4 miles
Walking Time: 1 hr., 9 min (6:43 - 7:52 p.m.)
Start and End Point: Side of road, dirt pull-out area, near intersection of Stage Gulch Rd., and Lakeville Highway, Petaluma

Not much of a shoulder to walk on, but Stage Gulch was a nice scenic "farm" road. Heads up for fast traffic.


At the start of the walk, I saw a turkey vulture sitting in a tree, being pestered by a smaller bird. The vulture was probably was getting too close to the bird's nest. The vulture, after being repeatedly being dive bombed in the tail region, finally spread its wings and took off. All this was happening while a curious sheep looked on.

The rest of the walk I was serenaded by warning calls from red-winged blackbirds every several yards. I was not a turkey vulture, but the sight of a pedestrian on a road like this, was probably an unusual site for these birds. And you can't be too cautious if you're raising a family I guess.

I covered about half of Stage Gulch Road this evening (turning around at JLT Ranch) to walk back to Lakeville Highway. The cows in the pasture looked pretty content from what I could see. I'll come back to walk the rest when there is more light.

Wildlife Sightings:
3 turkey vultures; 10 darker birds (orioles?); 50 sheep; 37 red-winged blackbirds; 7 little brown jobs (LBJs); 56+ black and white cows; 1 unidentified flying bug; 5 blurs in the bushes (not sure what they were); 1 fairly small brown patterned snake; 1 large brown hawk; 1 small cloud of gnats.