More local wildlife snapshots from Orcas stewardship – birds and herps at Turtleback Mountain Preserve.BIRDS :: While sweeping for Scots broom along Turtleback, staff discovered Common Nighthawk (Chordeiles minor) eggs. Nighthawks lay their eggs directly on the ground versus building a nest, relying on their grayish-white, black-spotted coloration to blend into the background. If you enjoy evening hikes in the summer, you may see nighthawks swooping and darting erratically through the sky in pursuit of insects or hear its nasal “peent” call.
HERPS :: A lucky glimpse of the secretive Northern alligator lizard (Elgaria coerulea) perched on a rock outcropping along North Turtleback. Did you know if threatened, alligator lizards can detach their tail?
A Wandering garter snake, (Thamnophis elegans vagrans) approximately 2.5 ft long, with rare coloration near Raven Ridge on Turtleback. Typically more of a tan coloration, this snake had more vibrant orange with unique placement of the spitting and thought to be a particular 
subspecies of garter snake that is more nomadic. Staff shared the photo with Kwiáht herpetologist, Christian Oldham, who believes the snake is a rare phenotype (unique characteristic of a localized population) and thought it was a female that had already given live birth.