60 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM {due west} under its safe log or rock, then waddles in its wide-legged way down to Alpine Creek to breed. Other places you’ll find these orange-bellied beauties? Look for them around the Mindego Hill and Ancient Oaks trails off Alpine Road (part of the Russian Ridge Open Space Preserve) as well as the Los Gatos Creek Trail near the Lexington Reservoir. SHOWY SHOREBIRDS AT COYOTE POINT RECREATION AREA Less of a trailblazer, more of a tranquil wanderer? San Mateo County Park Ranger Katherine Wright recommends a walk along the water at Coyote Point Recreation Area for shorebirds aplenty. Breathe in the crisp scent of the eucalyptus trees and try to identify the diving birds bobbing along the Bay. Here’s a cheat sheet: Clark’s, western, horned and eared grebes as well as buffleheads and goldeneyes are some of the regulars. And keep an eye out for regal herons and egrets stalking through the shallows. trek the trails inthewildwithrick.com valley floor on the Weiler Ranch Trail, but be sure to check out the Montara Mountain Trail while you’re there. On this just over two-mile route, advance from the blue gum eucalyptus forest to a series of steep switchbacks and continue along stretches of coastal scrub. Even if you get a bit winded, the breathtaking views make it all worth it. Stretched out below is a treecoated valley—and beyond, the vast blue Pacific. Expect to encounter any number of soaring, slinking and slithering inhabitants during your visit. A group of quails might bolt across your path. The shadow of a circling red-tailed hawk or turkey vulture might pass by overhead. Perhaps you’ll see a grey fox giving chase to a rabbit or come across a harmless garter snake or gopher snake sunning its scales. Keep a respectable distance and give a nod of acknowledgment. NUMEROUS NEWTS AT SAM MCDONALD PARK When the weather gets wet, zip up your raincoat and brave the muddy track of Sam McDonald Park’s Heritage Grove Trail to meet up with the California newts. Awakened from its dormancy by the cool, refreshing rain, this semiaquatic species of salamander wiggles out from
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