Sunrise 6:17 am: Mustard makes for happy birds

The Dawn Joggers noticed that the Arastradero Preserve was finally starting to dry out although there was still a significant amount of water running in streams and gullies, eagerly enjoyed by Cassie. One week after their last visit, all the oaks were sporting new leaves.More hillsides were blanketed with tall yellow wildflowers, and the small pink/purple flowers were ubiquitous. As they made their way up and down the hills, wild turkeys could be heard in the distant. At the top of one ridge the mustard was so dense that it gave off a fluorescent hue. It was also the scene of much activity by dozens of red-winged blackbirds.