Climbing out of a thicket of blackberry, this California ground squirrel sprawls out on a soft bed of moss to catch some rays of the morning sun. I see them sit in the low limbs of oak trees that are around 10 feet or so off the ground. Its a nice place to warm up in the sun and get a better view. They have to stay vigilant of the surroundings because red-tailed hawks are nesting nearby. The hawks are always circling overhead and ground squirrels are definitely on their menu. If I stay tuned in to the barking alarm call of ground squirrels, I will often see a red-tailed hawk cruising through the landscape.
