More Sepulveda Basin Wildlife

For my readers who live in the countryside, this might look horribly ugly, but for me, I marvel that such a green and beautiful place -- The Sepulveda Basin Wildlife Reserve -- exists smack next to the 405 freeway, the main North/South artery in Southern California. The street map of the area is here.

Here's the description from the official website:

General: Ringed by mountains, rivers and streams, the Sepulveda Basin Wildlife Reserve is haven of rest for wildlife and humans alike, a welcome oasis within an urban setting. It is here where the visitor of today can get a sense of what this part of the San Fernando Valley might have been like before agriculture and urban settlement forever changed the Valley floor:

•	The leaves of willows, cottonwoods, and sycamores glistening in the breeze;
•	The calls of migratory waterfowl and shorebirds such as ducks, Canada geese, herons, and egrets penetrating the stillness as they take flight after resting and foraging at the wildlife lake;
•	The musty scent of mulefat, sages, and mugwort heavy in the air after a winter's rain; and activity of small birds such as the goldfinch, woodpecker, and oriole as they search for food and shelter amongst the oak savannah.