South Shore - Playground parking area to Burkett Park Short Loop

Leg 1 -  Playground parking area > Chaparral > Red Dam Loop > Chaparral > Winding Snake > Burkett Park    3.1 miles

Leg 2 -  Burkett Park > WS to LL Connector > Lanky Lackey > Nature Trail > Horny Toad > Playground parking area   3.0 miles

Temp started at 74, ended at 85.  Sunny with fairly steady 5-10mph southerly breeze, humid.

Trails were dry but the humidity in the air and in the vegetation caused my shoes to get wet with morning dew.  Haze from the humidity was visible but the breeze kept me somewhat comfortable.  The trails are becoming overgrown with all the recent rains but still easy to see and traverse.  No wildlife and very few birds except for the juvenile Mockingbird and female (?) Hummingbird I saw on the Red Dam (photo attached).  The Hummer was zooming toward the Mocker but the Mocker was unconcerned and held his perch.  There are still lots of grasshoppers that will jump/fly away wuth every step you take.  The beebush is still blooming on the Nature Trail which makes hiking it very pleasant! Near the end of the hike on Horny Toad Trail, I noticed a "circle" of about 20 Black Vultures and Turkey Vultures in the air a short distance away but didn't see them land nor did I smell anything dead.  Perhaps they were just riding the currents as they looked for a meal.

NOTES

Water, shade, info kiosk, toilets and a bocycle repair station available at the Playground parking area.

Water, shade, info kiosk and dry toilets available at Burkett Park.