Apologies for being somewhat off-topic, but I must correct an error in my original message.

Perhaps overly exited about the robin vs. lizard encounter, I inexplicably mis-identified the species of lizard. As Gerry Mugele kindly pointed out, it was of course a California Alligator Lizard. For those seeking more information about our local reptiles, you might want to check out this link Gerry provided: http://www.californiaherps.com/identification/lizardsid/lizards.id.html

Now, about those plants I can't seem to keep straight...

Good luck exploring!

Richard Bradus

San Francisco