There was wildlife as well as wildflowers to be seen while hiking to Mount Eddy and back. Butterflies were many and varied.

 Something I noticed a number of times was that clouds of butterflies descend on spots where a dried up stream crossed the trail. No water was flowing but the soil was still wet and it appears that they come to sup on the moisture that remains.

 
 Startled deer were the largest mammals I saw. A not at all startled coyote trotted ahead of me at one point. I didn't see any bears or signs of them though I imagine they would seek out watery meadows much as I did. In similar environs around Crater Lake last year there were fresh bear tracks here and there though the bears didn't show themselves.
 I'm happy/sad I didn't see any rattlesnakes. I was a little unnerved to read that it's not uncommon to encounter them basking on the trails. The snakes I did see were smaller (about 2ft long), green and slithered rapidly through the scrub.
 The wings of hummingbirds, the scuffling of darting gophers and the click-clacking of some flying insect (a Katydid or similar?) were often an audible accompaniment. Some of the heights and ridges were very high indeed to the extent that several times I found myself looking down as well as up at soaring birds of prey.

 There was a bee in great numbers on the wildflowers that looked to be a close relative of our bumble bees (possibly the Golden Northern Bumble Bee?). Other pollinators seemed to my eye to resemble bugs with bee-like characteristics though I need to do some more research on quite what the range of species is in the territory I hiked through.