Palo Alto Baylands, San Francisco, California, USA SFO

First light caught me pulling in at the Lucy Evans Baylands Nature Interpretive Center. The highlight here is the boardwalk that protects the salt marsh from trampling feet and takes visitors out to the edge of the lower lobe of San Francisco Bay (Google Earth ref; 37° 27’ 34”N, 122° 06’ 21”W).

 American Avocets roosted at high water, waiting for the levels to start dropping again and expose feeding opportunities in the fresh mud. 

My reason for coming here this morning is that I am convinced that one day, Lady Luck will smile on me and a Black Crake a California Clapper Rail and maybe even a Sora will pop into view None of them did any such thing, but you never know until you try. Song Sparrows aplenty and a Black Phoebe caught my eye, but no rallids. At the viewing platform at the end of the boardwalk, a few Least Sandpipers approached closely and even sat up out of the early morning shadows. 

There is a trail that leads around the back of the duck pond which leaves the morning light over your right shoulder when walking it in an anti-clockwise direction. A single Dunlin flew in and nearly landed at my feet. It stood tall and I became very excited, hoping for a moment that it might be a Stilt Sandpiper. I am far more used to seeing dumpy Dunlins hunched over, feeding in large flocks and it took a while to convince myself about this tall, slim singleton.

Northern Shovelers, Green-winged Teal, American Wigeon and plenty more avocets were in the water on the right of the trail. On the left, a Red-tailed Hawk perched watchfully in a tree over-hanging the path. I talked gently to it as I passed under the branch that it was on and it ignored me until I was beyond it and had the light in my favour.

I find that talking to the birds has a two-fold benefit. It reassures the birds that I am not trying to creep up on them, so they don’t perceive me as a threat and don’t feel the need to maintain a prudent flight distance, while people who see me talking to birds do perceive me as a threat and feel the need to keep a prudent flight distance.

Although the hawk was looking out over the slough, none of the waterfowl appeared worried. Can they tell, for instance, that the redtail prefers rodents or perhaps that it had already eaten? Do ducks have a built-in field guide to enable them to identify threats? Neither this Ruddy Duck, nor the Canvasback paid the hawk very little attention. Perhaps they knew that they were safe from the hawk out on the water?

By the pond, pigeons and gulls waited for scraps from the duck feeders.

Western Gulls, Ring-billed Gulls and a Glaucous-winged Gull 3rd yr (with a big bill that might indicate some western influences) sat patiently on posts waiting for the children that they knew would come.  

Some Herring Gull look-a-likes had no markings on their heads and were more likely to be pale-eyed westerns. 

Across the road, a Cooper’s Hawk waited quietly. The slough was draining and exposing lots of mud behind the hawk. Marbled Godwits, Grey (Black-bellied) Plover, Kildeer, and a few Long-billed Curlews probed here. There were plenty of dowitchers feeding on the newly exposed mud. The ones closer to me seemed to be chuckling as they fed, so I am assuming them to be Long-billed Dowitchers. I was not able to identify the rest of them with any real confidence.

A loon was hauled up onto a mudbank and belly-slid back into the water when it saw me. Here again I had a crisis of confidence. The diver, which I assumed to be a Common Loon, showed no neck markings. I had a fairly good look and at no point could I see any indentation that would have assured me of its provenance. The bill seemed robust enough, with the suggestion of an angle on the lower mandible, to allow me to overcome most of my doubts, but I was still niggled about the neck markings. Are they a constant feature in all plumages and forms? G is favouring Pacific. After trolling Flickr for Common Loons, I have to agree with G and concede that it is "slight". He is tactfully pushing me towards Pacific and I will agree with him. Thanks G.

I withdrew to a nearby restaurant for an early lunch. It had been a confusing morning and I wanted to consider the loon, gulls, dowitchers and Dunlin. I was greeted eagerly by the Spanish owner who clapped his hands and called excitedly to the kitchen staff, “ ‘El Gordo’, esta aqui y tiene hambre!”

Bird species; 42

Pacific Loon 1, Pied-billed Grebe 3, Clark’s Grebe 2, Brown Pelican 2, Double-crested Cormorant 6, Snowy Egret 3, American Wigeon 1, Gadwall 2, Green-winged Teal 25, Mallard 45, Northern Shoveler 80, Canvasback 5, Ruddy Duck 8, White-tailed Kite 1, Cooper’s Hawk 1, Red-tailed Hawk 1, American Coot 12, Black-necked Stilt 8, American Avocet 160, Grey (Black-bellied) Plover 4, Semi-palmated Plover 2, Killdeer 15, Long-billed Dowitcher 25, Marbled Godwit 35, Long-billed Curlew 4, Greater Yellowlegs 1, Willet 3, Western Sandpiper 25, Least Sandpiper 8, Dunlin 1, Ring-billed Gull 3, Glaucous-winged Gull 1, Western Gull 15 , Mourning Dove 8, Anna’s Hummingbird 1, Northern Flicker 1, Black Phoebe 2, Bushtit 15, American Crow 6, Yellow-rumped Warbler 6, Song Sparrow 8, White-crowned Sparrow 35.

Palo Alto Baylands is about 20 -25 miles south on Highway 101 from San Francisco International Airport (SFO). There are a few access points from the 101 at Embarcadero Road, Terminal Boulevard and Shoreline Boulevard. The boardwalk and Interpretive Centre are at the end of Embarcadero Rd.
I had arranged to pick up a car from the airport which has a 24hr rental plaza. Catch the BART (San Francisco's Subway system. $8.20 one way from Powell St. Station. First trains from 04.30ish.) to the airport SFO and transfer onto the Airtrain which is the closed circuit airport transport system. Allow one hour from the hotel to the rental desk.

Other posts from San Francisco can be found at the links below;
http://redgannet.blogspot.com/2010/02/palo-alto-baylands-san-fancisco.html

There are more Californian and American posts on the dedicated page.
http://redgannet.blogspot.com/p/posts-from-usa-and-canada.html

Palo Alto Baylands, San Francisco, California, USA SFO

Palo Alto Baylands, San Fancisco

Birding in San Francisco throws up a few options and today’s post features the Palo Alto Baylands. The area is noted for Burrowing Owls and Clapper Rail, but don’t get your hopes up as I didn’t find either of those. Anna's Hummingbirds were plentiful though.
35 miles down the bayside from San Francisco City, the salt marshes were shrouded in fog this morning. I skipped back and forth between sites trying to make the best of a late start and a midday tide. There are 3 favoured sites in Palo Alto. Turning off from Freeway 101, take Embarcadero for Lucy Evans Interpretative Centre and boardwalk.
San Antonio is the off-ramp for Charleston Slough (rhymes with blue). Finally, turn off at Shoreline Blvd for Mountain View tidal marsh.
I wanted to be at the boardwalk 2 hours before high tide so visited Mountain View first to look for Burrowing Owls. It was the furthest of the three sites.
At the end of Shoreline Blvd. is plenty of parking with a lake and a golf course on the inland side and a tidal marsh and protected area on the bayside. Cycle and jogging trails double as birder paths and give dry, flat access and views of the sloughs. The protected area is set aside for the Burrowing Owls who like to take vacant possession of California Ground Squirrel’s holes. The owls are shy and drop back into the burrows if approached. This was a Saturday morning on the first day for weeks without rain. Even by 08.30 it was busy and I suspect the owls were laying low.
I visited here twice during the day but shall amalgamate the two visits seamlessly as if one.
A juvenile Red-tailed Hawk was very approachable and allowed me to get close enough to see what he had had for breakfast. An Anna’s Hummingbird was performing display flights, rising 20m into the air and power-diving, pulling up to form a clearly defined J-shape, then rising again to repeat the display three or four times. A still photo can’t convey the drama. I keep considering video but how much can I actually carry? In case you are wondering, this is not a picture from during the display. That was beyond me.
Out on the water were Ruddy Duck, Shoveler, and Greater Scaup. On the distant sloughs were more Shoveler and some Brown Pelicans. There were a few Great and Snowy Egret on the edge of the water and Golden-crowned and White-crowned Sparrows in the scrub.
Canada Geese were grazing on the protected area where I was scanning for the owls. A Northern Harrier sailed into my vision but I thought a goose was possibly a big target for her. Instead she landed just ahead and took a drink from a puddle. Anticipating that she might give me a fly-by, I switched my lens stabiliser to panning mode and the camera to Servo AF to keep a moving object in focus. I was pleased with the result.
A small mixed flock of House Finches, Western Bluebird and Yellow-rumped Warbler greeted me back at the car park.

The fog was still fairly thick when I arrived at the Lucy Evans Interpretative Centre at the end of Embarcadero and I saw a fogbow for the first time. It is a similar principle to a rainbow I suppose, but you dry out more quickly afterwards.
A pond there was hosting some Ring-billed Gulls with approximately 200 Bonaparte’s Gulls on the slough across the road.
An area by the centre has it’s tidal flow restricted in both directions thus giving high and low tides about two hours later than the slough beside it. A dyke-like, raised path runs between the managed slough and the pickleweed marsh. In a scene reminiscent of one I had witnessed a few weeks ago, all the wading birds took off as an ibis flew over. I thought it was a Glossy Ibis until a fellow camera-toting birder advised me to be on the lookout for a White-faced Ibis. The mistake was understandable I am sure you will agree. It was the red eye that swung it.

From some reeds nearby, the strident song of a Marsh Wren rang out, I recorded it singing and played it back resulting in the bird showing itself at the top of the reeds.
Beyond the Interpretative Centre is a boardwalk that pushes out into the tidal marsh for about 400m or so. This is the favoured rail area and it has produced Virginia and Clapper Rail for this blogger in the past. The end of the boardwalk was obscured by fog until I tried to take an artistic photo, when the mist miraculously lifted. My theory was that the high tide would flood the marsh and push the rails up into view. For future reference the tide needs to be higher than today’s 2.5m to achieve that. There were plenty of Song Sparrows though.
The managed slough was busy. American Avocets were starting to attain their summer plumage. Short-billed Dowitchers were taking advantage of the delayed tide with a single Long-billed Curlew.
The natural slough was the most prolific spot at this site. Teal and Shoveler were present as well as other ducks, waders, egrets and that flock of gulls. At the far end of the car park is a boat ramp. A great Egret was preening.
The day was warming up now and the fog had lifted.
In between the two sites already mentioned, at the end of San Antonio Rd, is Charleston Slough. Right beside the parking area is the Coast Casey Forebay. This was a popular roosting place for American Avocets, about 2oo of which were waiting out the high tide. Also here were Greater Yellowlegs, Black-necked Stilts, American Coots and a small selection of duck. I took the path which led out between the slough and Adobe Creek. On the left was a viewing platform for the creek. Cinnamon Teal, a Double-crested Cormorant and a few Black-crowned Night-herons were all roosting among the tall reeds. On the other side, another platform looked up the length of Charleston Slough. A small island in front of it was providing roosting space for 3 Black Skimmers among the gulls, Marbled Godwits and the Willet. There were dowitchers too, but I couldn’t tell which one from that distance.
The trail reaches nearly two miles out into the bay. Further on, the creek opened out into sandbanks and shallow water. Clustered around any bits of debris on the sandbanks were mixed flocks of Western and Least Sandpipers. Small flocks of 50 or so huddled around sticks and logs, preening and resting. The least seemed to be the most here.
Among the other bird were ducks, egrets, coots and Common Moorhen. Out in the deeper Charleston Slough were even more Shoveler. Good numbers of Canvasback, Ruddy Duck and scaup were present too.
A lake close to the parking lot held Surf Scoters, Common Goldeneye and a high concentration of Pied-billed Grebes. Snowy Egrets were winkling mussels from the beds on the edge of the lake.
By now the warmth had gone from the air. The sun was dipping towards the horizon and the tide was reaching it’s lowest point. I pulled in to the boardwalk on the way home to watch the sun go down over the curlew. A large flock of tiny peeps that I assumed to be Western Sandpipers flashed in the sun’s last rays of the evening.

My plan to set off early in the morning was thwarted. I had mistaken a past favour for standard practice at Reliable rentals. If you wish to set out early, you can rent a car from Reliable and take advantage of their free parking. Rent the night before and set out from their garage when you wish. Returning the car after 17.00 will incur a second day charge.
This works perfectly if you are renting for more than one day, but becomes expensive for just one day.
Alternatively, Budget next door are open from 06.00 – 21.00 7 days a week.

Bird species; 54

Pied-billed Grebe 14, Western Grebe 3, Clarke’s Grebe 1, Brown Pelican 9, Double-crested Cormorant 30, Great Blue Heron 1, Great Egret 12, Snowy egret 18, Black-crowned Night Heron 14, White-faced Ibis 2, Canada Goose 120, American Wigeon 40, Gadwall 15, Green-winged Teal 80, Mallard 60, Cinnamon Teal 4, Northern Shoveler 1600, Canvasback 140, Greater Scaup 30, Surf Scoter 4, Common Goldeneye 2, Ruddy Duck 600, Turkey Vulture 4, White-tailed Kite 2, American Harrier 6, Red-tailed Hawk 6, Common Moorhen 3, American Coot 100, Black-necked Stilt 30, American Avocet 1000, Short-billed Dowitcher 20, Marbled Godwit 70, Long-billed Curlew 1, Willet 80, Western Sandpiper 1000, Least Sandpiper 250, Ring-billed Gull 200, Herring Gull 20, Bonaparte’s Gull 200, Black Skimmer 3, Mourning Dove 6, Anna’s Hummingbird 15, Marsh Wren 1, Bewick’s Wren 2, Northern Mockingbird 2, Western Bluebird 7, American Crow 25, House Finch 15, Yellow-rumped Warbler 3, Savannah Sparrow 1, Song Sparrow 20, White-crowned Sparrow 14, Golden-crowned Sparrow 22, Brewer’s Blackbird 50.