Monday my friend, Kim, and I decided to runaway from home. Where do we go — to the coast! The drive takes us through the San Pablo National Wildlife Refuge on Highway 37. I had never previously stopped as I was always in a hurry to get to the ocean but when stuck in stop and go traffic which frequently happens on this road, I could see a variety of waterfowl.
Kim and I decided to stop! We left a bright clear sunny valley to run smack into a marine layer on the way to Point Reyes. So we stopped at San Pablo and hoped that the overcast would clear by the time we got to the seashore.
The Daily Bucket is a nature refuge. We amicably discuss animals, weather, climate, soil, plants, waters and note life’s patterns.
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The San Pablo NWR sits on the northern edge of the San Francisco Bay in between the Napa and Petaluma rivers. The land had been farmed and was extensively altered to eliminate the marshes. Now, work is being done to eliminate the dikes and berms and return it to a more natural state. There is an access spot right off the westbound lane of the highway with a half dozen parking spaces. A service road atop a berm provides a smooth walking trail in between two ponds easily accessible for wheelchairs. There are also a couple of docks jutting into one of the ponds that allow you to get closer to the waterfowl.
Nice easy walk on a paved road — there are ponds on both sides just on the other side of the brush.
There were plenty of birds as migration is under full steam. Here’s what we saw:
Willits — he was bobbing and dancing
A variety of shorebirds sleep on a sandbar that is covered by an inch of water
American Avocets with 3 Marbled Godwits
A flock of sandpipers, most likely western, glide over the pond
A white Great Egret turns dark against the marine layer.
I added a new life bird — the Canvasback duck.
The Canvasbacks stayed way out in the middle of the pond.
A Ruddy Duck moving quick to hide behind a bush on shore.
Northern Shovelor drakes feeding. They are standing in very shallow water.
American Widgeons
The overcast created a silhoutte pair of Canada Geese
We also saw lots of marsh birds.
Western Meadowlark
White Crowned Sparrow
Red-Winged Blackbird
Black Phoebe
Song Sparrow
Finally, I finally took a photo of a barn swallow standing still. They were hanging around the docks because there were literally clouds of insects buzzing above the marshy plants — a veritable feast for this insectivores.
Barn Swallow
Once we left the parking area and Kim drove through the NWR, I spotted about 40-50 Black-Neck Stilts feeding in the wetlands. Red-Tailed Hawks and Turkey Vultures soared above us while Brewer’s Blackbirds foraged along the roadside.
So ended the first half of our journey. I will shortly write about our destination: Pt. Reyes with some really cool birds and large mammals!
We have had beautiful spring weather this week but are now expecting a minor rainstorm over the weekend. It’s not supposed to be a lot of rain or snow just a couple of inches over 3 or 4 days.
What’s up in your neck of the woods?