[SBB] Great Egrets and Crow Pie

[Bill Bousman <[[email protected]]>]

Folks:

This morning, 6/15/2005, I stopped by the Palo Alto Baylands where Ron Wolf 
was photographing the new nestlings in the GREAT EGRET nest as seen from 
the back (lagoon) side of the palm grove.  I then went on to see the Great 
Egret nesting colony that Lennie Stovel found on Shorebird Way off 
Charleston Road.  The colony is most easily found aurally by all the 
clacking goint on or by looking for the whitewash on the pavement where 
local workers avoid parking their cars.  I found nests in two pairs of 
sycamores separated by two more sycamores.  I assume these were planted 
here when this light industrial area was developed.  I'm not sure, but 
these buildings may not have been here in the 1970s when I would 
occasionally bird the Argenta Avenue pond (Argenta Avenue and pond are 
long  gone).  I was uncertain of the total number of nests as there appear 
to be some roosting platforms as well--my estimate was 10-12 nests in the 
first pair (north) and 4-5 in the second pair (south).  Quite a show, but 
the photo opportunities are limited.

For 30 years I've used my most sarcastic comments for the benefits of 
"light industrial landscaping" where nothing lives but Rock Pigeons, 
European Starlings, and House Sparrows. I think its time for me to eat a 
little crow (pie), as this light industrial egret colony is quite 
impressive.  By the way, they have also planted many redwoods in this area 
and there were many family groups of American Crows about including some 
feeding young (FY).  Yum.

Bill Bousman
Santa Clara County records compiler 

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