[SBB] Snowy Egret Activity at Palo Alto Baylands

[Ron Wolf <[[email protected]]>]

We've been wondering for nearly two monts what had happened to
the SNOWY EGRETS at the Palo Alto Baylands. The numbers nesting
at the heronry behind the duck pond have been far below the levels
we saw last year.

Well, it looks like show time finally is at hand.

During the last few days, many more Snowy Egrets in breeding plumage
have arrived in the area behind the duck pond and around the ranger
station.

All of the prime nest sites in the palms behind the duck pond had
previously been claimed by BLACK CROWNED NIGHT HERONS,
Great Egrets and the small number of Snowy Egrets tht arrived during
the last month. The newly arrived egrets have had to spread out.
Many of them are trying to move into the trees around the ranger
station and are now doing their courtship displays from the tops
of those trees. (This makes for better photos then the same displays
amid the palm fronds.) But the trees around the ranger station had
also been colonized by night herons, so noisy territotial disputes
are erupting.

Obviously, we don't know if more snowy egrets will continue to
arrive, but it looks at the moment like a new invasion is under way.


-- Ron Wolf


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